Friday 20 October 2017
How to Stop Your Computer from Slowing Down
As months and years pass by, even the most powerful computer can start to slow down and show signs of age, much like a car. But as with your automobile, there are steps to take that will minimize the creeping sluggishness and keep your laptop running as fast as possible for as long as possible. Here are a couple of easy steps you can take to keep your computer from slowing down.
1) Keep programs and extensions to a minimum
Desktop applications and browser extensions are usually the main culprits when your computer starts slowing down. The more of them the OS has to deal with, the more work it has to do and the more system resources are used up.
Try and think twice before installing anything new and ask yourself whether you genuinely need it on your system. Perhaps there’s a web version you can use instead, say, or maybe you can run a portable version from a USB stick.
For those applications and browser plug-ins that you really can’t live without, make sure you’re cleaning them up regularly. Anything that’s sitting gathering dust on your system should really be uninstalled, for the reasons we’ve already mentioned—it means your OS isn’t always tripping up over them.
There are various third-party utilities available to help tidy up your applications and browsers and make sure bloat is kept to a minimum, and CCleaner is one of the best cross-platform, free ones we’ve found.
Another reason this is a good idea is to keep as much local storage space free as possible. Start running out of hard drive space and system sluggishness is sure to soon follow.
2) Don’t let anything auto-start
A lot of programs are keen to start up at the same time as Windows or macOS, and while this enables them to load themselves quickly into memory when you need them, it also means your computer is taking more and more time to boot up and function.
To check what’s starting alongside the OS, go to the Startup tab of the Task Manager on Windows (right-click on the taskbar to launch it), or Users & Groups in System Preferences on a Mac (look under the Login Items tab).
It’s fair to say that auto-starting works well for some applications, particularly those that you always want to hand, but if you can keep this list of programs down to a minimum then you should see the benefit in overall performance. Some trial and error might be required to work out which are the biggest system resource hogs on your computer.
3) Make computer security a top priority
Another common cause of system slowdowns are unwanted malware apps that sneak onto your system. Not just full-blown viruses but also browser extensions gathering advertising data and dodgy utilities that are bundled with genuinely useful software.
This feeds back into the point we made earlier, that being very selective about what you install is going to benefit you and your computer in the long run.
Of course unwanted malware and adware can install itself surreptitiously too, which is where a competent security package can really earn its keep. Freeware is very appealing for obvious reasons but this is one of those situations where spending a few dollars for something professional is a worthy investment, provided you pick the right package.
Our friends at Lifehacker have some quality recommendations for security software that will work on your Windows or Mac machine (you’re less likely to come across problems on the latter but it’s still worth considering).
4) Update everything regularly
Updating your software and firmware can often seem like a chore, but it’s one of the keys to maintaining a healthy system for a number of reasons. It patches security bugs, it (usually) optimizes code, it adds new features, and it improves compatibility with all the other hardware and software you’ve got on your system.
Particularly with the modern versions of Windows, macOS, and all the applications that run on them, keeping software updated is crucial in avoiding slowdowns and crashes, which is why many apps now auto-update in the background.
On Windows, you can find the update settings behind the Update & security entry on the main Settings dialog (accessible from the Start menu); on macOS, head to the App Store and click on the Updates tab to see what’s available.
5) Refresh, reset, repeat
And on a point related to the last one, it’s often well worth resetting your entire computer back to its factory state on a regular basis, as you’ll usually get some significant performance boosts at the same time.
In the not-so-distant past the benefits of doing this were outweighed by the hassle of having to get everything reformatted and reinstalled, but the most recent versions of Windows 10 and macOS Sierra make the whole process much more straightforward. You can even reset the system without losing any of your personal data.
On Windows, head to Update & security in Settings to get started (there’s a fuller guide here); on a Mac, find the Disk Utility tool by rebooting your machine and holding down Cmd+R as it starts to boot up again (full guide).
You need to make sure you’ve got backups of all your important stuff, and that you can easily download and reinstall any software you need if necessary, but these small inconveniences aside it’s like a spring clean for your system and should stop ever-increasing slowness.
Finally, as a bonus sixth tip, consider getting a Chromebook.
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Top 10 Ways to Extend Your Laptop's Battery Life
There’s nothing good about running out of juice when you’re trying to get stuff done, and being unable to find a plug to recharge your battery in the meantime. If you work on the go at all, here are some easy tips to extend the life of your laptop’s battery, both in a pinch and before you leave the house.
10. Tweak Your Built-In Power Saving Options
First, the easy fix: Get familiar with your laptop’s power management features. In Windows, it’s “Power Options,” which you can bring up by hitting Start and typing just that. In macOS, it’s in System Preferences under Energy Saver. Don’t overlook these, and don’t assume that the defaults are designed to save you juice. If you know you’ll be out and about with your laptop, tell your laptop to sip power as lightly as possible before you leave, so you don’t have to scale back what you’re doing after you’re already out.
9. Use Your Laptop Manufacturer’s Battery Maintenance Tools
Depending on the manufacturer of your laptop, they may include or offer battery maintenance tools that can tell you a lot about the health of your battery, along with their recommendations to extend its maximum life. For example, Sony and Lenovo both have tweaked battery maintenance panels, or their own utilities, depending on the version of Windows you’re using.
8. Grab a Battery Monitor for Deeper Insights on Charges, Cycles, and Remaining Life
If your manufacturer doesn’t have a specific battery maintenance tool—or you wiped it away in your last clean install or PC de-crapifying, all isn’t lost. There are a number of free utilities that can tell you everything you want to know about your laptop’s battery, no matter who made it (that includes you, MacBook owners.)
7. Keep the Brightness Down When You’re On the Go
If you’re out and about already, looking at a battery that may not make it to the next outlet you’ll have access to, the first thing you can do is to cut power to your laptop’s biggest power sink: the screen. Obviously when your laptop isn’t in use, it’ll be sleeping, but when it is in use, you can save some juice by keeping the screen brightness as low possible (while still being usable, of course.) If you have a Windows machine, you may even consider disabling adaptive brightness and controlling it yourself.
6. Keep It Cool
Heat is a battery killer, and it doesn’t just kill its short term life, it’ll shorten your battery’s long-term health as well.We’ve mentioned this before on several occasions, but it helps to keep your laptop as cool as possible, or at least avoid restricting airflow when you’re using it on the go. Grab a lap desk, keep the back elevated a bit if the fans are on the bottom, and avoid crowding the sides or back.
5. Avoid Full Discharges
We’re not going to wade into or settle the debate over whether it’s healthy or unhealthy for a battery to allow it to discharge completely and then charge it back up again—that’s for another day. However, one thing is for certain—most batteries do have a finite number of charge cycles, after which their efficiency is sorely depleted.
4. Kill Power-Hungry Apps and Processes
Along with minimizing the brightness of your laptop’s display, another tweak that’ll save you energy both before you’re low and when you are low is to kill any power-hungry apps or tools that run in the background while you work. It’s another old tip, back from the days when you could have tons of background processes sucking down power—more than today, really—but it’s still worth keeping an eye on.
3. Kill Power-Hungry Hardware, Too
As well as power-hungry applications, if you’re trying to squeeze as much possible battery life from your gear while you’re on the go, it helps to turn off any unnecessary hardware or features as well. Now would be a good time to disable Wi-Fi unless you need it, or Bluetooth for that matter. Don’t go crazy disabling every little hardware feature you have just to score a little more time, but if you’re out and about and don’t need some of those power-hungry features, certainly turn them off.
2. Use Hibernate, not Just Sleep, Whenever Possible
You may be tempted to just shut your laptop’s screen every time it’s not in use to save as much battery as you can, and that’s a good idea if you’ll open it again later, but if you can, use hibernate instead. The difference is simple—in hibernate, your laptop isn’t using power at all, while during sleep it’s still sipping power, just much much less.
1. Kill Those Tabs, or Try a Different Browser
This one might be a non-starter for many people, but your web browser is likely the most power-hungry app or tool you use, and more than a few browser developers know it. First, if you’re the type with a billion tabs open all the time, get familiar with how to manage them easily, or try an add-on like The Great Suspender, which can unload them from memory when not in use—which also saves your battery.
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6 Tips for Longer Laptop Battery Life
We've all been there. You're in a meeting, or on the road, or in a classroom, and you find, to your horror, that your laptop is nearly dead. Maybe you forgot your power adapter, maybe there isn't an available outlet. For whatever reason, your battery power is dwindling, and you still have stuff to get done. Hope is not lost, however. There are some things you can do to buy more time on that almost-dead battery so you can meet a deadline or respond to an important email before it's too late.
Some of these techniques are for when you need to stretch your battery at that very moment, while others are preventative measures, best implemented before your battery life comes up short. There is some of overlap between the short- and long-term strategies we'll outline below, but even when the actions are the same, the reasons behind them may be different.
Short-Term Battery-Stretching Strategies
If you're in a tough spot right now, there are things you can do to extend the battery life immediately. None of these actions will actually increase the amount of power left in the battery, but instead will reduce the amount of power the laptop is using, letting you squeeze in a few more precious minutes before the battery goes kaput. The name of the game in these instances is power consumption, and you need to reduce yours to as little as possible.
1. Activate Your Laptop's Battery Saver or Eco Mode
Designed with these sorts of circumstances in mind, most Battery Saver or Eco modes will engage a number of automatic changes to lengthen usable battery life—many of the same changes we'll be making here. This saved profile will adjust your laptop's settings and shift components into low-power states to help you ration your remaining juice a bit longer.
Once you've turned on the automatic battery-saver tool, there are still plenty of steps to take to eke out even better efficiency. This is done by turning off unnecessary devices, adjusting settings to reduce power consumption, shutting down unwanted apps and processes, and adjusting your activities to use less power.
2. Disable Unused Devices and Ports
The easiest way to reduce power consumption is to simply turn stuff off. Every component in your laptop needs power to function, but that doesn't mean you need to power all of those components all of the time. Start by disconnecting any unneeded peripherals (like a USB mouse or external drive) and turning off the biggest power hogs, like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, graphics processors, and unused optical drives.
WARNING: Before disabling any component or device, make sure that the device is not in use, and that it is not essential to continuing operation of the laptop. For example, you do not want to disable the hard drive that houses the operating system, or the processor the runs the entire laptop. Only disable those devices you are comfortable turning off.
To disable unused devices on a Windows system, open up your system's Control Panel and find the Device Manager. In the Device Manager, individual components are grouped by category. For example, Network Adapters will often include both the LAN adapter, which provides Ethernet connectivity, and Wi-Fi, for wireless networking.
