Saturday, May 9, 2020

A number of cybersecurity companies form an alliance to offer free help to 87 hospitals and four national health services in Europe, with plans to expand to US (Joseph Marks/Washington Post)

Joseph Marks / Washington Post:
A number of cybersecurity companies form an alliance to offer free help to 87 hospitals and four national health services in Europe, with plans to expand to US  —  Cybersecurity companies and professionals are banding together to offer free digital defenses to hospitals that are being pummeled …



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Microsoft starts rolling out a new Reply All Storm Protection feature to Office 365 customers that lets IT staff detect and stop Reply-All email storms (Catalin Cimpanu/ZDNet)

Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Microsoft starts rolling out a new Reply All Storm Protection feature to Office 365 customers that lets IT staff detect and stop Reply-All email storms  —  Redmond adds protection against massive “Reply-All” email storms after suffering two internal incidents in 2019 and 2020.



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China-based AI chipmaker Enflame raises $98.6M Series B led by Summitview Capital, with Tencent and others participating (Yupu Li/Pandaily)

Yupu Li / Pandaily:
China-based AI chipmaker Enflame raises $98.6M Series B led by Summitview Capital, with Tencent and others participating  —  China's cloud artificial intelligence-training platform Enflame Technology, backed by Tencent, raised RMB 700 million ($98.6 million) in Series B funding led …



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Treasury Prime, which is developing APIs to help banks automate and accelerate certain routine business processes, raises $9M Series A (Alex Wilhelm/TechCrunch)

Alex Wilhelm / TechCrunch:
Treasury Prime, which is developing APIs to help banks automate and accelerate certain routine business processes, raises $9M Series A  —  Treasury Prime, a startup that built software tooling to help banks automate and accelerate routine tasks, announced today that it has closed a $9 million Series …



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Tesla sues Alameda County to force California factory reopening

Tesla filed a lawsuit Saturday against Alameda County in an effort to invalidate orders that have prevented the automaker from reopening its factory in Fremont, California.

The lawsuit, which seeks injunctive and declaratory relief against Alameda County, was first reported by CNBC. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for California’s Northern District.

Earlier Saturday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that he was filing a lawsuit against Alameda County and threatened to move its headquarters and future programs to Texas or Nevada immediately.

Tesla had planned to bring back about 30% of its factory workers Friday as part of its reopening plan, defying Alameda County’s stay-at-home order. Musk was basing the reopening on new guidance issued Thursday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom that allows manufacturers to resume operations. The guidance won praise from Musk, who later sent an internal email to employees about plans to reopen based on the governor’s revised order. However, the governor’s guidance included a warning that local governments could keep more restrictive rules in place. Alameda County, along with several other Bay Area counties and cities, last week extended the stay-at-home orders through the end of May. The orders were revised and did ease some of the restrictions. However, it did not lift the order for manufacturing.

The lawsuit argues that by preventing Tesla from opening, the Alameda County is going against its own guidance.

“Alameda County has expressly recognized and publicized that “businesses may . . . operate to manufacture” batteries and electric vehicles,” the complaint reads. “Inexplicably, however, the Third Order as well as County officials have simultaneously insisted that Tesla must remain shuttered, thereby further compounding the ambiguity, confusion and irrationality surrounding Alameda County’s position as to whether Tesla may resume manufacturing activities at its Fremont Factory and elsewhere in the County.”

The term “third order” is a reference to a revised stay-in-place order issued by Alameda County.

On Friday, the Alameda County Health Department said Tesla had not been given “the green light” to reopen and said if the company did, it would be out of compliance with the order.

Read the full complaint here.

Tesla v Alameda County Comp… by TechCrunch on Scribd



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The 17 Best Mobile Games to Play on the Toilet


Let me set the scene for you: it’s that time of day, and you sit down to do your business. You settle in to get the job down, pull out your phone because you have some time to kill, and … what then? You could endlessly flip through Instagram, scroll through Twitter, or do something actually engaging like play a game. Toilet time has never been more fun.

Read This Article on Review Geek ›



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A guide to negotiating a covid “bubble” with other people

This weekend I’m going to break my isolation for the first time in two months. Aside from occasional socially distanced bike rides and walks in the park with a handful of trusted friends, I haven’t spent time with anyone, much less touched them beyond a hasty (and sleeved) elbow bump. But now I’ve agreed with some friends nearby to become part of their “pod,” “quaranteam,” or “bubble.”

