Microsoft employees now get to work in treehouses and you should be jealous

Microsoft employees now get to work in treehouses and you should be jealous

Microsoft is known for maintaining a fun workplace, from its free candy to its awesome art collection. Its latest perk: treehouses.
The company announced on its blog Friday that it has created three treetop meeting spaces at its corporate headquarters in Redmond, Washington.
The treehouses were built by Pete Nelson, host of the Animal Planet series Treehouse Masters . They were constructed on the campus this summer, prompting a wave of curiosity and rumors from Microsoft employees, according to the company.
SEE ALSO: Robotics expert Dr. Ross Mead reveals the truth about your favorite movie robots
These aren't children's playhouses: they're built for work. Though intended to connect employees with nature, the treehouses are, of course, equipped with Wi-Fi and outlets for charging. One of them also features an indoor cafeteria.
But while not as isolated as they seem, the spaces are certainly cute. They feature rocking chairs and fireplaces, and benches that wouldn't be out of place on a home patio.
Let's just hope they're waterproof, and that nobody's too distracted by the birds.

This New Ransomware Not Just Encrypts Your Android But Also Changes PIN Lock

This New Ransomware Not Just Encrypts Your Android But Also Changes PIN Lock

If your phone is Android, avoid downloading any type of Adobe Flash Player software or whatever it seems to you, especially from unsafe web pages. Computer security company ESET has discovered a new type of ransomware that gravely attacks mobile phones with this operating system.
DoubleLocker is based on a banking Trojan, so in the first instance collects the bank or PayPal credentials of the users to empty their accounts or even eliminate them.
In addition, it is able to encrypt the accessibility data of the infected device and then change the PIN number. Thus, users can not access their equipment until they pay the ransom demanded by the cybercriminals.
The new PIN is set based on a random value, so it is not stored on the device or sent to another location. This is why neither the user nor a security expert can recover it. After the extortion payment has been made, the cybercriminal resets the PIN remotely and unlocks the device.
The amount of the requested bailout is 0.0130 Bitcoins and must be made within the first 24 hours. Otherwise, the data will remain encrypted but will not be deleted.
According to the company’s researchers in computer security, this is the first time Android malware has been created that combines both data encryption and PIN change.
“Due to its banking threat roots, DoubleLocker could well become what we can call ransom-bankers. It is malware that works in two stages. First, try to empty your bank account or PayPal and then lock your device and information to request the payment of the ransom. Leaving the speculation aside, the first time we saw a trial version of such a ransom-banker was in May 2017,” said Lukas Stefanko, who discovered DoubleLocker.
Ransomware spreads via fake Adobe Flash Player downloads from compromised websites and installs itself after it is granted access through the Google Play service.
Once it obtains the accessibility permissions, it activates the administrator rights of the phone and set it as a default Home application without the user’s consent.
“Establishing itself as a default startup application (a launcher) is a trick that improves the persistence of malware. Each time the user clicks the Start button, the ransomware get activated and the device gets locked again. Thanks to the use of the accessibility service, the user does not know that it executes malware by pressing Start,” explained Stefanko.
How to protect yourself from DoubleLocker?
The recommendation of Stefanko is to perform the factory reset of the device. However, it is possible to overcome the PIN lock without restarting it on connected smartphones, only if they were in debug mode before ransomware was activated. In that case, the user can connect through ADB and delete the system file that stores the PIN. This will unlock the screen and can be accessed.
You can also disable the smartphone administrator rights for the malware and uninstall it. For this, sometimes it is necessary to restart it.

How to Temporarily Disable Touch ID in iOS 11

How to Temporarily Disable Touch ID in iOS 11

Learn how to Temporarily Disable Touch ID in iOS 11 that will help you to secure your device from authority logins in your mobile phone, So have a look at complete guide discussed below to proceed.

Touch ID improved the experience for the users to log into the Apple Smartphones and the users do know about the fact that this amazing feature just changes the way and the speed to enter into the locked device. There is efficiently a no time taken by the Touch ID users to pass through the phone encryption and hence unlock it. This is a kind of biometric lock system that has enhanced the system protection while also making it super fast without any additive barriers. Apple when introduced this feature in its devices, it has not provided the users with the ability to stop or disable this feature. Now with every Apple device running the iOS 11, the apple has added the capability to disable the Touch ID for some preferred time that the user is able to choose likewise. Here in this article, we have written about the method through which the users can actually be able to temporarily disable the Touch ID. If you own the device running on the iOS 11 and you wish to disable the Touch ID feature then please read this post and acquire the whole information provided here below!
How to Temporarily Disable Touch ID in iOS 11
The method is quite simple and easy and you just need to follow the simple step by step guide discussed below to proceed.
Steps to Temporarily Disable Touch ID in iOS 11:
#1 Ensure that you have the latest 6th version of the iOS 11 installed on the device. You must check for it through the Software Update settings of the device settings. Generally, it is required to check for it because the Touch ID cannot be disabled on any other version of the iOS 11. Or basically, this method just won’t work at all.
#2 Just click your power button for
5 times rapidly and this will initiate the SOS on your device. Note that do not tap on any of the options on the SOS screen but simply exit it by touching the cross button. After that when you will try to unlock the device there will be a kind of PIN asked to be filled.

