Moment launches camera app for iOS and Android with tons of pro controls

You can shoot in RAW, control shutter speed, and lots more.

If you’re big into mobile photography, chances are you’re familiar with Moment. Moment’s become quite popular over the last couple years with extensive camera lenses and cases for both iPhone X and previous iPhone models. Now, Moment’s stepping away from the hardware game to release a pro camera app for iOS and Android.

Titled Moment – Pro Camera, the app is designed to replace the default camera app on your phone while giving you access to all of the pro controls you could ask for. You can shoot in RAW, control exposure/ISO/shutter speed/focus/white balance, analyze all of your photo metadata in a DSLR-like format, and see a real-time histogram to know exactly what your exposure is like.

Despite all of these controls, Moment’s kept the UI for its app very clean and simplistic so that it’s not too overwhelming for people looking to gradually up their photo game. There’s also a section in the app where you can let it know you’re using a Moment lens if you have one.

While all of that sounds great, Moment’s Android app is lagging a bit behind. At the time of publishing this article, the Android version doesn’t support video recording or the ability to switch between sensors if you’ve got a phone with dual rear cameras.

You can download the iOS app for free but you’ll need to pay a one-time $2.99 in-app purchase to unlock the pro controls. The Android app, on the other hand, will set you back $1.99 on the Play Store.

Free (with IAP) – Download Now

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Google Play Music and YouTube Music: Everything you need to know!

Should you subscribe to Google Play Music or YouTube Music? Here’s what you need to know!

If you’re a Mac or iPhone user but often find yourself using Google’s various services, you might consider looking at one of the company’s two music streaming services, Google Play Music or YouTube Music. While the services started quite differently from one another, the recent relaunch of YouTube Music into a full on-demand streaming music service has blurred the lines considerably.

Here’s what you need to know about Google Play Music and YouTube Music.

What’s new with YouTube Music?

June 18, 2018: YouTube Premium and YouTube Music are rolling out to 17 countries

Starting today, YouTube is officially rolling out its subscription services to 17 total countries, allowing more users to experience them than ever before. The YouTube Red service was previously only available in the US, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. However, with the birth of YouTube Premium and YouTube Music the company’s subscription options are now expanding to the following countries as well:

  • Austria
  • Canada
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Norway
  • Russia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom

All this is making good on last month’s announcement that YouTube Red was going to be replaced with YouTube Premium at some point in the near future. Though the mobile app still hasn’t changed from YouTube Red for many individuals, the website is currently reflecting the change, with new YouTube Premium and YouTube music pages live. According to a report by TechCrunch, YouTube’s CEO Susan Wojcicki said during February’s at Recode Code Media conference in California that the company hopes to expand its services to as many as 100 countries when all is said and done.

If you’d like to try YouTube Premium for yourself (a subscription that does include YouTube Music), you can try it free for three months by signing up on the dedicated YouTube Premium page. After your trial has ended, the subscription will cost you $11.99 monthly. You can also choose to purchase only a YouTube Music subscription at $9.99 per month if you prefer.

What’s new with Google Play Music?

May 24, 2018: Google Play Music will become YouTube Music with user uploads

Shortly after Google announced major changes to YouTube Red, splitting the subscription service into YouTube Music and YouTube Premium, the company confirmed with The Verge that Google Play Music will eventually be folded into YouTube Music. Sometime in 2019, Google Play Music will dissolve and users will instead use YouTube Music. Not to worry, though. Google has stated that playlists, collections, and preferences, as well as user uploads, will still be available.

By the time it does happen, [Elias] Roman said that all of the major cornerstones of Play Music will have been added to YouTube Music. Aside from cloud uploads, that will also include the ability to purchase music instead of just renting it monthly. Roman also mentioned support for sideloading…

What is YouTube Music?

YouTube Music is Google’s latest stab at an on-demand music streaming service, one that leverages YouTube’s popularity as a destination for music listening and music video watching in an effort to offer something different to potential subscribers. It also takes advantage of Google’s work in machine learning to try and offer a much more personalized service that’s good at learning about your musical tastes in order to craft a more bespoke experience for each listener.