The four standard candidates for saving power are the graphics card (found under Display Adapters), the optical drive (found under DVD/CD-ROM Drives), and the Ethernet and Wi-Fi adapters (under Network Adapters). Find the device you want to shut down within the relevant category. Right click on the device name, and select "Disable" from the drop down menu.
While you're in the Device Manager, you can also turn off any unused ports. Just like an extension cord left plugged into an outlet, these unused plugs still have power going through them, and losing some in the process. The actual impact on battery life will be minimal, but if you're desperate for another minute or two of life, this will help. Take a quick glance at your ports, and turn off anything that's not being used, like USB ports with nothing connected to them.
While you can disable USB ports on a Mac using the terminal program, it's something that IT administrators would use to lock down Macs for security purposes. We don't recommend doing it as an end user because it may make your system act up. You can, however, disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi from the Menu bar at the top of the screen.
3. Adjust Your Settings
While you'll still have to use the display and the keyboard, you can adjust the settings for each to reduce power consumption. One often overlooked power drain is keyboard backlighting. Unless you're in the dark and need the backlight just to make out each key, turn off the backlight entirely. You can typically assign a hotkey for this function.
The next power drain is your screen. While you obviously need to keep it up and running to use the laptop, you don't necessarily need it running at maximum brightness or resolution. Many laptops will have hotkeys for increasing and decreasing the screen brightness, but if not, it can be adjusted in the control panel. Reducing the display to 50 percent when you're running on battery power can add a significant amount of time.
Additionally, if you're simply typing up a document, you don't need all of the detail offered by a 1080p or higher display. Dialing down the screen resolution to a basic 1,366-by-768 resolution or lower reduces the amount of power used in graphics processing without negatively impacting your ability to work, letting your laptop hang on a bit longer.
Finally, turn off or turn down the sound. If you need to hear, drop the sound down as low as you can, and consider switching from the laptop's larger speakers to a set of tiny earbuds to get the audio piped right to your ears. Whenever possible, just mute the laptop altogether. That way, the speakers won't be getting any power, and you'll buy yourself some more precious time.
4. Turn Off Apps and Processes
It's not just the hardware that's stealing your battery juice. Multiple apps and processes running on your system will also chew through battery life more quickly. As with the hardware, start by turning off anything that isn't being used.
In Windows, start by taking a look in your system tray, the collection of icons in the lower-right corner of the desktop, next to the clock. On the left end of the System Tray, select the icon to display hidden icons. Take note of which apps are running in the background.
Open up the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc, or use Ctrl+Alt+Del and select Task Manager from the menu. Once in the Task Manager, look at the open apps—you may find that a program or two have been left running simply because you forgot to close a window instead of minimizing it.
Next, go to the Processes tab. This shows you what processes are currently running on your machine. While some of these are needed, some, like those associated with music and video players or cloud storage services (like Dropbox or Google Drive) can be disabled without causing any problems.
For MacBooks, the process is a little different. Take a look at System Preferences > Users&Groups for a menu called Login Items. Delete any power-hungry programs that you don't need anymore, or disable things like Google Chrome's automatic launch at startup. You can also see programs that are using a lot of power at any given moment by holding down the Option key and clicking on the battery indicator in the Menu bar. Alternately, you can open the Activity Monitor utility to see a list of all the programs and processes you currently have open , and which of these are using the most power. You can stop these processes by selecting the program and then clicking the Stop icon. Power Nap is an Apple OS X feature that checks your email and twitter feeds for activity while the system is asleep. If you are trying to maximize battery life, it would be wise to turn off that feature.
5. Simplify
You can also stretch your battery life by simplifying your own activities. Multitasking is nice when you have full power, but running several programs at once puts a greater load on the processor and draws more power. Adjust your computer use by sticking to one application at a time and avoiding resource-intensive programs.
Start by single-tasking—if you need to type up a document, close any additional programs. You'll get longer battery life by not running Spotify in the background. If you need to keep some tunes going, switch from streaming media to locally stored songs—you'll still be using some extra power to play them, but streaming media over Wi-Fi also uses the laptop's wireless radio.
You might also benefit from switching to simpler tools for the same tasks, like typing in a basic text editor rather than using Microsoft Word. It may have fewer features and none of Word's automatic actions (like Spell Check and Autosave), but you can do all the writing you need without using quite so much power. Some applications you'll want to avoid entirely, like photo and video editing tools, which place a significant load on the processor and graphics card, and are real power hogs.
By eliminating unnecessary power uses, you should be able to extend the life of your battery in those moments that you find yourself high and dry.
Long-Term Strategies
These tweaks will help turn your system into a lean, mean energy-efficient machine, adding to both the useful time you get out of a single charge, and extending the overall life span of the battery.
6. Care and Feeding of Batteries
It starts with taking care of the battery itself. If your system has a removable battery, take care not to damage the battery contacts. They connect the laptop to the battery, and if the contacts get dirty or damaged, it can reduce and disrupt the flow of power. You can clean the contacts with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol, but damaged contacts might need to be professionally repaired. This doesn't apply to laptops that seal the battery into the chassis.
You may have heard old tips about charging your battery to only 80 percent, and not leaving it on the charger all the time, but most of that advice is outdated, and applies to older nickel metal hydride batteries but not the lithium ion and lithium-polymer batteries used today. While modern laptop batteries don't require you to be as conscientious about how and when you charge your battery, you should occasionally take the opportunity to let the battery drain completely through normal use.
Finally, keep things cool. Heat will shorten the long-term life of the battery, so take steps to provide optimal airflow and cooling. The biggest problems come from physical obstruction of the ventilation ports. Dust buildup is one problem, which you can take care of by cleaning the laptop's vents and fan. A can of compressed air can be used to blow out some of the dust. The more frequent issue that crops up is using the laptop on a pillow or blanket, which can both obstruct the ventilation fan and retain the heat coming off of the system. This can be avoided by only using your laptop on surfaces like a table or desk, and a lapdesk will make a big difference when using a laptop in bed.
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Thursday 19 October 2017
How to keep a laptop cool
A hot laptop means it's either working too hard, or there could be a problem with the fans. These are easy to fix though, and we show you how.
When you first turn on your laptop it should be cool to the touch and ready for work. Run a few intensive tasks, or play some graphically demanding games, and this can soon change to the point where keeping the device on your lap becomes a challenge due to the heat emanating from its hull.
Ensuring that a device remains at a sensible temperature not only means that you won’t cook your thighs while editing a video, but could also prevent damage to the internal components. So here are some simple ways to keep your laptop cool.
Why does my laptop get so hot?
Most of the heat from a laptop is generated by the processor and other components that get increasingly warm as more demands are put upon them. So, if you’re casually browsing Facebook then the heat should be minimal, but if you’re playing with 3D models in Windows 10 while transcoding some video in the background then the machine is working much harder and will soon heat up.
Manufacturers counter this perennial problem by placing fans inside, which spin up when the laptop reaches certain temperature thresholds, thus creating an airflow that cools down the components. That’s why laptops also get noisier as they get hotter.
Cleaning the fans and vents
Fans are vital when it comes to keeping your laptop cool. Therefore, it’s important that you check them regularly to see if they’re getting clogged up with dust and dirt.
This, unfortunately, isn't possible on a lot of laptops because the fans are located deep inside where you can't get to them. You might, however, be able to unscrew a panel underneath the device and give any fans you can see a quick once over.
If there's any kind of dust build-up, then a spot of hoovering (ensuring that a plastic nozzle is attached to the end of the vacuum cleaner) can put things right in a couple of minutes.
Cans of compressed air are also a good way to dislodge the detritus that can make its home in your fans, and these are widely available online or from shops such as Maplin.
The other area that needs to be kept clean is the vents which allow the hot air to escape. These are generally slots in the plastic or metal frames of the laptop, which are found on the sides or bottom of the case.
Give these the same attention as the fans and hopefully you’ll see an improvement in temperature of your laptop.
Keep air flowing around the laptop itself
If you like to use your laptop while on the sofa, in bed, or anywhere other than a desk, then sometimes it can be a cause of heat build-up. The reason for this is because the vents can be blocked by blankets, or pillows.
A much better option is to purchase a laptop cooling pad. These are essentially padded trays that you place on your lap, but which contain additional fans and vents which keep your device cool.
Is software making my laptop hot?
Sometimes your laptop can be overworked by an application that’s gone a bit rogue, demanding more and more performance from your processor, RAM, and hard drives.
A quick way to see if this is happening is to use the Task Manager.
To open it, press Ctrl-Shift-Esc together on your keyboard.
You’ll see a list of all the programs running, with how much of its resources are being allocated to each app. If one seems to be hogging more than its fair share then it might be worth shutting that program, or at least restarting it to see if things calm down.
Sometimes it's Windows that causes the problem: try to identify exactly which process or program is using too much CPU or disk and search for that online to find a specific guide on how to fix it.
How can I control my laptop fan speeds?
One last option you can try is to alter the fan settings on your machine by using either the BIOS or third-party software. Either route can often allow you to set certain thresholds, which means that your PC will automatically begin the cooling process earlier to avoid a concentration of heat.
This route is a little more technical than those above, but grants you a lot more control over how the heat is expelled from your machine.
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Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Everything you need to know about Google's new flagships
Google is back with a follow-up to its acclaimed Pixel phone, and it's not quite what we expected. Yes there is a Pixel 2 and a Pixel 2 XL, but unlike last year, they aren't larger and smaller versions of the same phone. The smaller Pixel 2 looks a lot like last year's phone, but the XL version has a new screen size, ratio, and design.
