TechBooky

Have you ever stepped away from your PC only to return and find it in the middle of an update? Such is the bane of forced updates on Windows 10. They"re not disappearing, but Microsoft is employing machine learning to train Windows 10 not to update itself at an inappropriate times. Windows 10"s overly aggressive update system, which sometimes restarts while using the device, has been a point of frustration for many users for a long time. Software has been developed to prevent forced update of Windows 10 by volunteers, but of course Microsoft also receives feedback from users and recognises that there is a problem with Windows 10 update. Microsoft currently has a snooze feature to postpone installing updates, but it still seems that complaints of "restarting while using the device" are still being sent.  To combat this issue, Microsoft has been testing a new system that uses a predictive model to learn when devices aren’t in use. So instead of applying an update whil...

WhatsApp announced it will now indicate to users which messages have been forwarded to them. The change was implemented to curb the spread of misinformation and spam on the platform and to help users determine whether a message was actually written by a contact. In a blog post recently released by the company , announced its adding labels to forwarded messages so users can better identify rumors, fake news, and other false information that often spreads via the messaging app. “With the update, forwarded messages will have a small "forwarded" label, similar to forwarded email messages, indicating the note was originally written by someone other than the sender. “It may seem like a minor update, but it"s one the company says could help people identify fake news and other types of misinformation. "WhatsApp cares deeply about your safety. We encourage you to think before sharing messages that were forwarded," added by the company in a blog post. The new WhatsApp fe...

The feature is available starting from today. Before now, a block tool was created which are used by police, law enforcement agencies and others, to gain access to iPhones via the charging port and bypass the need for a password. But now, as announced by the company a new upgrade to its iOS software it will block such tool from gaining access to its device. The company confirmed this in a statement to Reuters, saying, “We’re constantly strengthening the security protections in every Apple product to help customers defend against hackers, identity thieves and intrusions into their personal data. We have the greatest respect for law enforcement, and we don’t design our security improvements to frustrate their efforts to do their jobs.” Early this last month, The feature has already been spotted in developer beta versions of iOS 11.4.1 and iOS12.  With the new update It will be made permanent in the public releases of its iOS software starting from today. iOS ...

Gmail has been adopting a lot of features from Inbox lately, and in this update, it"s gaining one more. If you receive email from sites or services that almost never get read, Gmail can now offer helpful suggestions to unsubscribe from those mailing lists with the tap of a button. Just days after the arrival of customisable swipe actions , and high priority-based notifications . Gmail for Android has now been updated with an Unsubscribe tips feature that will show occasional suggestions to help you unsubscribe from bulk email senders you rarely read. The Unsubscribe tips feature, which is enabled by default, was originally announced back in April - alongside the major Gmail redesign that will be rolled out worldwide to everyone in July. It helps you get rid of unwanted newsletter emails by letting you easily unsubscribe from sites or services that rarely get read. The feature shows tips on the homescreen of the app with an Unsubscribe button that enables unsubscription with a sing...

The latest sound technology will finally come to the best high-end streaming TV box. At Apple"s WWDC 2018 developer conference, the company announced another addition which is mind blowing. Apple just added Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support to its Apple TV - making it the only streaming device to support Atmos and Dolby Vision. Dolby Atmos, if you haven"t heard of it before, provides a more immersive audio experience by creating a sound bubble of 360-degree sound by bouncing sound off the ceiling, making it more lifelike than traditional surround sound systems. The catch, obviously, accessing Dolby Atmos features on your Apple TV 4K will require Dolby Atmos–enabled speakers or a Hi-Fi receiver. That’s because Dolby Atmos is decoded by an external receiver. There are options from LG and Samsung, like the LG SJ9 Soundbar or Samsung HW-K950, but they"re more expensive than traditional 2.1 setups. The company describes it as “sound, turned up to 360” : “Comb...

Google Calendar now lets you add a note when you change or delete an event. Google has recently announced in its official blogpost that it is adding an interesting feature in its Calendar app which will allow users to leave a note when they change or delete an event in the Calendar. A dialog box appears that asks you to add a short message to explain why are you changing the event and what changes are being made. The option to leave a note appears in a pop-up box when an event is edited. Participants receive the alert in the form of an email with the subject, “Updated invitation with note.” The alert shows who made the event edit, what was changed, as well as the included note. How to set up an event reminders By default, you receive an email and a pop-up reminder 10 minutes before each event on your calendar. To change your default reminder settings, follow these steps: Open Google Calendar In the My calendars section, click the down arrow that appears when you hover ov...

Machine learning now gives you a version of the internet tailored to fit your specific needs and wants. Google’s been beating that drum for years, but the vision manifested itself in fresh, in an overhauled Google Maps app revealed during the company’s I/O keynote. Google Maps will be updated with a new personalised "For You" section that offers up recommendations based on your interests. The Maps app is gaining a dedicated "For You" tab that is designed to "tell you what you need to know about the neighbourhoods you care about." It will feature new restaurants opening nearby, trending spots, and more, based on places you"ve rated and places you"ve visited For You will be accompanied by a new "Match Score" that predicts which restaurants you"re most likely to prefer based on your personal preferences, which is designed to help you to choose between multiple restaurant suggestions. The score is generated by utilising Machine Learni...