You can get access to YouTube Music in three ways: free, ad-supported listening, as a standalone paid subscription without ads, or as a YouTube Premium subscriber, which also gives you access to the ad-free version of YouTube Music.

What is Google Play Music?

Google’s first on-demand music streaming service. Like YouTube Music, as well as other services like Spotify and Apple Music, Google Play Music lets you listen to a vast library of tracks and albums on-demand for a monthly fee. Google Play Music also lets you upload up to 50,000 tracks from your existing music library to the cloud, letting you store and access them anywhere for free.

Google Play Music also has personalized radio stations based on mood and activity, built around your tastes in the music that will populate the stations. These are also available to both free and paid users.

Why are these separate services?

Google Play Music launched first launched in 2011 and didn’t even include the on-demand streaming feature. That was added in 2013.

YouTube Music, meanwhile, initially launched in 2015 more as an audio-focused version of YouTube. While you could access various music playlists, there wasn’t an official, music industry-backed way of finding albums adding them to your library, and other features that YouTube Music now provides.

With the launch of the new YouTube Music, the services are now more similar than they’ve ever previously been. While YouTube Music is currently missing the music upload feature that has endeared many to Google Play Music, but Google has stated that uploads, as well as the ability to purchase music directly and other Google Play Music features will be making their way to YouTube Music. After these features are added, Google Play Music will be folded into YouTube Music.

So Google Play Music is going away?

Eventually, yes. Once Google Play Music’s major features are added, there will be no need for Google to maintain two separate services that do the exact same things.

Google Play Music, YouTube Music, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV — why not just have one unified subscription service?

A lot of it has to do with rights. The deals that Google needs to make in order to stream music and TV content to the subscribers of its various services are complicated. If Google insisted on a single, unified streaming service that combined ad-free music, ad-free videos, and streaming television, it would only able to roll out to a few countries at a time, with more countries being added very slowly (we’re talking years, not months).

Okay, combining video and music rights might be more complicated, sure, you might be thinking. But why not, for instance, bundle YouTube Premium with YouTube TV to give those subscribers access to ad-free YouTube content? Because YouTube Premium includes access to the ad-free YouTube Music, and while Google could offer two versions of YouTube Premium, one with access to Music and one without, it’s actually simpler for Google to have three distinct paid services at this point.

It’s possible that, as Google works out rights issues across its various subscription services, that they’ll be easier to package together. Maybe YouTube TV subscribers will one day have access to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music at no additional cost, but we’re not their quite yet.

What do Google Play Music and YouTube Music cost?

While you can use both services for free, if you want to take advantage of their paid features, you’ll need to pony up $9.99 per month for either.

Is there a family plan for Google Play Music or YouTube Music?

Google Play Music does indeed have a family plan. For $14.99 a month, you can add up to five family members to your Google Play Music account. You can stream music to up to 10 devices at once, and share music between yourselves using the Family Library.

According to Google’s support document, to use Google Play Music’s Family plan, you need to:

  • Be 18 or older (20 in Japan) to be the Family Manager (13 or older to join the Family plan) and have a Google Account
  • Have a valid credit card (Manager only)
  • Live in a participating country
  • Family participants must live in the same country as the Family Manager
  • Not be part of another family group

A YouTube Music family plan is also available for $14.99 per month.

What countries can I use Google Play Music and YouTube Music in?

Play Music is currently available in 62 countries as of early 2017; you can check Google’s support site for a full list.

YouTube Music, in contrast, is still limited, though it’s expanding regularly. You’ll find the service in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Mexico, Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Can I still use Google Play Music or YouTube Music at all if I don’t want to pay?

Yes! Google Play Music will still let you upload up to 50,000 songs from your existing music library, and you’ll have access to its automated radio station playlists. Meanwhile, YouTube Music offers a free version, which is ad-supported.

What devices can I use to listen to Google Play Music and YouTube Music?

Both YouTube Music and Google Play Music can be played through browsers on your Mac or PC, as well as apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

You can grab the apps for either service for iPhone and iPad from the App Store.

YouTube Music – Free – Download Now Google Play Music – Free – Download Now

What’s the streaming bitrate?