Aside from how they look, there are a lot of changes in this year's Pixel 2 lineup, and this is the place to learn all about them:
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Display
While the smaller Pixel 2 has the exact same display as last year’s model—a 5-inch 1080x1920 Full HD AMOLED screen with 441 PPI density—the Pixel 2 XL has undergone a dramatic change. Not only is it bigger (6 inches vs 5.5 inches), it also has a new ratio (18:9 vs 16:9), and a new manufacturing process (pOLED vs AMOLED) with a 538 psi density. It’s basically the same screen as the LG V30.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Design
Like the screen sizes, the two Pixel 2s are vastly different in design. The smaller one has the same giant bezels as the original Pixel, but the Pixel 2 XL adopts much skinnier bezels and curved edges on the side of the diplay. Both phones feature the same aluminum rear design, with a camera in the upper left corner surrounded by a glass antenna window that stops just above the fingerprint sensor. And Google has added a dash of color to the power button on some models: On the Kinda Blue Pixel 2 it’s turquoise and on the Black & White Pixel 2 it’s red.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Sound
Headphone enthusiasts will be bummed to learn that neither Pixel 2 has a 3.5mm jack, so you’ll need to either use a pair of Bluetooth buds or the bundled USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter. To mark the occasion, Google is selling a pair $159 Bluetooth Pixel Buds. However, Google has added front-facing stereo speakers to both Pixels, giving the handsets a boost in the sound department. And what’s more, Google has added 25 volume “steps” for precise control over the loudness.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Camera
Like the original Pixels, both phones have the same camera, and it’s virtually unchanged from last year, at least on paper: 12.2MP, f/1.8, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED flash. This year’s camera does have optical image stabilization to aid with low-light shots and shaky video--as well as a slight camera bump--but most of the enhancements happen behind the scenes. For the Pixel 2, Google has built its own image signal processor called Pixel Visual Core that helps with performance and efficiency. It’s also found a way to emulate portrait mode without needing a second camera.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Google Assistant
The Pixel was the first Android phone to ship with Google Assistant built in, but the Pixel 2 takes it a step further. Now you can summon Assistant in a new way. Along with the home button and hands-free “OK Google,” you can also squeeze the sides of the phone to launch Assistant on the Pixel 2. It’s a feature you might remember from the HTC U11, but you can’t customize it on the Pixel 2.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Android 8 Oreo
Like the Nexus before it, the Pixel is Google's showcase for stock Android, so the Pixel 2 is running the freshest version of Oreo, bringing features like notification dots, picture in picture, and adaptive icons. There's also a new Pixel Launcher with a couple changes. A new At A Glance widget shows upcoming calendar appointments and traffic updates along with the date and weather, and the search bar has been moved to the bottom of the screen for easier access. And the best feature of all: Now Playing will automatically identify songs that your Pixel 2 hears.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Google Lens
Google has included a preview of its new AI-powered Google Lens feature on the Pixel 2. But it's not a standalone app, it's actually part of the Photos app. When you open a photo, you'll see a new camera icon that will launch Google Lens. It's still in beta mode, so the results can vary, but it will attempt to ID what's in the picture and offer information, buying links, or related images. It's particularly useful when scanning addresses or URLs.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Battery and charging
The Pixel 2 has a 2,700mAh battery and the Pixel 2 XL has a 3,520mAh one, roughly the same as the ones that were in the original Pixels. Of note, however, the Pixel 2 still doesn't feature support for wireless charging, but it does ship with an 18W fast charger.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Price and availability
The Pixel 2 starts at $649 for 64GB of storage and tops off at $749 for 128GB while the Pixel 2 XL costs $849 for 64GB of storage and $949 for 128GB. Both phones are available exclusively through Verizon, though unlocked models can be bought through the Google Store and other retailers.
Google Pixel 2 Tips
Activate the secret menu button
Back in the early days of Android, there was a button alongside the back, home, and recents buttons that opened menus at the top of the screen. On the Pixel it's back, sort of. When in the Settings app, you can open the overflow menu (where applicable) by tapping the empty space next to the square recents button and it will expand the options. It's not clear if this is a bug or a feature, so it's possible it's removed in the next Oreo update.
Turn on dark mode
Android Oreo doesn't technically have a dark theme, but the Pixel 2 does. However, you can't turn it on whenever you'd like. When you choose a dark background (like one of the planet earth images inside the Living universe wallpapers folder), it will automatically switch app drawer, and quick settings to a dark theme.
And more
If you're looking to learn how to turn off Active Edge or use the home screen in landscape mode, check out these tips and tricks.
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A brief guide to mobile AI chips
Mobile AI chips. What are they actually good for?
In the recent months we’ve heard a lot about specialized silicon being used for machine learning in mobile devices. Apple’s new iPhones have their “neural engine”; Huawei’s Mate 10 comes with a “neural processing unit”; and companies that manufacture and design chips (like Qualcomm and ARM) are gearing up to supply AI-optimized hardware to the rest of the industry.
What’s not clear, is how much all this benefits the consumer. When you’re buying your phone, should an “AI chip” be on your wish list? If you want to use the latest AI-powered app that (just picking an example at random here) automatically identifies and hides your nude selfies, do you really need an AI chip? Short answer, no, but let’s dig a little deeper.
WHY DO WE NEED AI CHIPS*?
The reason for having mobile AI chips in the first place is pretty straightforward. Regular CPUs found in phones, laptops, and desktops just aren’t well suited to the demands of machine learning, and trying to make them do it ends up with slow service and a fast-draining battery.
Contemporary AI requires computers to make lots of small calculations very quickly, but CPUs only have a handful of “cores” available to do the math. That’s why the industry loves graphical processing units, or GPUs. These were originally designed to render video game graphics, which, coincidentally, requires making lots of small calculations very quickly. Instead of a handful of cores, they have thousands.
Now, fitting thousands of cores into a chip for your phone isn’t going to happen. But there are other architectural changes you can make to increase the number of simultaneous work your chip can do. Qualcomm’s head of AI and machine learning, Gary Brotman, tells The Verge: “I think parallelization is certainly key, and doing it efficiently, especially.” He’s quick to add, though, that dedicated AI compute units aren’t the only way forward — other bits of chip architecture can also be adapted.
*”AI chip” is a usefully recognizable term, but it’s also imprecise. In the case of Huawei and Apple, what’s being offered is not a single, self-contained chip, but dedicated processors that come as part of a bigger SoC (or system on chip), such as Apple’s A11 Bionic. SoCs already contain various specialized components for things like rendering graphics and processing images, so adding a few cores for AI is kind of par for the course.
WHAT DO WE GET OUT OF IT?
As mentioned above, specialized AI hardware means — in theory — better performance and better battery life. But there are also upsides for user privacy and security, and for developers as well.
First, privacy and security. At the moment, a lot of machine learning services have to send your data to the cloud to perform the actual analysis. Companies like Google and Apple have come up with methods to do these sorts of calculations directly on your phone, but they’re not widely used yet. Having dedicated hardware encourages more on-device AI, which means less risk to users of data getting leaked or hacked.
Plus, if you’re not sending data off into the cloud every few seconds, it means users can access services offline and save data. That latter part is a boon for developers, too. After all, if the analysis is done on-device, it saves the people running the app paying for servers. As long as the hardware is up to scratch, everyone benefits.
IS THIS STUFF READY TO USE?
This next section is where things get trickier. Just because a phone has an AI chip, doesn’t mean AI-powered apps and services will be able to take advantage of it.
In the case of Huawei and Apple, for example, both companies have their own APIs that developers need to use to tap the power of their respective “neural” hardware. And before they can integrate that API, they have to make sure the AI framework they used (for example, Google’s TensorFlow or Facebook’s Caffe2) is also supported. If it’s not, they’ll have to convert it, which also takes time.
Anthony Mullen, a tech analyst at Gartner, says navigating this patchwork of interfaces “isn’t for the faint-hearted.” Speaking to The Verge, he says: “It’ll be a while yet before people are developing elaborate experiences using this hardware. Until then there’ll be special partnerships between manufacturers and third-parties.” That’s why Microsoft is working with Huawei to make sure its Translator app works offline with the company’s NPU chip, and why Facebook partnered with Qualcomm to integrate the latter’s AI focused hardware to load its augmented reality filters faster.
But while big companies like these can afford to put in the time, it’s not clear if it’ll be worth the effort for every small app developer. This won’t be a problem for Apple, which developers will only have to adapt their app once, using the company’s Core ML framework; but it could be a headache for Android, especially if different manufacturers all start introducing their own protocols.
Thankfully, Google is using its power over the ecosystem to combat this problem. Its mobile AI framework, TensorFlow Lite, is already standardizing some experiences on mobile devices, and it’s introducing its own Android-wide APIs to "tap into silicon-specific accelerators."
“From a developer’s standpoint in the Android environment it won’t mitigate all the fragmentation risks,” says Brotman. “But it’ll certainly provide a construct to make it easier.” He adds that some of the effects of this work won’t be fully felt until Android P is ready.
SO DO I NEED AN AI CHIP IN MY PHONE?
No, not really. So much work is being done on making AI services run better on the hardware currently available, that unless you’re a real power user, you don’t need to worry about it.
In both Huawei and Apple’s cases, the primary use of their shiny new hardware is just generally making their phones... better. For Huawei that means monitoring how the Mate 10 is used over its lifetime and reallocating resources to keep it from slowing down; for Apple that means powering new features like Face ID and animoji.
Having computing power dedicated to AI tasks is neat, sure, but so are other features of high-end handsets — like dual camera lenses or waterproofing. Boasting about AI chips makes for good marketing now, it won’t be long before it just becomes another component.
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Wednesday 18 October 2017
ANDROID SMARTPHONES WITH THE BEST BATTERY LIFE
One of the factors that influences smartphone purchasing decisions the most is battery life. At present, any phone that can last and entire day is considered good. But, among all Android phones, which are the best?
In the curation of this list, we have taken account of benchmark test results and our editors' real world experiences with the different devices. These excellent Android smartphones aren't listed in any particular order, and any listed here will provide you with above average battery life.
1. Huawei Nova Plus
The Huawei Nova Plus is not a typical smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer. Its design is reminiscent of the Huawei G8. But its heart, the processor, doesn't come from Huawei. For this fabulous mid-range device, Huawei has incorporated a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 accompanied by an Adreno 506 GPU. It has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory.
The 5.5-inch display has Full HD resolution. The camera quality is standard for the mid range, but its 3,340 mAh battery offers spectacular endurance. The Huawei Nova Plus can last up to two days with full performance.
2. Huawei Mate 9
The trajectory of Huawei smartphones is clearly upward. From the Ascend G510 to the Mate 9, the brand has made a lot of progress. The Mate 9 has proved to be one of the best phones in the benchmark rankings, and in terms of battery, only the Nova Plus has been ahead of it. But numbers aside, we were able to test the Mate 9, and it lasts almost two days in real life without needing to be plugged in.
The Mate 9's 4,000 mAh battery has quick charge capability, and its 4.5 V charger can boost the current up to 5 A, charging the device in about 100 minutes.
3. Sony Xperia X Compact
This compact smartphone is able to outlast most flagships, with its 4.6-inch HD display and 720p resolution. With a powerful Snapdragon processor and Adreno 501 GPU, it performs well with games and daily activities.
The 2,700 mAh battery with its power saving modes is able to last two days. Even if you avail yourself of a performance boost, the X Compact can still last a full day.