#3 That’s all you know that after the above two steps you have bypassed the need for the Touch ID and you will not require to use your recognition for entering into the device. The PIN would be then asked from you which you can simply fill in and everyone else can also do the same to get the access of the device.
#4 Through the Above steps you Just bypass the Touch ID for one single time and if you wish to pass through it every time then repeat the process. This PIN will be the only requirement for entering into the iOS 11 device that has been locked with the Touch ID.
Here in this article, we have provided you with the best practices or the method through which you can be able to disable the Touch ID in iOS 11, this latest operating system from the Apple has this amazing feature which the users can choose to either stop or remain on for usage. Believe this that any beginner to the iOS can be able to utilize the method for the disabling of Touch ID. Yet if some of you people tend to face the problems to implement up the method they can get the fullest support from our side through the comments section. Just paste about your issues and we would try to respond as quickly as possible. Please share your opinions and reactions to this article inside the comments section. Also, share this article so that our work can reach to the most users, e would be thankful to you for that!

Apple removes Dice games,Educational games and Catalog Categories from Apple store

Apple removes Dice games,Educational games and Catalog Categories from Apple store

Apple has today announced that it is removing the Catalogs category, as well as the Educational and Dice subcategory (under Games) from the App Store.
Apple has sent out emails to developers who are affected by this change, those that have apps currently listed under the Catalogs category or Dice subcategory.
Apps currently listed under the Educational or Dice subcategory of Games will simply be found under the generic Games category, unless developers choose an alternate subcategory.
The Games section of the App Store allows developers to select up to two optional subcategories to further refine their placement.
Many of these categories are very small, representing low volumes of downloads, and it is likely that Dice is one of these — hence its removal. It is a bit of a surprise that the Educational section is not very popular, though.
With the removal of the Dice and Educational subcategory options, apps in the Games section can now be listed as Action, Arcade, Board, Card, Casino, Family, Music, Puzzle, Racing, Role-Playing, Simulation, Sports, Strategy, Trivia and Word titles.
For apps currently listed under the ‘Catalogs’ category, Apple will automatically migrate affected apps to the Shopping category on November 6, 2017. Developers are free to choose a more relevant alternative at will.
Apple doesn’t give an explanation as to why the category is being removed but it is either due to lack of significant downloads to justify its existence, or an editorial simplification where most apps will fit better as ‘Shopping’ apps anyway.
To be clear, none of the apps in these categories will be removed from sale by Apple. It just affects where they are displayed in the App Store navigation.

6 Amazing Things You Can Actually Do With Your Smartphone But You’ve Probably Never Tried

6 Amazing Things You Can Actually Do With Your Smartphone But You’ve Probably Never Tried

Basically, what most of us use our smartphones for is to make calls, browse, take pictures, listen to music and the radio but there are millions of other things you can do with your smartphone that you don’t know about or never even tried it.

Smartphones are meant to come in handy in many ways like for instance when you find yourself alone somewhere and you need to signal other drivers and you have an infrared phone, you can use it to draw the attention of other drivers.

The list can go on and on but here are 6 amazing things you can actually do with your smartphone but you probably never tried.
1. Detecting If Your Remote Really Works.
So when you go to buy a remote control at the store, how do you test it to know if it’s really working? Do you just purchase it, get home, use it and then realise it is not working and then send it back?

Did you know you could actually check if it is really working at the store with your smartphone? Well, you probably didn’t know but all you need to do is open the camera app on your smartphone, point the remote to the camera and press buttons on the remote. If it’s working, you can see the infrared through the camera, something you can’t see with the naked eye, if nothing comes up, then it’s not functional.

2. Measuring Height And Calculating Distance.
All you need to do is go to the PlayStore and install an application called Smart Measure and open your camera and get the object in the space provided on the app and it will tell you the height of the object…simple as that. You can also use it to check the distance between you and an object.

smart measure
3. Sending SMS On Your PC/Mac.
You all probably know how to project your WhatsApp messages onto your computer but do you know you can actually do same with your SMS messages? Yes, you can.

All you need to do is install an app called MightyText and you will be able to easily project your SMS text messages on your phone onto your PC if you wish to.