While the bitrate for Google Play Music tops out at around 320kps, the consensus seems to be that YouTube Music currently has a maximum bitrate of 128kps. However, it’s likely that this will improve as the service evolves.

How do I sign up for Google Play Music or YouTube Music?

If you already have a Google account, signing up is easy — just log in to your account on the web and look for the Subscribe button.

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Best new movies and TV shows on iTunes in July 2018

Every week, the iTunes Store adds new movies and TV content to its catalog, and every week we bring you the best of what it has to offer.

Best new movies on iTunes

This week in movies begins with Disobedience, a film about two women who explore the love between them in a religious community in which that is forbidden. You can also now rent A Quiet Place, which follows a family as they attempt to survive an invasion of Earth by aliens that hunt by sound. With this week’s movie discounts, get deals on recent releases, with movies such as Annihilation, The Shape of Water, and Unsane all available for under $10. The Movie of the Week is Daddy’s Home 2, which is available for a $0.99 rental and a $9.99 purchase.

Best new TV shows on iTunes

Our look at this week’s TV starts with new episodes of The Tunnel: Vengeance, Queen of the South, and Shooter. Right now, the iTunes Store is offering the season pass for Paramount Network’s Yellowstone for under $20. This week’s TV discounts focus on action-packed shows, with programs such as American Gods, The Americans, and Highlander available for under $10.

Check in next week for more in movies and TV from the iTunes Store.

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USB Restricted Mode FUD and how to avoid it

With iOS 11.4.1 and iOS 12 beta, Apple has rolled out USB Restricted Mode, a security measure designed to protect your iPhone and iPad from privacy invasion. Here’s how it works.

There’s some FUD — Fear Uncertainty and Doubt — going around about the new USB Restricted Mode Apple shipped as part of iOS 11.4.1 and the iOS 12 beta. USB Restricted Mode is a new security system that’s meant to prevent third parties from trying to connect your iPhone and iPad over USB and extract your data.

Here’s how Apple says it works:

If you don’t first unlock your password-protected iOS device—or you haven’t unlocked and connected it to a USB accessory within the past hour—your iOS device won’t communicate with the accessory or computer, and in some cases, it might not charge. You might also see an alert asking you to unlock your device to use accessories.

If the USB accessory is still not recognized after you unlock your device, disconnect your device from the accessory, unlock your device, and then reconnect the accessory.

Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch charges as usual when it’s connected to a USB power adapter.

There are some exceptions and overrides, of course:

You can allow your iOS device to always access USB accessories, for example, if you use a USB assistive device to enter your passcode on your locked iPhone. Many assistive devices will automatically turn on the setting to allow USB devices the first time they’re connected.

If you don’t connect to USB accessories regularly, you might need to turn on this setting manually.

That’s because security perpetually has to be balanced against convenience.

Which brings us to the FUD:

What we discovered is that iOS will reset the USB Restrictive Mode countdown timer even if one connects the iPhone to an untrusted USB accessory, one that has never been paired to the iPhone before (well, in fact the accessories do not require pairing at all). In other words, once the police officer seizes an iPhone, he or she would need to immediately connect that iPhone to a compatible USB accessory to prevent USB Restricted Mode lock after one hour. Importantly, this only helps if the iPhone has still not entered USB Restricted Mode.

First, there’s no such thing as “untrusted USB accessories”. There are “untrusted devices”, namely devices like computers capable of pairing with and extracting data from an iOS device, but not “untrusted USB accessory”. By itself, that statement sets off all kinds of alarms.

Second, Apple itself outlined why some devices, like accessibility devices, can override the lockout. That’s because the daily usage of those devices requires an element of convenience that Apple believes supersedes the need for security.

So why are we able to fool USB Restricted Mode as easy? Is this an oversight that somehow slipped through the testing of all the five iOS 11.4.1 betas? Will Apple patch it in iOS 11.4.2 or iOS 12?