4. Sony Xperia XZ
Keeping with tradition, the new Xperia XZ offers great battery life, although it's just a few hours less than the compact version. The XZ features a Snapdragon 820 processor and 3 GB of RAM.
With its 2,900 mAh battery, it is able to withstand one and a half days with battery saving mode enabled. If you want full performance, it will only last a full day thanks to the powerful processor.
5. Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
The Galaxy A5 (2017), Samsung's renewed mid-range offering of the year, brings an enhanced design that evokes the fabulous S7 and resists water and dust thanks to its IP68 certification. The 5.2-inch Super AMOLED 2.5D screen has Full HD resolution.
The larger size allows it to accommodate a 3,000 mAh battery, compared to the A3 (2017). It comes out of the box with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, which features the famous optimized Doze mode for managing your battery - and it is soon to receive the update to Android Nougat.
6. Lenovo Moto Z Play
This is the only Moto Z with headphone jack, which is located at the bottom. One of the strengths of the Moto Z Play is its 3,510 mAh battery, along with Motorola's Turbo Power. The Moto Z Play is also compatible with all Moto Mods in the Moto Z range.
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How to remove malware from your Windows PC
Beware the signs of a potentially malware-infested PC: slower-than-usual performance, the recent occurrence of lots of pop-ups, and other weird issues. It's possible your system has been infected by a virus, spyware, or other nefarious entity—even if you have an antivirus program installed. Yes, out-of-the-ordinary behavior is sometimes the result of hardware issues, but it’s best to first rule out malware if your PC is acting up. Here's a step-by-step guide for taking action.
Step 1: Enter Safe Mode
Before you do anything, you need to disconnect your PC from the internet, and don’t use it until you’re ready to clean your PC. This can help prevent the malware from spreading and/or leaking your private data.
If you think your PC may have a malware infection, boot your PC into Microsoft’s Safe Mode. In this mode, only the minimum required programs and services are loaded. If any malware is set to load automatically when Windows starts, entering in this mode may prevent it from doing so. This is important because it allows the files to be removed easier since they’re not actually running or active.
Sadly, Microsoft has turned the process of booting into safe mode from a relatively easy process in Windows 7 and Windows 8 to one that is decidedly more complicated in Windows 10. To boot into Windows Safe Mode, first click the Start Button in Windows 10 and select the Power button as if you were going to reboot, but don’t click anything. Next hold down the Shift key and click Reboot. When the full-screen menu appears, select Troubleshooting, then Advanced Options, then Startup Settings. On the next window click the Restart button and wait for the next screen to appear (just stick with us here, we know this is long). Next you will see a menu with numbered startup options; select number 4, which is Safe Mode. Note that if you want to connect to any online scanners you’ll need to select option 5, which is Safe Mode with Networking.
You may find that your PC runs noticeably faster in Safe Mode. This could be a sign that your system has a malware infection, or it could mean that you have a lot of legitimate programs that normally start up alongside Windows. If your PC is outfitted with a solid state drive it’s probably fast either way.
Step 2: Delete temporary files
Now that you’re in Safe Mode, you’ll want to run a virus scan. But before you do that, delete your temporary files. Doing this may speed up the virus scanning, free up disk space, and even get rid of some malware. To use the Disk Cleanup utility included with Windows 10 just type Disk Cleanup in the search bar or after pressing the Start button and select the tool that appears named Disk Cleanup.
Step 3: Download malware scanners
Now you’re ready to have a malware scanner do its work—and fortunately, running a scanner is enough to remove most standard infections. If you already had an antivirus program active on your computer, you should use a different scanner for this malware check, since your current antivirus software may not have detected the malware. Remember, no antivirus program can detect 100 percent of the millions of malware types and variants.
There are two types of antivirus programs. You’re probably more familiar with real-time antivirus programs, which run in the background and constantly watch for malware. (Another option is an on-demand scanner, which searches for malware infections when you open the program manually and run a scan. You should have only one real-time antivirus program installed at a time, but you can have many on-demand scanners installed to run scans with multiple programs, thereby ensuring that if one program misses something a different one might find it.
If you think your PC is infected, we recommend using an on-demand scanner first and then following up with a full scan by your real-time antivirus program. Among the free (and high-quality) on-demand scanners available are BitDefender Free Edition, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool, Malwarebytes, Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool, Avast, and SuperAntiSpyware.
Step 4: Run a scan with Malwarebytes
For illustrative purposes, we’ll describe how to use the Malwarebytes on-demand scanner. To get started, download it. If you disconnected from the internet for safety reasons when you first suspected that you might be infected, reconnect to it so you can download, install, and update Malwarebytes; then disconnect from the internet again before you start the actual scanning. If you can’t access the internet or you can’t download Malwarebytes on the infected computer, download it on another computer, save it to a USB flash drive, and take the flash drive to the infected computer.
After downloading Malwarebytes, run the setup file and follow the wizard to install the program. Once the program opens, it will automatically activate a trial of the paid version that enables real-time scanning. You won’t get charged after the trial ends, however—by default, the program reverts to the standard free version in 14 days. In the meanwhile, you can disable the real-time scanning for those two weeks if you prefer.
To run a scan, switch from the Dashboard tab to the Scan tab. Keep the default scan option (“Threat Scan”) selected and click the Start Scan button. It should check for updates before it runs the scan, but make sure that happens before you proceed.
Though it offers a custom-scan option, Malwarebytes recommends that you perform the threat scan first, as that scan usually finds all of the infections anyway. Depending on your computer, the quick scan can take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, whereas a custom scan might take 30 to 60 minutes or more. While Malwarebytes is scanning, you can see how many files or objects the software has already scanned, and how many of those files it has identified either as being malware or as being infected by malware.
If Malwarebytes automatically disappears after it begins scanning and won’t reopen, you probably have a rootkit or other deep infection that automatically kills scanners to prevent them from removing it. Though you can try some tricks to get around this malicious technique, you might be better off reinstalling Windows after backing up your files (as discussed later), in view of the time and effort you may have to expend to beat the malware.
Once the scan is complete, Malwarebytes will show you the results. If the software gives your system a clean bill of health but you still think that your system has acquired some malware, consider running a custom scan with Malwarebytes and trying the other scanners mentioned earlier. If Malwarebytes does find infections, it’ll show you what they are when the scan is complete. Click the Remove Selected button in the lower left to get rid of the specified infections. Malwarebytes may also prompt you to restart your PC in order to complete the removal process, which you should do.
If your problems persist after you’ve run the threat scan and it has found and removed unwanted files, consider running a full scan with Malwarebytes and the other scanners mentioned earlier. If the malware appears to be gone, run a full scan with your real-time antivirus program to confirm that result.
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KRACK Wi-Fi attack threatens all networks: How to stay safe and what you need to know
A devastating flaw in Wi-Fi’s WPA security protocol makes it possible for attackers to eavesdrop on your data when you connect to Wi-Fi. Dubbed KRACK, the issue affects the Wi-Fi protocol itself—not specific products or implementations—and “works against all modern protected Wi-Fi networks,” according to Mathy Vanhoef, the researcher that discovered it. That means that if your device uses Wi-Fi, KRACK likely impacts it. Fortunately, major tech companies are moving quickly to patch the issue.
Read on for what you need to know about the KRACK Wi-Fi vulnerability, from how it works to how to best protect yourself against it. We’ll repeatedly update this article as more information becomes available.
How does KRACK break Wi-Fi security?
KRACK (short for, uh, Key Reinstallation AttaCK) targets the third step in a four-way authentication “handshake” performed when your Wi-Fi client device attempts to connect to a protected Wi-Fi network. The encryption key can be resent multiple times during step three, and if attackers collect and replay those retransmissions in particular ways, Wi-Fi security encryption can be broken.
What devices are affected by KRACK?
If your device uses Wi-Fi, it’s likely vulnerable to the KRACK Wi-Fi security flaw to some degree, though some get it worse than others. We go into greater detail about how particular devices are affected by KRACK in a dedicated section further below.
What happens when Wi-Fi security is broken?
For starters, the attacker can eavesdrop on all traffic you send over the network. “This can be abused to steal sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords, chat messages, emails, photos, and so on,” Vanhoef says. For a deeper look at the potential impact, check out PCWorld’s article on what an eavesdropper sees when you use an unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot. It’s a few years old, but still illuminating.
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team also issued this warning as part of its KRACK security advisory, per Ars Technica: “The impact of exploiting these vulnerabilities includes decryption, packet replay, TCP connection hijacking, HTTP content injection, and others.” HTTP content injection means the attacker could sneak code into the websites you’re looking at to infect your PC with ransomware or malware.
So yeah, it’s bad. Keep your security shields active, just in case. PCWorld’s guide to the best antivirus software can help you select a reliable solution if needed.
Is Wi-Fi security being broken in the wild?
“We are not in a position to determine if this vulnerability has been (or is being) actively exploited in the wild,” Vanhoef says. US-CERT’s advisory didn’t include any information about whether KRACK is being exploited in the wild, either.
Now for some somewhat settling news: Iron Group CTO Alex Hudson says an attacker needs to be in range of your Wi-Fi network to carry out any nefarious plans with KRACK. “You’re not suddenly vulnerable to everyone on the internet,” he says.
How to protect yourself from KRACK’s Wi-Fi flaw
Keep your devices up to date! Vanhoef says “implementations can be patched in a backwards-compatible manner.” That means that your device can download an update that protects against KRACK and still communicate with unpatched hardware while being protected from the security flaw. Given the potential reach of KRACK, patches are coming quickly from many major hardware and operating system vendors. Up-to-date Windows PCs, for example, are already protected.
Until those updates appear for other devices, consumers can still take steps to safeguard against KRACK. The easiest thing would be to simply use a wired ethernet connection, or stick to your cellular connection on a phone. That’s not always possible though.
If you need to use a public Wi-Fi hotspot—even one that’s password protected—stick to websites that use HTTPS encryption. Secure websites are still secure even with Wi-Fi security broken. The URLs of encrypted websites will start with “HTTPS,” while unsecured websites are prefaced by “HTTP.” The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s superb HTTPS Everywhere browser plug-in can force all sites that offer HTTPS encryption to use that protection.
Alternatively, you can hop on a virtual private network (VPN) to hide all of your network traffic. Don’t trust random free VPNs, though—they could be after your data as well. PCWorld’s guide to the best VPN services can help you pick out a trustworthy provider. And again, keep your antivirus software up to date to protect against potential code injected malware.
Going forward, the Wi-Fi Alliance will require testing for the KRACK WPA2 vulnerability in its global certification lab network, so new devices will be protected out of the box.