MightyText
4. Using Your Smartphone As Dash Camera.
So basically people are buying dash cameras from stores just to record things as they drive around but what most of them do not know is that their smartphones can do the same job.

All you need to do is download an app called AutoBoy Dash Camera and it will turn your smartphone into a dash camera which you can place on the dashboard of your car and it will continuously record everything till you switch it off. You need to put it on charger though.

5. GPS Navigation & Maps With Hud.
If you’re the type of person who is obsessed with technology, you’ve probably come across a lot of gadgets that talk about giving you information on the distance you’ve covered, the route you have to take and everything you need to know on the road by just placing it on your dashboard.

Well, you wouldn’t need that if you know about HudWay Go, a GPS Navigation & Maps with a hud. All you need to do is to download the app and allow it to do the rest. It will tell you in spoken words and give you 3D visuals of the distance you’re covering and what’s left to complete and all that. It can even tell you when there is a car approaching in the next corner.

NB: The 3D display works best at night.

6. Getting Important Calls In “Do Not Disturb” Mode.
We all sometimes find ourselves in situations where we need to put our phones on “Do Not Disturb” mode but there are still some important calls we might be expecting. Just in case you are in a meeting and you have to put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode but still wish to receive that important call and will want it to ring, there is actually a feature on your phone you can use to achieve that.

You can actually set your phone to receive calls from some designated set of people and not from any random number. You can also set it such that when someone calls for more than 15 times, it will ring irrespective of the fact that you’ve placed it in Silent mode.

Smartphones You Can Buy That Are Water Resistant

Smartphones You Can Buy That Are Water Resistant

One trend we’ve seen growing in the smartphone market is water resistance. As users take their handsets with them almost everywhere they go, it’s great to know that they can live through an accidental dunk in the pool. Here are our picks for the best water resistant Android phones that you can buy as of September 2017.
First, a quick explanation of how the market determines a phone’s water and dust resistant level. These come in the form that look likes “IP68.” The “IP” stands for Ingres Protection, a standard created by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The first number, in this case, ‘6’, means the level of dust resistance. Most smartphones have this level, and it stands for “No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust tight).”
The second numerical number represents the water resistance. In many cases, we’ll see smartphones tout either a ‘7’ or ‘8’ rating. The ‘7’ rating is set as “Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1m of submersion).” The ‘8’ ranking bumps that up to 1.5m of submersion for up to 30 minutes.
One last thing to remember is that these phones are marketed as water resistant, not waterproof. Although both the OEMs and carriers will advertise the use of these devices underwater, if any water damage does take place, you will be held liable, and your warranty will most like be voided.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
The Galaxy Note 8 is at the top of our list because it’s the newest and most premium, but it’s also the most expensive smartphone. Samsung has been a leader in getting its flagship phones high IP ratings so that its customers can use the devices almost anywhere they go. Samsung continues this trend by making the Note 8 IP68.
What really sets the Note 8 apart from the crowd is its built-in stylus called the S Pen. With it, users can take handwritten notes, capture specific sections of their displays, and navigate around the interface without having to use their fingers.
This is also the first flagship from Samsung to feature dual rear-facing cameras. Samsung uses the secondary telephoto lens to create depth and background blur (bokeh) effects. This works in conjunction with the Snapdragon 835 CPU, 6GB of RAM, and 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display.
You can purchase the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 from the following outlets starting around $930:
Amazon
Samsung
Best Buy
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
LG G6
The LG G6 also comes with an IP68 water and dust resistant rating. The best part about this phone is that its price has dropped to the point that it’s half of the cost of the Note 8.
Unlike last year’s LG G5, the G6 drops the company’s attempt at modularity and comes swinging with a “bezel-less” display called FullVision and a premium looking all-glass design.
Besides that, the G6 is pretty much identical predecessors; it features LG’s skinned version of Android, has dual rear-facing cameras with a 125-degree wide angle lens, and an appropriately placed fingerprint sensor located below the camera array. Its biggest drawback is the fact that it shipped with a slightly slower Qualcomm 821 processor.
You can purchase the LG G6 from the following outlets starting at around $450:
Amazon
LG
Best Buy
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
If the Galaxy Note 8 is either too big or too expensive, you might want to check out the
Galaxy S8 or S8+ . Both of these handsets have almost identical specs to Samsung’s newest flagship smartphone, but you will be missing out on the dual rear-facing camera setup and 2GB of less RAM.
Both of these handsets are also IP68 rated and will be able to handle taking photos and videos underwater.
You can purchase the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ from the following outlets starting at around $700:
Amazon
Samsung
Best Buy
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
LG V30
At the end of August, LG took the wraps off of its second flagship smartphone of the year: the
LG V30 . This device has everything that people loved about the G6 but included performance improvements, a 32-bit Quad DAC, high-sensitivity microphones, and a 16MP camera sensor featuring an f 1.6 aperture.
The LG V30 is unfortunately not available for purchase just yet, but when it is, it’ll feature an IP68 rating. As it will hopefully be available in the coming weeks, it has been added to this list. Links to purchase the handset will be added as soon as possible.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active
As stated previously, Samsung has been a leader in smartphone water and dust resistance. One of its most “durable” and protected devices has been the Active line, made in conjunction with and for AT&T. This hasn’t changed this year as Samsung has released the S8 Active , featuring the exact same internals as the other two S8 variants.
The biggest difference with the Active is its build materials such as rubber bumpers which gives it a US Military Standard (MIL-STD) rating. This means that beyond being water and dust resistant, it can resist extreme weather and can take a beating.
The other big difference is that unlike the curved glass found on the S8 and S8+, the Active features an entirely flat display. This can be seen as a plus for those who dislike accidentally tapping on things when palm rejection doesn’t work.
You can purchase the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active from the following outlets starting at around $850:
Amazon
Samsung (AT&T)
Best Buy (AT&T)
AT&T
HTC U11
HTC has been shaking things up with its smartphone design this year. While in years past, the company has been known for making premium handsets made out of metal, it chose to start from the ground up and introduce phones with an all-glass backing with highly-reflective color schemes.
Just like almost every flagship released in 2017, the U11 features a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, and a top-of-the-line camera. Its main differentiating feature is its squeezable frame that acts as an input method for launching any of your applications or hardware functions.
Unlike the rest of the devices on this list, the
HTC U11 is only rated at IP67, but that should still be enough to protect it from the rain and taking a quick shot under the surface of your pool.
You can purchase the HTC U11 from the following outlets starting at around $650:
Amazon
HTC
Best Buy (Sprint)
Sprint
And if none of these handsets fit your fancy, you can always check out LifeProof’s collection of water and dust resistant cases . These cases do add a bit of bulk to your phone but are handy if you’re ever heading somewhere where your handset might get wet or dirty