Here’s the process for how that article should have been developed, if it cared more about getting to the facts and less about stealing attention through sensationalism:

  1. Discover behavior.
  2. Disclose it to Apple.
  3. If it’s a bug, work with Apple to get it patched prior to disclosure.
  4. If it’s not a bug, disclose the behavior along with cogent arguments about why you agree or disagree with the choice of behaviors.

In this case, it’s not an oversight. It’s a choice to balance convenience and security. Personally, I’d prefer Apple biased a little more towards security in this case, but I also understand I’m not everyone and it’s tough to juggle things like accessibility devices and persistent accessories.

Increasingly, it’s not the bits that are the exploit or the malware, it’s the coverage of the bits. That’s terrible for everyone from media to customers.

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This $15 Course Provides a Brilliant Introduction to Machine Learning

Machine learning is the technology that keeps self-driving cars on the road and allows Siri to answer your questions. An Introduction to Machine Learning and NLP in Python is a course that helps you to understand the technology and write your own intelligent software. You can get lifetime access now for $14.99 at MakeUseOf Deals.

Machine Learning and NLP

When a kid first tries to ride a bike, they make many mistakes. But with every ride, they slowly improve. Artificial intelligence has to navigate the exact same learning curve. As the software gathers data, it gradually becomes more efficient. In the tech world, this process is known as machine learning.

You can see machine learning at work multiple times every day, from Netflix recommendations to photo apps with facial recognition. This course helps you master the technology and even write your own apps using Python code.

Learning from tutors with decades of professional experience, you discover the world of AI through fun animations. These videos help to break down complex programming concepts into manageable chunks, so you don’t need any previous experience with code.

Along the way, you also learn about natural language processing. This is the technology that allows Siri to understand your ramblings.

You should come away with some valuable Python coding skills and a better appreciation for AI.

Lifetime Access for $14.99

The course is worth $99.99, but you can grab all 8.5 hours of instruction now for only $14.99.

Read the full article: This $15 Course Provides a Brilliant Introduction to Machine Learning

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5 Reasons Why You Can Trust Microsoft With Your Security

trust-ms-security

Microsoft is arguably the most influential technology company in history. Nearly 30 years after its first release, Windows is still the world’s most popular operating system. As of 2018, it’s installed on 88.4 percent of computers worldwide.

But with great power comes great responsibility, and many have found Microsoft’s approach to security lacking. Maybe you’re in that group.

From Windows 10 privacy concerns to critical zero-day exploits, there has been a lot of cause for concern. But despite these woeful examples, there may still be reasons to be cheerful!

1. Windows Defender

Windows Defender Screenshot

For almost two decades, Windows security has been something a joke. Around the turn of the millennium, the internet exploded into our lives, connecting computers worldwide for the first time. The phenomenal growth of the internet gave rise to a torrent of pop-ups and malware ridden downloads—issues we still struggle with today.

But with no built-in antivirus protection, Windows devices were prime targets for hackers and criminals around the world. Microsoft began righting the ship in 2009, with the release of their free antivirus software Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE).

Although it ran on Windows 7, Vista, and XP, MSE was derided for its poor virus detection and prevention. Windows 8 and 10 shipped with a re-engineered version of MSE known as Windows Defender which was turned on by default.

In December 2017, it was awarded 6/6 for protection by AV-TEST. As it requires no setup or user intervention, it is one of the most significant improvements in digital security. Microsoft estimates that Defender now protects more than 300 million devices worldwide.

2. Windows Hello

According to the website Have I Been Pwned, in the first six months of 2018 more than 100 million accounts were breached. With such high numbers, there’s a pretty good chance that one of your accounts found itself entangled in these breaches too.

These aren’t isolated events either. Data breaches are happening so frequently that it can be hard to keep up. The necessary time spent changing passwords, setting up password managers, and monitoring your accounts for suspicious activity makes them a nightmare to deal with.

Windows Hello is a biometric authentication system that comes bundled with Windows 10. Hello signals the first step in Microsoft’s four-step strategy to a password-less future. With Hello enabled, you can log in to your Windows devices with just your face or fingerprint.

Hello has integrations with some of your most popular apps like Dropbox and OneDrive. Microsoft also has plans to work with more service providers to integrate Hello. They estimate that 43 million Windows users are already using Hello, predominantly in the workplace, to improve their security.