Effectively we’ll become an extended family, free to visit each other’s homes, share meals, and—yes!—hug. I’ve even been promised tickle fights. I live alone, but I’m a very social person, and the mere thought of being able to sit next to someone on a couch feels like finding water after days wandering in a desert.

In some places, “double-bubbling” is becoming official policy: households are being encouraged to buddy up for the sake of variety and mental health. But negotiating to become part of someone else’s intimate circle in the midst of a pandemic is fraught with dangers both medical (what if you inadvertently infect one another?) and social (what if you have a falling out? Whom do you pick? What if they don’t pick you?)

My bubblemates and I have all been pretty strict in our precautions up to now, but everyone does things a little differently, and I’ve commented to other friends that agreeing to bubble up (or is it bubble down?) with people is like negotiating an open relationship: What’s allowed? What isn’t? What do we need to communicate about? How do we resolve disagreements? Based on nothing more than my own experience and that of friends and colleagues, here are some suggested guidelines for how to have the conversation.

1. Agree to have no hard feelings

Before you even start the conversation, agree that you will remain friends whatever happens. You are about to put your friendship to a test it might never have otherwise experienced. You are taking responsibility for each other’s lives. You will see some of each other’s foibles and frailties up close. Even if you end up deciding not to pod together, just talking about it may reveal things you never expected to learn.

Similarly, no matter how well you plan, it may just not work. Agree that either side can decide to pull out at any point without hard feelings. Perhaps you weren’t meant to be family; it doesn’t mean you can’t be friends.

By the same token, don’t be resentful if you’re not someone else’s choice for their bubble. The pandemic forces us into binary choices: you can probably only join one quaranteam at a time. And what you’re going into isn’t a friendship, but a partnership. You can be great friends with someone you would never even contemplate starting a business with. This is like that.

2. Think about the risk

If you were living alone and start bubbling with three other people, all of whom take the same precautions as you, your chances of catching the coronavirus will be potentially four times as high as they were—and so too will your chances of infecting someone you pass in the street or in the store. Four times a very small risk is still very small, but all the same: with a great bubble comes great responsibility.

3. Talk about why you want to bubble up

It might seem obvious: you just want more company! But what if you and your friends have different expectations? I discussed joining another couple I know at a house in the countryside for part of the summer, and learned that for them the point is less about being with other people than about getting out of the city. If we had mutual friends staying nearby, I’d be inclined to let those friends come over for dinner, while my housemates might not. So start out by discussing your underlying motives for teaming up. You may be able to ward off potential areas of friction.

4. Agree to all follow the same rules, whatever they are

I wasn’t wearing masks when I walked in the street or rode my bike, but my friends asked me to start doing so two weeks before we saw each other. (A couple of days later the city I live in mandated it anyway.) Chances are you’ll have to make some concessions; accept them gladly. Any reluctance on your part will breed a suspicion that you’re going to flout the rules behind their backs.

5. Talk through your daily routines

Whatever your precautions against coronavirus, you take them for granted by now. You may be astonished to hear what other people do, or don’t do. Do you clean your groceries? With soap, or with disinfectant, or with neither? Packaged food too? Do you take your shoes off when you come into the house? Do you separate “inside” and “outside” clothes? Do you disinfect your phone if you’ve been using it outside? Your house keys? Door handles? If you’re in a place that doesn’t require masks, do you wear one anyway? What about gloves? What about when you exercise outside? Do you get takeout food from restaurants? What about deliveries?

Give each other as complete a picture as possible of what you do. And be honest. It’s the easiest thing in the world to skate over something because you think they might not like it or it’s too small to mention. Just remember that distrust is always worse than disagreement. If you know each other’s habits you can always discuss them and find a compromise, but if you or they are caught hiding something, the whole relationship can break down.

6. Accept that none of you is being rational

We all know the basic precautions: hygiene, masks, and social distancing. Yet despite an outpouring of scientific papers about such things as how long the virus survives on surfaces or how well masks work, we know precious little about how specific behaviors affect risk. How much safer are you if you separate indoor and outdoor clothes? How much likelier are you to catch the virus from someone who runs past you breathing heavily than someone who walks past breathing normally? Has anyone ever actually caught it from their phone? Nobody knows. Besides, there’s so much information and it changes so fast that neither you nor your intended bubblemates can possibly keep up.