Device and router Wi-Fi security FAQ
Is my phone at risk?
KRACK is a different sort of attack than previous exploits, in that it doesn’t go after devices, it goes after the information you use them to send. So while the data stored on your phone is safe from hacking, whenever you use it to send a credit card number, password, email, or message over Wi-Fi, that data could be stolen.
So my router is vulnerable?
That’s closer, but still not totally accurate. It’s not the device that’s at risk, it’s the information, so the sites you visit that aren’t HTTPS are most vulnerable.
Oh, so I should change my Wi-Fi password then?
Well, you can, but it’s not going to stop the likelihood of attack. The exploit targets information that should have been encrypted by your router, so the attacker doesn’t need to crack your password to implement it. In fact, it has no bearing on the attack whatsoever.
So all devices are at risk?
Now you’re getting it. However, while any device that sends and receives data over Wi-Fi is at risk, the researchers who uncovered the attack said Android devices were more at risk than other mobile phones.
Great, I have an Android phone. But I’m running Nougat so I’m safe, right?
Unfortunately, no. Newer phones running Android 6.0 or later are actually more at risk since there is an existing vulnerability in the code that compounds the issue and makes it easier to “intercept and manipulate traffic.”
Google expects to have a security patch ready for November 6, which should promptly roll out to Pixel and Nexus devices. But it could take weeks or even months for Android hardware makers and cellular providers to validate and deploy the patch to other phones and tablets. Many devices, especially older ones, may never receive the update.
So are my iPhone and Mac safe?
Safer than Android, but still not entirely safe. Apple said in a statement that all current iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS betas include a fix for KRACK. It will be rolling out to all devices within a few weeks.
What about Windows PCs?
They’re safe if you stayed updated. Microsoft released a Windows patch to protect against KRACK on October 10, before the vulnerability was made public.
I run Linux. I’m impenetrable to attack, right?
Not quite. Researchers actually found that Linux machines were the most vulnerable desktop devices, with a similar bug to the one found in the Android code. Now for the good news: An upstream Linux patch is already available, as are KRACK-blocking updates for Ubuntu, Gentoo, Arch, and Debian distributions. A patch is also available for OpenBSD.
I have automatic updates turned on. How do I know if my mobile device has been updated?
The quickest way is to check the system’s software updates tab in your Settings app to see when the most recent version has been updated. More helpfully, Owen Williams is keeping a running list of companies that have distributed patches on his Recharged blog. It’s a stellar resource.
What about my router?
First, you should check to see if your router has any pending firmware updates. Most people aren’t as vigilant in updating their routers as they are with their phones or PCs, so log into your admin page and install any waiting updates. If there aren’t any, it’s a good habit to check back every day, since companies will be rolling out patches over the coming weeks, with some already being implemented.
Netgear, Intel, Eero, and business-focused networking providers already have KRACK router patches available. Eero’s is rolling out automatically as an over-the-air update. The popular DD-WRT open router firmware has designed a patch, but it isn’t available to download yet. Expect it soon.
So should I turn off Wi-Fi?
That’s probably not a viable option for most people, but if you’re completely panic-stricken, then the only way to be completely safe is to avoid using Wi-Fi until you know your router has been patched.
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Read on for what you need to know about the KRACK Wi-Fi vulnerability, from how it works to how to best protect yourself against it. We’ll repeatedly update this article as more information becomes available.
How does KRACK break Wi-Fi security?
KRACK (short for, uh, Key Reinstallation AttaCK) targets the third step in a four-way authentication “handshake” performed when your Wi-Fi client device attempts to connect to a protected Wi-Fi network. The encryption key can be resent multiple times during step three, and if attackers collect and replay those retransmissions in particular ways, Wi-Fi security encryption can be broken.
What devices are affected by KRACK?
If your device uses Wi-Fi, it’s likely vulnerable to the KRACK Wi-Fi security flaw to some degree, though some get it worse than others. We go into greater detail about how particular devices are affected by KRACK in a dedicated section further below.
What happens when Wi-Fi security is broken?
For starters, the attacker can eavesdrop on all traffic you send over the network. “This can be abused to steal sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords, chat messages, emails, photos, and so on,” Vanhoef says. For a deeper look at the potential impact, check out PCWorld’s article on what an eavesdropper sees when you use an unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot. It’s a few years old, but still illuminating.
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team also issued this warning as part of its KRACK security advisory, per Ars Technica: “The impact of exploiting these vulnerabilities includes decryption, packet replay, TCP connection hijacking, HTTP content injection, and others.” HTTP content injection means the attacker could sneak code into the websites you’re looking at to infect your PC with ransomware or malware.
So yeah, it’s bad. Keep your security shields active, just in case. PCWorld’s guide to the best antivirus software can help you select a reliable solution if needed.
Is Wi-Fi security being broken in the wild?
“We are not in a position to determine if this vulnerability has been (or is being) actively exploited in the wild,” Vanhoef says. US-CERT’s advisory didn’t include any information about whether KRACK is being exploited in the wild, either.
Now for some somewhat settling news: Iron Group CTO Alex Hudson says an attacker needs to be in range of your Wi-Fi network to carry out any nefarious plans with KRACK. “You’re not suddenly vulnerable to everyone on the internet,” he says.
How to protect yourself from KRACK’s Wi-Fi flaw
Keep your devices up to date! Vanhoef says “implementations can be patched in a backwards-compatible manner.” That means that your device can download an update that protects against KRACK and still communicate with unpatched hardware while being protected from the security flaw. Given the potential reach of KRACK, patches are coming quickly from many major hardware and operating system vendors. Up-to-date Windows PCs, for example, are already protected.
Until those updates appear for other devices, consumers can still take steps to safeguard against KRACK. The easiest thing would be to simply use a wired ethernet connection, or stick to your cellular connection on a phone. That’s not always possible though.
If you need to use a public Wi-Fi hotspot—even one that’s password protected—stick to websites that use HTTPS encryption. Secure websites are still secure even with Wi-Fi security broken. The URLs of encrypted websites will start with “HTTPS,” while unsecured websites are prefaced by “HTTP.” The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s superb HTTPS Everywhere browser plug-in can force all sites that offer HTTPS encryption to use that protection.
Alternatively, you can hop on a virtual private network (VPN) to hide all of your network traffic. Don’t trust random free VPNs, though—they could be after your data as well. PCWorld’s guide to the best VPN services can help you pick out a trustworthy provider. And again, keep your antivirus software up to date to protect against potential code injected malware.
Going forward, the Wi-Fi Alliance will require testing for the KRACK WPA2 vulnerability in its global certification lab network, so new devices will be protected out of the box.
Device and router Wi-Fi security FAQ
Is my phone at risk?
KRACK is a different sort of attack than previous exploits, in that it doesn’t go after devices, it goes after the information you use them to send. So while the data stored on your phone is safe from hacking, whenever you use it to send a credit card number, password, email, or message over Wi-Fi, that data could be stolen.
So my router is vulnerable?
That’s closer, but still not totally accurate. It’s not the device that’s at risk, it’s the information, so the sites you visit that aren’t HTTPS are most vulnerable.
Oh, so I should change my Wi-Fi password then?
Well, you can, but it’s not going to stop the likelihood of attack. The exploit targets information that should have been encrypted by your router, so the attacker doesn’t need to crack your password to implement it. In fact, it has no bearing on the attack whatsoever.
So all devices are at risk?
Now you’re getting it. However, while any device that sends and receives data over Wi-Fi is at risk, the researchers who uncovered the attack said Android devices were more at risk than other mobile phones.
Great, I have an Android phone. But I’m running Nougat so I’m safe, right?
Unfortunately, no. Newer phones running Android 6.0 or later are actually more at risk since there is an existing vulnerability in the code that compounds the issue and makes it easier to “intercept and manipulate traffic.”
Google expects to have a security patch ready for November 6, which should promptly roll out to Pixel and Nexus devices. But it could take weeks or even months for Android hardware makers and cellular providers to validate and deploy the patch to other phones and tablets. Many devices, especially older ones, may never receive the update.
So are my iPhone and Mac safe?
Safer than Android, but still not entirely safe. Apple said in a statement that all current iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS betas include a fix for KRACK. It will be rolling out to all devices within a few weeks.
What about Windows PCs?
They’re safe if you stayed updated. Microsoft released a Windows patch to protect against KRACK on October 10, before the vulnerability was made public.
I run Linux. I’m impenetrable to attack, right?
Not quite. Researchers actually found that Linux machines were the most vulnerable desktop devices, with a similar bug to the one found in the Android code. Now for the good news: An upstream Linux patch is already available, as are KRACK-blocking updates for Ubuntu, Gentoo, Arch, and Debian distributions. A patch is also available for OpenBSD.
I have automatic updates turned on. How do I know if my mobile device has been updated?
The quickest way is to check the system’s software updates tab in your Settings app to see when the most recent version has been updated. More helpfully, Owen Williams is keeping a running list of companies that have distributed patches on his Recharged blog. It’s a stellar resource.
What about my router?
First, you should check to see if your router has any pending firmware updates. Most people aren’t as vigilant in updating their routers as they are with their phones or PCs, so log into your admin page and install any waiting updates. If there aren’t any, it’s a good habit to check back every day, since companies will be rolling out patches over the coming weeks, with some already being implemented.
Netgear, Intel, Eero, and business-focused networking providers already have KRACK router patches available. Eero’s is rolling out automatically as an over-the-air update. The popular DD-WRT open router firmware has designed a patch, but it isn’t available to download yet. Expect it soon.
So should I turn off Wi-Fi?
That’s probably not a viable option for most people, but if you’re completely panic-stricken, then the only way to be completely safe is to avoid using Wi-Fi until you know your router has been patched.
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Tuesday 17 October 2017
Microsoft joins the VR battle with Windows Mixed Reality today
Microsoft is launching its own answer to virtual reality today, taking on HTC and Oculus in the process. Windows Mixed Reality will be available in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and headsets are now available to buy. Here’s everything you need to know about Windows Mixed Reality.
WHAT IS WINDOWS MIXED REALITY?
While Microsoft has picked the “Mixed Reality” naming for its initial headsets, they’re only capable of virtual reality experiences right now. Microsoft’s range of headsets are similar to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, and many manufacturers are selling bundles that include touch controllers. The main difference between the Vive / Rift and Windows Mixed Reality is that the headsets do not require separate sensors.