This year, things got a little bit different and spicier with Android as the tech giant during its I/O developers’ conference explained that instead of showing you all the ways you can use its phone operating system to do more, the company is creating features to help you use it even less.  Android P is the upcoming ninth major version of the Android operating system. It was first announced by Google on March 7, 2018, and the first developer preview was released on the same day. Second preview, considered beta quality, was released on May 8, 2018. An operating system due to be out later this year, will have a new dashboard that tells you how often, when, and for how long you are using every app on your phone. It will also allow you to set limits on yourself. You could give yourself a half-hour of Instagram per day, for example. Once your 30 minutes is up, the icon will go from its usual eye-catching gradient to a dull grayscale. Android P also includes a new core interface th...

The long wait is over...winter is here.  You can manually update today! After months of testing and a bit of a delay due to the last minute discovery of a blocking bug, the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is now available to install. Microsoft is taking things slowly with the global rollout via Windows Update beginning on May 8. Microsoft is officially beginning the rollout of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803) on April 30, 2018. This is the fifth major release for compatible devices with new features and changes to improve security, privacy, performance, and productivity. In version 1803, you"ll find new features like Timeline, Nearby Sharing, and Graphics settings. Windows 10 continues the gradual rollout of Fluent Design in the Start menu, taskbar, Settings and an overall wonderful experience. Users get more control over their privacy, such as options to view and delete elemetry data and deny file access to apps. The Settings app has got a lot of tweaks which include...

Snapchat might really, really get hard hit  soon.  The battle for who is the best, has likely just begun. Last week as Snapchat distracts itself with new Spectacles 2 camera glasses , Instagram is arming itself with new firepower to take on its adversary app. A twitter user @wongmjane posted about various tests Instagram has conducted or is currently testing. Jane Wong is apparently a computer science student who appears to be looking through the app’s code. The Facebook owned app is reportedly testing these features with some users, but has yet to officially announce them. But if Instagram does release them, Snapchat might be in deep trouble. The new features would give Instagram users more control over their account and content and further drive them to dump Snap. Here is a breakdown of the feature conducted or yet to be released: Reaction to stories The feature was first spotted by a twitter user @wongmjane while conducting a coding on the social media platform ,in a...

Google Chrome gets emojis. Emojis , whether you use then often or almost never, has no doubt made texting much more easier. Google Chrome added a new shortcut  to make adding emoji on desktop easier. It’s currently on Chrome Canary , the experimental version of the browser designed for testing. Also users can enable it by going to chrome://flags and searching “emoji,” as spotted by 9to5Google . The latest version of Chrome Canary (67.0.3389.0, according to 9to5Google) features a shortcut that gives access to the colourful emojis characters. From the right-click menu, an "emoji" option on the menu will appears when you right-click any text field. Users can then right-click to get to the emoji option and pull up the emoji options which is available for Mac, Windows, Linux, or Chrome OS, depending on what operating system they’re running. The new features is not really groundbreaking innovation,  considering the fact that there are already ways to pull up ...

Google Chrome’s new update will come with one important feature: The option for blocking autoplay videos, which start on their own and often leave the user confused as to where exactly the sound is coming from. Google Chrome’s version 66 will also include changes to autoplay videos and although this feature was to roll out with chrome version 64 in January , but it didn"t and the company plan to roll it out with the latest version 66. In the Chrome v64 update, Google introduced a new feature that makes the difficult task of sharing long URLs easier. The browser now trims the unnecessary strings at the end of the URLs when you share them. For this, you don"t need to turn on any special setting; the browser automatically takes care of the junk at the end of long URLs. Google’s additional changes will allow mute autoplay videos that blast out of  your phone speaker while browsing.Google will delay this changes to chrome 66 , but it will appear on beta chrome channe...

Google is rolling out  “wheelchair accessible ” routing option to Google Maps. The route will make use of a public transit in the metropolitan areas, when selected the maps will show the availability of wheelchairs ramps and elevators on routes. With this enabled, you"re shown routes that thousands of participants in Map"s Local Guides program as well as municipal transit agencies have marked as friendly for those with mobility issues. Google is working with other cities to add more places in the coming months. Read more:  Google Maps Now Tells You When You Should Plan A Trip To Your Destination   How it works   To access the feature, users should type their destination into the Google Maps then tap “Directions” from there click the select icon for “Public Transportation “and then “Options” which under it is “routes section” then the “wheelchairs accessible” will appear . Google has been working ...

Firefox 59 release by Mozilla is now available  Mozilla has released a new version of Firefox. The version of Firefox released is number 59 —the version prevents some websites from asking to send notifications to your device.  This means that the new update is expected to stop sites from accessing your device’s camera, microphone, and location unexpectedly. The new features added to the latest updated Firefox version will prevent user’s notification centre from getting cluttered with piles of news from various sites. When turned on by “default”, all request from different websites will be blocked but can only accept from a trusted websites as requested by the users. How it works In order to manage notification permissions on Firefox 59, users should “go to options” on their Windows or “preferences” on Mac. Then click on “Privacy & Security” , an option to mark permission will be displayed on the screen of th...