So, accept that we’re all just guessing. You can always try to rationalize the precautions you take, but in reality your choices are being skewed by what you last read or saw on TV, your own personal phobias, your appetite for risk, and just how badly you want to see another person.

The way to handle this in conversation is to avoid challenging each other on points of fact. When you discover that your friends dunk their vegetables in dish soap while you just wipe them down, or that they never wear masks when they go running and you do, don’t ask them to justify their choices. That risks putting them on the defensive and kicking off an unwinnable debate.

Instead, ask things like “when did you start doing that?” or “how would you feel if I wanted us to do this?” This moves you from a position of judging and evaluating one another to seeking to empathize and understand where each of you is coming from. You may learn unexpected things about what each person is particularly afraid of. That sets you up better to reach compromises you’re all comfortable with.

7. Agree on what you’ll communicate about, and then over-communicate

My quaranteamies and I, for instance, agreed to tell each other each time we’re meeting another friend for a socially distanced walk, and to discuss it before we add anyone new to the list of friends we see. Err on the side of more information, not less, about any change in your routine. If you read about something that worries you—a new report about coronavirus transmission, say—talk about how it made you feel, even if you’re not sure it means you should change any of your behavior. The conversation that ensues will determine whether you do. Over-communicating creates a virtuous circle of trust that you’re looking out for each other’s well-being.

8. Maybe don’t post about it on social media

If you’re having a wonderful time in your bubble, cooking elaborate meals and playing games and giving each other back rubs, consider not flaunting it, especially to friends who may not be so lucky (or who might judge you for not being a perfect hermit). Each time I look at Instagram, the mere sight of friends of mine laughing and hugging triggers a kind of social delirium tremens.

9. Give yourselves a trial period

Agree to try your bubble for two weeks, say, and then decide whether to continue—again, with no hard feelings if either of you wants to stop. The stakes are high enough already; there’s no need to make them even higher by betting a friendship on the outcome.



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A look at "aimbot" and "wallhack" cheating going on in PC games like CoD: Warzone and Destiny 2, as game developers announce big updates to respond to cheating (Tom Warren/The Verge)

Tom Warren / The Verge:
A look at “aimbot” and “wallhack” cheating going on in PC games like CoD: Warzone and Destiny 2, as game developers announce big updates to respond to cheating  —  If you've ever played a PC game that has a competitive element, you've probably played against a cheater.



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6 YouTube Channels to Help Master Your LEGO Design Skills


LEGO sets are great fun, and there’s nothing wrong with following the instructions to the brick. But if you’re ready to start exploring your own designs, the possibilities may seem overwhelming. It’s time to do a little research.

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Why Did Dial-Up Modems Make So Much Noise?


Screeeech . . . hisss . . . squaawk. These are familiar sounds to anyone who’s ever used dial-up internet or called BBSes. It seemed especially noisy late at night. Have you ever wondered why all that noise was necessary? And did you know you could have muted your noisy modem?

Read This Article on How-To Geek ›



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How to Stream UFC 249 Ferguson vs. Gaethje Live Online


After a long hiatus, UFC is back. Thanks to a change in restrictions in the state, this interim title fight plays out in Florida. In this highly anticipated bout, Tony Ferguson takes on Justin Gaethje. There’s even a second title fight between Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz. Here’s how to watch.

Read This Article on How-To Geek ›



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5 Fuss-Free Websites to Find What Book to Read Next

Book Recommendation Sites to Find Your Next Book

Which book should you read next? These websites will find the best book for your tastes and recommend titles by experts and famous people.

No matter how cooped up or bogged down you feel, books can be your escape. You can dive into a world that takes you away from harsh reality. And if fiction isn’t what you seek, you can learn more through engaged reading than any other media.

After all, successful and intelligent people don’t talk about the TV series they’re binge-watching, they talk about the books they are reading.

These websites take different routes to suggest books to read. Some work like multiple-choice apps, while others take the effort to ask experts what they think you should be reading. But whichever path you take, at the end of it, you’ll have a new book to enjoy.