Microsoft is offering movement tracking (six degrees of freedom) without the need for traditional external sensors placed throughout a room. Windows Mixed Reality headsets have cameras and sensors to track the motion controllers. This is great for plugging headsets into a laptop for taking VR to a friend’s house, but the lack of external sensors means Mixed Reality doesn’t do a good job of picking up movements in games where you place your hands behind your back.
Microsoft has picked the Windows Mixed Reality name because it believes the experiences of virtual reality and augmented reality (HoloLens) will eventually blend together. While the existing Windows Mixed Reality headsets don’t offer any augmented reality experiences or a passthrough mode like the Gear VR, more headsets will arrive in the future that are more capable.
HOW MUCH ARE WINDOWS MIXED REALITY HEADSETS?
Most of the main PC makers are creating Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and a number of them are available to purchase today. Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung are all creating headsets, and the cheapest will be priced at $299. Not all will come bundled with wireless motion controllers, and not all are created equal with the same comfort and specs. We’ll have a guide to the best in the coming weeks, but here’s an overview of all the headsets available to purchase.
ACER WINDOWS MIXED REALITY HMD - $299, OR $399 WITH MOTION CONTROLLERS
Acer was the original developer headset for Windows Mixed Reality, and it’s also one of the more basic of the bunch at just $299. You get a resolution of 1440 x 1440 per eye, an LCD display, and a 95-degree field of view. It’s a combination of blue and black on the outside, and compact enough to place in a backpack.
DELL VISOR - $349, OR $449 WITH MOTION CONTROLLERS
Dell’s Mixed Reality headset improves on Acer’s with more comfortable padding, and an improved 110-degree field of view. You still get the same resolution of 1440 x 1440 per eye and an LCD display, but you’re paying a little extra for a better design and more adjustability and comfort.
HP WINDOWS MIXED REALITY HEADSET - $449 WITH MOTION CONTROLLERS
HP’s headset is similar to Acer’s in terms of specs, but with a Tron-like design. HP is selling the headset as a bundle with the motion controllers for $449, although you can technically buy the development edition separately for $329. Just like Acer, it’s a resolution of 1440 x 1440 per eye, an LCD display, and 95-degree field of view.
LENOVO EXPLORER - $399 WITH MOTION CONTROLLERS
Lenovo’s Explorer headset is one of the lightest Windows Mixed Reality headsets available. While it has a resolution of 1440 x 1440 per eye, Lenovo has pushed the field of view to 105 degrees on the LCD displays. It’s one of the more affordable and comfortable Windows Mixed Reality headsets available.
SAMSUNG HMD ODYSSEY - $499 WITH MOTION CONTROLLERS
Samsung’s Windows Mixed Reality headset is one of the best ones available. While it’s not arriving until November 10th, it includes a better resolution of 1440 x 1600 per eye, 110-degree field of view, and an OMOLED display. Samsung has also built AKG headphones into the headset, making it a true Oculus Rift competitor. Samsung’s pricing does place it $100 above Oculus’ recently discounted Rift and Touch bundle, though.
WHAT PC DO I NEED FOR WINDOWS MIXED REALITY?
You won’t need a high-end gaming PC to use Windows Mixed Reality. Microsoft has kept the minimum specs low for basic apps and VR experiences, but for the top games you’ll need a more powerful PC. For the basics, you’ll need a PC with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update installed, an Intel Core i5-7200U processor or better, 8GB of DDR3 RAM or better, 10GB of free disk space, an Intel HD Graphics 620 or DX12-capable GPU, and HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2, as well as a USB 3 port and Bluetooth for the controllers. This basic spec will provide 60 frames per second performance, and for 90 fps you’ll need a PC capable of the Windows Mixed Reality Ultra spec.
Windows Mixed Reality Ultra PCs will need an Intel Core i5 4590 (fourth generation), quad core or better, 8GB of DDR3 RAM or better, 10GB of free disk space, and an Nvidia GTX 960/965M/1050 or AMD RX 460 or greater graphics card. You can check to see if your PC is compatible by installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and running the Mixed Reality Portal app or by downloading Microsoft’s separate PC check app.
WHAT APPS AND GAMES CAN I USE IN WINDOWS MIXED REALITY?
Microsoft is using a virtual Cliffhouse as its portal for games, apps, and holograms in Windows Mixed Reality. The Cliffhouse will let you launch content, watch movies, and pin holograms in a virtual environment. Think of it as your virtual home. Microsoft is supporting apps and games from its Microsoft Store initially, which means you’ll be limited to what’s available for Windows 10. You can also run your desktop PC in the virtual environment, and access Microsoft Edge for web browsing.
VR Games like Arizona Sunshine and Superhot VR are available today, alongside a Halo Recruit VR experience. Apps like Littlstar and Sliver.TV are also part of Microsoft’s Mixed Reality launch. Most of the games will come with SteamVR support. Microsoft is working with Valve to support this in Windows Mixed Reality, but this won’t be available in beta until the end of the year. If you’re opting for Windows Mixed Reality right now, you’ll be limited to the Microsoft Store and Microsoft’s built-in Windows 10 apps for now.
Huawei’s Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro bring larger screens, better cameras, and bigger brains
Huawei already surpassed Apple earlier this year to become the second-largest overall smartphone maker (behind Samsung), but it hasn’t yet had a hit handset to rival the iPhone 7 or the Galaxy S8. With the launch of the Mate 10, Huawei is hoping to change that.
While the new phones look a lot like the flagships from Google, Samsung, and LG, there’s a key difference with the Mate 10: Huawei says it’s smarter than the average smartphone. Thanks to a new chip with a built-in neural processing unit (NPU), the Mate 10 can sense, analyze, and adapt to its surroundings, letting your phone work faster and last longer.
G’day, Mate! Huawei may be the second-largest phone maker in the world, but it has yet to break into the all-important U.S. market in a meaningful way. Last year’s Mate 9 with Amazon Alexa didn’t quite do the trick, but the smarts built into the Mate 10 could make the phone a hit with U.S. buyers. Huawei already makes world-class processors with its Kirin chips, and the Kirin 970’s NPU brings something new to the game. In a sea of shrinking bezels and top-notch cameras, it could be a difference-maker.
Screens with a view
Like last year, there are two versions of the new Mate phone, a regular model and a Pro model. But they’ve switched identities. With the Mate 9, the Pro had a home button, a smaller screen, and Quad HD resolution, but this year it’s the non-Pro model that has all those things: Along with a home button/fingerprint sensor on the front, the Mate 10 has a 5.9-inch Quad HD 2560x1440 LCD display, while its higher-end brother sports a 6-inch Full HD 2160x1080 AMOLED screen with a rear fingerprint sensor. If you can’t tell from the resolution, that’s a 16:9 for the Mate 10 and an 18:9 ratio for the Mate 10 Pro.
The screen isn’t the only difference between the two models. Both base models of the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, but only the Pro model has an option with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Additionally, the Mate 10 Pro brings IP67 water resistance, but no headphone jack while the regular Mate 10 has a 3.5mm jack but you can’t get it wet.
Intelligent design
Otherwise, the two phones are very much the same. Most importantly, they both have the homegrown Kirin 970 processor, which Huawei says delivers 20 percent power efficiency over the previous processor. And that’s with the same 4,000mAh battery in both models, so the Mate 10s should easily power you through a full day of heavy use. However, even though both phones have glass backs, neither supports wireless charging.
Built into the Kirin 970 processor is a dedicated neural processing unit. Similar to the embedded neural engine in Apple’s A11 Bionic chip, the Mate 10’s NPU will aid with machine learning and artificial intelligence. Thankfully, Huawei hasn’t introduced a new digital assistant like Samsung and HTC did. Instead, the smarts built into the Mate 10 are used to make the phone faster (up to 25 times) and more power efficient (up to 50 times) than relying exclusively on the CPU.
Around the back, the phones feature dual-camera setups packing a 20MP mono camera with a 12MP RGB one. Both lens have an impressive f/1.6 aperture, while the main camera has optical image stabilization. The NPU comes into play here with automatic image detection, which dynamicaly switches shooting modes depending on what you’re shooting. The selfie cam is a relatively pedestrian 8MP with a f/2.0 aperture, but it makes up for its specs by using AI smarts to quickly focus when taking group shots.
Oreo inside
The Mate 10 will be one of the first Android phones based on Oreo, and to mark the occasion, Huawei has jumped its EMUI skin to version 8 (from EMUI 5 on the Mate 9). The new OS’s main feature is a floating navigation dock that puts a virtual home button on the screen that can be moved anywhere, which is particularly useful on the home-button-less Mate 10 Pro. Another feature is one-tap split screen, which lets you run two apps side by side without needing to drag windows around.
Huawei also wants the Mate 10 to be a smart desktop companion. Just like the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones, you can hook up the the Mate 10 to a monitor to get a full desktop experience—except you don’t need to buy a dock to do it. Just plug a standard USB-C-to-HDMI or USB-C-to-USB-C cable from your phone to your monitor, and you’ll be able to use your Mate 10 like a mini computer, complete with multitasking, resizable windows, and Bluetooth mouse and keyboard support. You can even use your phone for other work while a video is playing on the large screen.
The Mate 10 will be available in brown, gold, pink gold, and black, while the Mate 10 Pro comes in blue, titanium gray, pink gold, and brown. There will also be a Porsche Edition that’s essentially a stylized Mate 10 Pro in a black case with a 256 GB drive and a vertical strip across the back. The Mate 10 will cost 699 euros and will be available in late October while the Mate 10 Pro will cost 799 euros and release in mid-November. U.S. pricing and availability have yet to be announced.
While the new phones look a lot like the flagships from Google, Samsung, and LG, there’s a key difference with the Mate 10: Huawei says it’s smarter than the average smartphone. Thanks to a new chip with a built-in neural processing unit (NPU), the Mate 10 can sense, analyze, and adapt to its surroundings, letting your phone work faster and last longer.
G’day, Mate! Huawei may be the second-largest phone maker in the world, but it has yet to break into the all-important U.S. market in a meaningful way. Last year’s Mate 9 with Amazon Alexa didn’t quite do the trick, but the smarts built into the Mate 10 could make the phone a hit with U.S. buyers. Huawei already makes world-class processors with its Kirin chips, and the Kirin 970’s NPU brings something new to the game. In a sea of shrinking bezels and top-notch cameras, it could be a difference-maker.
Screens with a view
Like last year, there are two versions of the new Mate phone, a regular model and a Pro model. But they’ve switched identities. With the Mate 9, the Pro had a home button, a smaller screen, and Quad HD resolution, but this year it’s the non-Pro model that has all those things: Along with a home button/fingerprint sensor on the front, the Mate 10 has a 5.9-inch Quad HD 2560x1440 LCD display, while its higher-end brother sports a 6-inch Full HD 2160x1080 AMOLED screen with a rear fingerprint sensor. If you can’t tell from the resolution, that’s a 16:9 for the Mate 10 and an 18:9 ratio for the Mate 10 Pro.