The entrepreneur who made a crazy $16,000 smartphone now wants to build a $999 blockchain phone

The entrepreneur who made a crazy $16,000 smartphone now wants to build a $999 blockchain phone

The Finney devices would be able to share data, battery power, and computing power with other Finney devices.

Moshe Hogeg is the cofounder and CEO of Sirin Labs.  (Amir Cohen/Reuters)
The startup said on Tuesday that the $999 (£742) smartphone and the $799 (£593) PC will sit under a new device range called "Finney" and that they will be "secure open source consumer electronics for the blockchain era."

The founder and CEO of Sirin Labs is serial entrepreneur Moshe Hogeg — an eccentric Israeli who convinced Leondardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy to attend the launch of his first phone. In addition to Sirin Labs, Hogeg is also the founder of messaging app Yo!, photo-sharing startup Mobli, and venture capital firm Singulariteam, which has raised around $202 million (£150 million).

Hogeg told Business Insider ahead of the Finney announcement that the yet-to-be-built devices will be able to share data, battery power, and processing power with other Finney devices (sometimes a cable will be necessary).

But there's one condition: these resources can only be offered in exchange for the company's SRN cryptocurrency. "You share the value [of your resources] and get value in exchange," said Hogeg.

Sirin Labs needs to raise tens of millions of dollars to fund Finney's development. Hogeg plans to do this by issuing a new cryptocurrency and selling some of it to investors in exchange for legal tender or other cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. "We need around $50 million (£37 million) to build the phone," Hogeg said. "If we get $75 million (£56 million) we can build the computer."

Assuming the money is raised for Finney, then the phone will take around nine months to develop, while the PC will take six months, Hogeg said.

The Finney devices will run on Sirin Labs' Shield OS, which would be designed to support a number of blockchain applications. The company writes on its website that Shield OS would be able to support a crypto wallet, encrypted communications, and a P2P resource sharing ecosystem for payment and apps.

Hogeg is exceptionally bullish when it comes to the blockchain to the extent that he told Business Insider on August 31 that he wants to invest in every Israeli blockchain startup there is. "I actually think it's underhyped," said Hogeg, who plans to invest anything from a few thousand dollars to a few million in local blockchain startups.

Sirin Labs is also willing to work with other phone manufacturers to promote the adoption of Finney, in the same way that Google has done with Android. The company will need another $25 million (£18 million) to fund the development of Shield OS for OEMS.

On the topic of Sirin's premium Solarin phone, Hogeg said: "The company has pivoted from luxury phones to mass market electronics. We released some of the man power we didn't need and hired new ones that are focused on blockchain.

"The company is going in a new direction. We still sell the line but we're not planning to keep developing the line. We're not going to invest more money."