3. Machine Learning and Social Engineering

Windows Defender Machine Learning Model

Social engineering—the practice of manipulating victims into sharing confidential or sensitive information—doesn’t always happen in person.

You’ve probably seen emails purportedly from your bank, but sent from a non-official email address. It may try to trick you into trusting the email by using your bank’s logos, headers, font, and even your personal information. The emails use emotive language, often preying on fear, urgency, and empathy.

The aim of these emails is for you to download a malicious attachment, or to enter login credentials the attacker can steal.

With over 50 percent of Windows 10 devices using Defender as their default anti-virus, Microsoft has a unique position to influence how attacks spread. Their solution was to capitalize on the rise of machine learning and integrate it into Windows Defender. You may be wondering how that would prevent social engineering attacks.

Microsoft trained their models using historical examples of malicious files used in malware and phishing campaigns. Antivirus software traditionally relies upon regularly updated definitions to compare files against. Defender can now analyze and identify potential malware before its first infection.

4. Digital Crimes Unit

Cybercrime is a problem globally, not just for Microsoft. But that doesn’t mean that the Redmond giant is willing to sit on its considerable experience and resources while criminals profit at our expense.

Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) is “an international team of attorneys, investigators, data scientists, engineers, analysts and business professionals based in 30 countries.”

The team regularly works with law enforcement around the world to combat cybercrime, with a focus on three main areas: malware, phishing, and images of child abuse. One of the most common phishing attacks is tech support scams. Microsoft estimates these scams cost victims more than $1.1 billion annually in the US alone.

Since 2014, the DCU has received more than 180,000 reports of support scams, which has allowed them to leverage Artificial Intelligence to locate the source of the attack. Operating in conjunction with Europol and the FBI, in 2013 the DCU disrupted the ZeroAccess botnet which was responsible for hijacking results across all major search engines.

To combat the approximately 720,000 images of child abuse uploaded each day, Microsoft developed PhotoDNA. The system creates a hash of known images to enable companies using PhotoDNA to compare images against. More than 100 organizations now use PhotoDNA including Facebook, Twitter, and law enforcement.

5. Microsoft Edge Security

Microsoft Edge Screenshot

At this point, it’s safe to say that Internet Explorer lost the browser wars. Microsoft’s infamous default browser has just 3.12 percent market share against Chrome’s 58.94 percent. In part, this is because Internet Explorer (IE) became synonymous with malware, popups, and spam-riddled toolbars.

Microsoft didn’t help themselves either as they took longer to patch critical flaws than their competitors. Although they did eventually start taking these issues seriously around the release of Windows 7, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari had all eaten away at IE’s market share.

Windows 10 marked a new era for Microsoft, so it seemed fitting that their latest operating system would ship with a brand new default browser. Microsoft Edge shares a similar logo to IE, but that’s where the similarities end.

All legacy code was scrapped, and the browser was developed with EdgeHTML for modern web standards and interoperability. IE’s toolbars are gone too, replaced by Extensions which can be installed through the Windows Store.

Edge natively supports Hello to prevent phishing attacks. The browser even sandboxes all web browsing in Protected Mode to reduce the risk of malicious content infecting your computer.

Are You Willing to Give Microsoft Another Chance?

Windows 10 hasn’t done Microsoft’s reputation any favors. The default privacy settings and invasive digital assistant Cortana have only cemented the belief that Microsoft can’t be trusted. Some might even argue that the flaws in Microsoft’s software caused the proliferation of malware and viruses.

Whether the blame rests on their engineering or the high availability of Windows machines, Microsoft hasn’t been idle in addressing the problem.

Windows Defender may be the only antivirus software you’ll ever need. Their efforts in tackling criminal enterprises, and use of machine learning against social engineering are making us safer online. With their focus on password-less authentication systems, Microsoft clearly wants to make our future more secure too.

Read the full article: 5 Reasons Why You Can Trust Microsoft With Your Security

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TECHNOLOGY FOUND EVERYWHERE ?

THE TECHNOLOGY FOUND EVERYWHERE IN LIFE