1. Next Book to Read (Web): 3-Step App to Find Book Recommendations

Next Book To Read is a simple three step app to find books based on your tastes

Don’t you love it when an app does exactly what it says without making you jump through a million hoops? Next Book to Read helps you find a book that you’ll like based on your tastes. It’s a simple three-step process to get 15 recommendations each time.

First, pick genres that you’re interested in. Next, pick a few books you’ve already read and liked. At this step, you’ll also see four sliders to give weightage. You can look for something from the same author or series. Or you can find books with similar themes by dragging the Category or Description sliders.

The app will then deliver 15 book recommendations in a neat grid of covers. Hover over a title to read its brief description. There’s an option to email the list to yourself, and you can remove titles before the mail is sent. It’s a convenient way to discover new books to read and keep track of them.

2. The Quarantine Book Club (Web): Q&A Video Meetings With Authors

The Quarantine Book Club is like a virtual book tour event where authors interact with readers and answer questions about their book

The Quarantine Book Club is an online space to interact with authors in a Zoom meeting about their creations. Hosted by US-based design studio Mule Designs, it’s a chance to get the book tour experience from the comfort of your home.

The website lists all upcoming authors and the books they’re talking about. Each meeting has a $5 entry ticket, much like some real-life book signings and readings where you have to purchase the book to gain entry.

And just in case your economic situation isn’t great, don’t worry. The Quarantine Book Club has free entry voucher codes for each talk. Similarly, if you’re dissatisfied with the experience, you can ask for your money back.

The Zoom interactions are similar to what a book tour has. The author talks about their journey with the book, answers questions from the audience, and has a free-flowing interaction. The illustrious list of authors includes Cory Doctrow, Arjun Basu, Ariel Waldman, and many more. Check the website weekly for the updated list.

3. Good Books (Web): Books Recommended by Successful People

Good Books rounds up book recommendations from successful and famous people

Successful people read a lot. You’ll often find interviews or blog posts where they talk about a few books that helped them achieve that success or changed how they approached life. Good Books rounds up book recommendations by those who’ve made it.

The illustrious list of people includes Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Ariana Huffington, Emma Watson, Noam Chomsky, and many, many more. Search for a person you admire and you’ll find the books they think you should be reading. You can also browse people by the industry they’re famous for.

If you browse by books, you’ll find how many successful people say it’s a must-read. The top 100 books list is a good way to find new titles that many achievers think is worth reading. You can also browse by category and check new featured titles.

4. Five Books (Web): Expert Recommendations on Their Subject

Experts on a topic recommend five books on that subject in detailed interviews at Five Books

If you want to learn more about viruses, find out what an expert on the subject recommends you read. Instead of relying on suggestions by friends, Five Books seeks out experts and authors to get five book recommendations about their chosen field.

This cool website takes a different approach than just compiling recommendations based on different interviews and blog posts. Instead, Five Books conducts an interview with the expert.

After the expert names their five suggestions, the editors ask a series of questions about the books and why the expert considers them important. The interview is as illuminating as any critique or review of the book you’ll read online.

There are various ways to browse Five Books. Choose a genre, a region of the world, lists and round-ups, popular book awards, and new releases. The “popular expert interviews” is a good place to start.

And don’t forget to check the list of most recommended books, which is where many experts from different fields agree on a classic. It’s a unique way to find book recommendations to read.

5. Book Series in Order (Web): Read a Great Fictional Character’s Adventures

Book Series in Order (BSIO) arranges and recommends books by the order in which a famous character appears

Books have given us some of the greatest fictional characters, spread across series. James Bond, Miss Marple, Jack Reacher, Katniss Everdeen, and so many other characters are who we fall in love with. Book Series in Order (BSIO) lets you find all books that feature one of your favorites.

For example, if you like Jack Reacher, you’ll find all the books by Lee Child where he features. The website provides both the publication order and the chronological order. So you could go by the correct order of Reacher’s life rather than jumping back-and-forth in his timeline. You’ll also find other books and short stories where Jack Reacher has appeared, and a short biography of the character.

The website’s browsing experience lends itself to discovering new books. It suggests a new book of the month, featured authors, featured series, lists and best-ofs, and a newsletter with six to eight titles every fortnight. Each book title has quick links to pick it up on Amazon.

The Heavyweight Book Recommendation Sites

The websites on this list are some of the newer ways to find the best book to read. Of course, the internet has several book recommendation engines and forums that are much more popular.