The screen isn’t the only difference between the two models. Both base models of the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, but only the Pro model has an option with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Additionally, the Mate 10 Pro brings IP67 water resistance, but no headphone jack while the regular Mate 10 has a 3.5mm jack but you can’t get it wet.
Intelligent design
Otherwise, the two phones are very much the same. Most importantly, they both have the homegrown Kirin 970 processor, which Huawei says delivers 20 percent power efficiency over the previous processor. And that’s with the same 4,000mAh battery in both models, so the Mate 10s should easily power you through a full day of heavy use. However, even though both phones have glass backs, neither supports wireless charging.
Built into the Kirin 970 processor is a dedicated neural processing unit. Similar to the embedded neural engine in Apple’s A11 Bionic chip, the Mate 10’s NPU will aid with machine learning and artificial intelligence. Thankfully, Huawei hasn’t introduced a new digital assistant like Samsung and HTC did. Instead, the smarts built into the Mate 10 are used to make the phone faster (up to 25 times) and more power efficient (up to 50 times) than relying exclusively on the CPU.
Around the back, the phones feature dual-camera setups packing a 20MP mono camera with a 12MP RGB one. Both lens have an impressive f/1.6 aperture, while the main camera has optical image stabilization. The NPU comes into play here with automatic image detection, which dynamicaly switches shooting modes depending on what you’re shooting. The selfie cam is a relatively pedestrian 8MP with a f/2.0 aperture, but it makes up for its specs by using AI smarts to quickly focus when taking group shots.
Oreo inside
The Mate 10 will be one of the first Android phones based on Oreo, and to mark the occasion, Huawei has jumped its EMUI skin to version 8 (from EMUI 5 on the Mate 9). The new OS’s main feature is a floating navigation dock that puts a virtual home button on the screen that can be moved anywhere, which is particularly useful on the home-button-less Mate 10 Pro. Another feature is one-tap split screen, which lets you run two apps side by side without needing to drag windows around.
Huawei also wants the Mate 10 to be a smart desktop companion. Just like the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones, you can hook up the the Mate 10 to a monitor to get a full desktop experience—except you don’t need to buy a dock to do it. Just plug a standard USB-C-to-HDMI or USB-C-to-USB-C cable from your phone to your monitor, and you’ll be able to use your Mate 10 like a mini computer, complete with multitasking, resizable windows, and Bluetooth mouse and keyboard support. You can even use your phone for other work while a video is playing on the large screen.
The Mate 10 will be available in brown, gold, pink gold, and black, while the Mate 10 Pro comes in blue, titanium gray, pink gold, and brown. There will also be a Porsche Edition that’s essentially a stylized Mate 10 Pro in a black case with a 256 GB drive and a vertical strip across the back. The Mate 10 will cost 699 euros and will be available in late October while the Mate 10 Pro will cost 799 euros and release in mid-November. U.S. pricing and availability have yet to be announced.
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update: the 10 best new features
Microsoft has been testing its latest Windows 10 Fall Creators Update over the past six months, and it's now ready to roll out to existing machines today. While Microsoft’s “Creators Update” naming extends to this latest Windows 10 update, a lot of the features are new additions that will be used by all Windows users. Microsoft is officially launching its Windows Mixed Reality (VR) headsets with the Fall Creators Update, and it’s finally bringing its contact integration to the Windows 10 task bar.
Most of the improvements in the Fall Creators Update are minor, and some have even been delayed until a future update. Microsoft is also starting to tweak the overall look and feel of Windows 10 with its new Fluent Design in the Fall Creators Update. You’ll see some of those subtle changes and animations if you update your PC today, and more will be coming next year. I’ve been testing Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update for the past six months, and these are my favorite new features coming to Windows.
ONEDRIVE FILES ON-DEMAND
Microsoft is bringing back placeholder files for OneDrive with the Fall Creators Update. A new on-demand feature lets OneDrive pick out data from the cloud when it’s needed, without having to sync full files and folders to a device. OneDrive Files On-Demand will only download files when you need them, and File Explorer will show what files are available locally, or if they'll need to be downloaded from the cloud. Apps can even sync files from OneDrive, and you’ll get a notification showing their download progress.
It’s a great improvement over the old method of having to sync entire folders for offline usage, and any files you open will now be automatically synced offline until you run out of disk space.
PEOPLE INTEGRATION
My People is Microsoft’s method of making the static Windows 10 task bar a little more personal. You can now pin friends, co-workers, or family members to the task bar, for quick access to contact details. You can even use Skype to call or message a contact from the task bar, and emoji and messages will pop up during conversations. The most useful part of this people integration is the ability to drag and drop things like pictures directly onto a contact and share them easily.
WINDOWS MIXED REALITY
Microsoft’s answer to virtual reality, Windows Mixed Reality, is now available with the Fall Creators Update. To use Mixed Reality you’ll need to purchase a separate headset from PC makers like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, or Samsung. The setup process just involves launching the Mixed Reality Portal app, and most modern PCs will be capable of running basic apps in Mixed Reality. You’ll need a more powerful machine to access some of the more demanding games and experiences.
Microsoft has created a Cliff House home area where you can pin apps, games, and even holograms. It’s the main portal for launching everything you’ll need in VR, and you can also watch movies and TV shows from there. Right now there aren't too many games, but SteamVR support will be available in beta by the end of the year.
FLUENT DESIGN CHANGES
Microsoft is ushering in a new design language with Windows 10, dubbed Fluent Design. The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update introduces some parts of Fluent Design, with subtle effects and animations. Microsoft’s Fluent Design System is designed to be the true successor to Microsoft's Metro design, and will appear across apps and services on Windows, iOS, and Android. Microsoft is focusing on light, depth, motion, material, and scale for its Fluent Design, with animations that make the design feel like it's moving during interactions in Windows.
Most of the new changes include subtle additions like blur effects, which is a type of design we saw back with Windows Vista. The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update also makes it easier to resize apps and windows, thanks to the design changes, and transparency in the Start menu now uses a subtle new acrylic design.
MICROSOFT EDGE IMPROVEMENTS
Microsoft’s Edge browser is getting a lot of improvements in the Fall Creators Update. The software maker is bringing back pinned sites on the task bar, allowing you to pin your favorite site (The Verge) to the task bar for quick access. There’s also a new full-screen mode (F11) that lets you use most of your monitor to fully display a website fully. PDFs and EPUB ebooks are also getting some nice additions: you can now annotate ebooks, and even use ink with a stylus on them; PDFs are getting annotation support and improved viewing and navigation.
PEN AND TOUCH IMPROVEMENTS
If you’re a Microsoft Surface owner, then the Fall Creators Update will improve the touch and inking features. Microsoft has added a new touch keyboard with text prediction, and quicker access to emoji. There’s even a one-handed touch keyboard and shape writing so you can swipe over keys to type (just like Windows Phone). Microsoft has also added a dictation button so you can speak to type, or even use voice commands to navigate around Windows 10.
NEW EMOJI AND A USEFUL SHORTCUT
Everyone loves emoji and Microsoft is making sure it got the latest Unicode updates in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. New additions include dinosaurs, genies, fairies, and even zombies in time for Halloween. They’re all available in a really neat new emoji panel. You can summon the emoji panel by using Win + period or semicolon as a keyboard shortcut. The panel also supports searching for emoji, so it’s the perfect way to quickly send that ideal response during a conversation.
CORTANA IMPROVEMENTS
Cortana will now display call notifications if you’re using an Android phone. The digital assistant will sync notifications if you have Cortana installed on an Android device, and it gives you the ability to text a person if you’re busy on your PC, or decline the call. Microsoft has also moved Cortana’s settings into the main settings part of Windows 10. Cortana can now even lock, sign out, shut down, or restart your PC with voice commands.
HEADPHONE AND SOUND IMPROVEMENTS
If you use headphones a lot with your Windows 10 PC, then they’ll be a lot easier to manage with the Fall Creators Update. You can now right-click on the sound icon in the notification area and enable Windows Sonic, a spatial sound feature that supports surround sound and Dolby Atmos. The new volume mixer also supports the ability to control individual app volume for Universal Windows Apps, which is useful if you want to play music from Groove Music or Microsoft Edge in the background at slightly lower than the system volume for gaming.
TASK MANAGER GPU TRACKING AND DPI IMPROVEMENTS
If you’re a PC gamer, then Microsoft is adding a nice addition for tracking GPU performance. Task Manager now has a new GPU option in the performance tab that shows GPU utilization and memory usage. Processes are also now grouped in the main Task Manager interface, making it easier to control them.
Microsoft is also addressing the issue of blurry apps when you use a monitor with a laptop, or a second screen. If you have a high DPI display like a 4K monitor, you’ll no longer have to log out to fix blurry desktop apps. It’s a good improvement that will fix most desktop apps and the majority of DPI complaints, but you might find some older apps will still run blurry at times.
Monday 16 October 2017
Why Your Android Smartphone or Tablet is Running Slow
Yes, we've become spoiled. We carry around devices that grant access to most of the world's knowledge, that provide entertainment and a surprising amount of computing power, and yet if that device doesn't pop right up with answers, we become quite frustrated. But sometimes it is good to be spoiled, which is why we're going to go over some reasons why your Android smartphone or tablet may be running slow and provide some solutions to make it run much faster.
The Quick Solution: Close Out of Apps
Mobile operating systems like Android and Apple's iOS do a good job of managing resources, but having a lot of apps open can still cause some slow downs. The first thing to try is simple closing out of the apps you are no longer using. You can close apps by tapping the task button, which is usually a square button either at the bottom of the display or just below the screen. This will bring up all of the most recent apps in a cascading style down the screen. Simply swipe up or down to move through the list and tap the X button in the upper right corner of each window to close the app.
Reboot the Device
If closing down apps doesn't cure the problem, a quick reboot should do the trick. It's a common mistake to think suspending the device by pressing the button on the side is actually powering off your Android smartphone or tablet. You will actually need to press this button for several seconds until a menu pops up offering you the choice to "Power off", or on some devices, "Restart".
After Android powers down, wait a few seconds and then press the button again to power it back on again. This is basically a cleaning process that will refresh the memory and reload the operating system, which should cure most problems.
Check Your Internet Speed
If your Android tablet or smartphone is still running slow after rebooting it, you might need to upgrade it, especially if it is several years old.
But before we go down that route, there are a number of different options we can try to clear up the problem. And the first option might come from an unlikely source: the Internet.
We do a lot of Internet-related tasks on our tablets and smartphones. We browse the web, check Email, find out what everyone is up to on Facebook, etc. And if our connection to the web is slow, our device will seem slow.
You can download the Ookla Speedtest app from the Google Play store to check the speed of your connection. The first thing to look at is your Ping time. This measure how long it takes to send a piece of information to the server and back and can be just as important as bandwidth. Anything under 100 milliseconds (ms) should be fine, with under 50ms being preferable. If you are over 200ms, you will experience noticeable delays.
Your download speed (bandwidth) should be at least 5 megabytes-per-second (Mbps) to stream video, and at least 8 Mbps is preferable to ensure a smooth experience. Many providers now offer anywhere from 20 Mbps to 80 or more. If you are under 5 Mbps, you will definitely want to check with your provider about upgrading.
The distance to your router can also cause issues. If your Internet is running slow, try moving closer to the router and checking the speed.
If you are getting slow speeds but believe it should be faster, you can try rebooting the router. Much like your tablet or smartphone, a reboot can allow the router to have a fresh start, which can help it run faster.
Disable Widgets
We've closed out of apps, rebooted and check the Internet connection. It's now time to take a look at widgets, those helpful mini-apps that can sometimes eat up too many resources. A few widgets like a clock or Chrome bookmarks can be great additions to your home screen, but remember, every widget is running in real time when you are using your device.
If you've installed a number of widgets, try cutting back by disabling a few.
You can remove a widget by pressing your finger down on the widget and holding it down until it move with your finger. A "Remove" section should appear on the home screen. Simply drag the widget to the remove section and drop it. If no remove section appears, try dragging the widget off the screen and dropping it, a process that works with some older devices.
Update to the Latest and Greatest Version of Android
Newer versions of the Android operating system can help out by providing fixes to security holes and correct issues with how resources like memory and storage space are optimized. If you've rebooted your device and checked your Internet speed with no luck, you should make sure you are running the latest and greatest version of the operating system.
l First, launch the Settings app from the app page.
l Scroll all the way to the bottom of the Settings and tap on "About smartphone" or "About tablet".
l Tap "System Upgrade", which should be at the top of the screen. Your device will display whether or not you are on the latest version of Android and provide you with an upgrade button if needed.
Unfortunately, this can be an iterative process. Once you upgrade to a newer version of the operating system, you will want to go through those steps again to check if you have upgraded to the latest. You may need to step through several upgrades to get your operating system up to date. And while you wait for those updates to install, you can read up on some useful shortcuts for Android.
Remove Bloatware
Bloatware has become a major issue with Android, with different manufacturers adding sometimes up to a dozen or more apps to the standard ones that come with Android. If you have a Samsung smartphone or tablet, you may have a number of duplicate apps such as Samsung digital stores in addition to Google Play stores. And not all of these apps are harmless. Some may launch automatically when you boot up your device, using up memory and taking up CPU cycles.
Unfortunately, you probably won't be able to outright uninstall these apps. But you can disable them. You can do this by launching the Settings app, tapping Apps and then tapping the app you want to disable. If it is an app you downloaded from the Google Play store, the button at the top will read "Uninstall" rather than "Disable". If you are consistently having performance issues, it is a good idea to disable any apps that came with the device that you never use.
Disable Live Wallpaper
If you have a 'live' or animated wallpaper, it's a good idea to switch to a static background if you are having performance issues. You can choose your wallpaper by opening the Settings app, choose Display and then tapping on Wallpaper. It's better to use one of the default "Wallpapers" or a photo rather than choosing something from "Live Wallpapers".
Clear the App Cache
Apps sometimes download graphics and other bits of data from the Internet to store on your device to increase speed, but sometimes, this 'cache' of data can actually hurt performance. The data cache can contain temporary files that are no longer used, or worse, corrupted files that can cause disruptive issues. If you are having issues with your smartphone or tablet, it can be a good idea to clear the cache. The unfortunate side effect is that you may be asked to log into apps again, and the first time you boot into the app, it may take a bit longer to load. But clearing out the cache can result in an overall improvement to performance.
l First, launch the Settings App.
l Scroll down and Choose Storage.
l You should see "Cached data" or "App cache" in the list.
l After you tap on "Cached data", you will be prompted to clear the data for all apps. Choose OK.
Should You Worry About Freeing Up Storage Space?
Clearing up storage space is a common bit of advice for improving performance, but in reality, this will only improve performance if you are running very low on free space for your internal storage. You can check how much free space you have by opening the Settings app and tapping on Storage. If you have under 1 GB, you may want to delete apps you no longer to use to give the Android operating system a little more breathing room. Otherwise, this isn't something you need to worry about.
The Quick Solution: Close Out of Apps
Mobile operating systems like Android and Apple's iOS do a good job of managing resources, but having a lot of apps open can still cause some slow downs. The first thing to try is simple closing out of the apps you are no longer using. You can close apps by tapping the task button, which is usually a square button either at the bottom of the display or just below the screen. This will bring up all of the most recent apps in a cascading style down the screen. Simply swipe up or down to move through the list and tap the X button in the upper right corner of each window to close the app.
Reboot the Device
If closing down apps doesn't cure the problem, a quick reboot should do the trick. It's a common mistake to think suspending the device by pressing the button on the side is actually powering off your Android smartphone or tablet. You will actually need to press this button for several seconds until a menu pops up offering you the choice to "Power off", or on some devices, "Restart".
After Android powers down, wait a few seconds and then press the button again to power it back on again. This is basically a cleaning process that will refresh the memory and reload the operating system, which should cure most problems.
Check Your Internet Speed
If your Android tablet or smartphone is still running slow after rebooting it, you might need to upgrade it, especially if it is several years old.
But before we go down that route, there are a number of different options we can try to clear up the problem. And the first option might come from an unlikely source: the Internet.
We do a lot of Internet-related tasks on our tablets and smartphones. We browse the web, check Email, find out what everyone is up to on Facebook, etc. And if our connection to the web is slow, our device will seem slow.
You can download the Ookla Speedtest app from the Google Play store to check the speed of your connection. The first thing to look at is your Ping time. This measure how long it takes to send a piece of information to the server and back and can be just as important as bandwidth. Anything under 100 milliseconds (ms) should be fine, with under 50ms being preferable. If you are over 200ms, you will experience noticeable delays.
Your download speed (bandwidth) should be at least 5 megabytes-per-second (Mbps) to stream video, and at least 8 Mbps is preferable to ensure a smooth experience. Many providers now offer anywhere from 20 Mbps to 80 or more. If you are under 5 Mbps, you will definitely want to check with your provider about upgrading.
The distance to your router can also cause issues. If your Internet is running slow, try moving closer to the router and checking the speed.
If you are getting slow speeds but believe it should be faster, you can try rebooting the router. Much like your tablet or smartphone, a reboot can allow the router to have a fresh start, which can help it run faster.
Disable Widgets
We've closed out of apps, rebooted and check the Internet connection. It's now time to take a look at widgets, those helpful mini-apps that can sometimes eat up too many resources. A few widgets like a clock or Chrome bookmarks can be great additions to your home screen, but remember, every widget is running in real time when you are using your device.
If you've installed a number of widgets, try cutting back by disabling a few.
You can remove a widget by pressing your finger down on the widget and holding it down until it move with your finger. A "Remove" section should appear on the home screen. Simply drag the widget to the remove section and drop it. If no remove section appears, try dragging the widget off the screen and dropping it, a process that works with some older devices.
Update to the Latest and Greatest Version of Android
Newer versions of the Android operating system can help out by providing fixes to security holes and correct issues with how resources like memory and storage space are optimized. If you've rebooted your device and checked your Internet speed with no luck, you should make sure you are running the latest and greatest version of the operating system.
l First, launch the Settings app from the app page.
l Scroll all the way to the bottom of the Settings and tap on "About smartphone" or "About tablet".
l Tap "System Upgrade", which should be at the top of the screen. Your device will display whether or not you are on the latest version of Android and provide you with an upgrade button if needed.
Unfortunately, this can be an iterative process. Once you upgrade to a newer version of the operating system, you will want to go through those steps again to check if you have upgraded to the latest. You may need to step through several upgrades to get your operating system up to date. And while you wait for those updates to install, you can read up on some useful shortcuts for Android.
Remove Bloatware
Bloatware has become a major issue with Android, with different manufacturers adding sometimes up to a dozen or more apps to the standard ones that come with Android. If you have a Samsung smartphone or tablet, you may have a number of duplicate apps such as Samsung digital stores in addition to Google Play stores. And not all of these apps are harmless. Some may launch automatically when you boot up your device, using up memory and taking up CPU cycles.
Unfortunately, you probably won't be able to outright uninstall these apps. But you can disable them. You can do this by launching the Settings app, tapping Apps and then tapping the app you want to disable. If it is an app you downloaded from the Google Play store, the button at the top will read "Uninstall" rather than "Disable". If you are consistently having performance issues, it is a good idea to disable any apps that came with the device that you never use.
Disable Live Wallpaper
If you have a 'live' or animated wallpaper, it's a good idea to switch to a static background if you are having performance issues. You can choose your wallpaper by opening the Settings app, choose Display and then tapping on Wallpaper. It's better to use one of the default "Wallpapers" or a photo rather than choosing something from "Live Wallpapers".
Clear the App Cache
Apps sometimes download graphics and other bits of data from the Internet to store on your device to increase speed, but sometimes, this 'cache' of data can actually hurt performance. The data cache can contain temporary files that are no longer used, or worse, corrupted files that can cause disruptive issues. If you are having issues with your smartphone or tablet, it can be a good idea to clear the cache. The unfortunate side effect is that you may be asked to log into apps again, and the first time you boot into the app, it may take a bit longer to load. But clearing out the cache can result in an overall improvement to performance.
l First, launch the Settings App.
l Scroll down and Choose Storage.
l You should see "Cached data" or "App cache" in the list.
l After you tap on "Cached data", you will be prompted to clear the data for all apps. Choose OK.
Should You Worry About Freeing Up Storage Space?
Clearing up storage space is a common bit of advice for improving performance, but in reality, this will only improve performance if you are running very low on free space for your internal storage. You can check how much free space you have by opening the Settings app and tapping on Storage. If you have under 1 GB, you may want to delete apps you no longer to use to give the Android operating system a little more breathing room. Otherwise, this isn't something you need to worry about.
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