From Goodreads and Gnook to Riffle and Whichbook, you need to try out these heavyweight book suggestion engines too. They are the best sites to find what book to read next.

Read the full article: 5 Fuss-Free Websites to Find What Book to Read Next



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5 Free Apps for Reminders to Take a Break From Screens

reminder-apps

You know that staring at the screen for too long isn’t good for your health or your eyesight, but it’s easy to get sucked in. Use these apps to get a reminder to take a break from apps and screen time, and take care of your health.

Continuous screen usage can lead to severe eye strain, neck pain in the cause of phones, and sitting too long causes health issues too. It’s also surprisingly easy to avoid all these problems by simply switching off every once in a while. Usually, a break reminder app is all you need.

1. Stretchly (Windows, macOS, Linux): Simple Reminder for Micro and Long Breaks

stretchly reminds you to take a break and stretch

For most people, Stretchly is the break reminder that will change how you use the computer. The app enables both micro-breaks as well as scheduled long breaks that will keep you focussed.

A small popup will let you know before it’s time to take a break, and then remind you when it’s time. One of the nicer features of Stretchly is that you can skip to the next break or micro-break at any time, in case you feel like stopping right now and not later. The micro-break is every 10 minutes, for 20 seconds, where the app recommends a few stretches to keep your body healthy. Every 30 minutes, it suggests a longer 5-minute break.

You can naturally customize the duration of micro-breaks and long breaks, as well as how long a break should last. In fact, Stretchly can even become a simple Pomodoro timer to be more productive.

In case you don’t want to take a break, you can skip the prompt and continue working. But if you do this too often, you’re putting your own health at risk. You might want to enable the “strict mode” to ensure you stick to the breaks.

Download: Stretchly for Windows | macOS | Linux (Free)

2. Stretch Reminder (Android, iOS): Reminders and GIFs to Stretch Periodically

Stretchly isn’t available for smartphones, but Stretch Reminder might be an even better app to take a break. It sends unobtrusive periodic reminders to look away from your computer screen and do a few stretches.

The app is simple and gorgeous. First, set how often you want to receive notifications. You can select an interval of one to six hours, and set a start and end time during the work day. When you get a reminder, head to the second screen of the app, Stretches.

Stretch Reminder offers 17 different stretches that limber up different parts of your body. All of these stretches are made with an office worker in mind. They can be done while sitting on your chair, or require minimal room to stand. And they don’t look silly either, so you won’t be causing a scene in front of others.

I’d recommend starting with a break every hour, and trying different stretches each time to loosen up varied body parts. If you’re working in front of a screen for long hours, use this break reminder app to also take care of your shoulders and neck.

Download: Stretch Reminder for Android | iOS (Free)

3. Eye Care 20 20 20 (Android, iOS): Put Down Your Mobile

The screens of computers and phones are backlit, casting their light into your eyes. Over time, this can take a toll. In fact, you should check if you have the tell-tale signs of computer eye strain.

Eye Care 20 20 20 is a mobile app to relieve this eye strain using an age-old technique. The idea is that every 20 minutes of using a screen, look at something 20 feet away, for no less than 20 seconds. Apparently this is the relief your eyes need to stay healthy and not get dry.

The Eye Care 20 20 20 app will simply give you simple reminders when the time comes, and not mess around more than that. By that, we mean it isn’t reliant on whether the screen has been on for all of those 20 minutes or not, that reminder is coming.

You can dive into the app’s settings to customize it further, so that you can either manually start it or set it to start automatically at a certain time every day.

Download: Eye Care 20 20 20 for Android | iOS (Free)

4. Unhook (Android): Set Screen Time Limits, And Walk to Get More Time

Unhook is the most different app in this list. It doesn’t have reminders to take breaks, but instead, it forces breaks upon you.

Here’s how it works. You set a daily time limit for different types of screen usage, such as social apps, video streaming, and games. Once you cross the limit you set, Unhook makes you walk to unlock more time. For every 100 steps that you walk, you will get 10 minutes of extra usage time on the phone. The data is gathered through the built-in Google Fit on Android, which you can sync with any of your favorite fitness apps as well..

Don’t worry, it isn’t an intrusive and strict app. When you really need to browse your phone but can’t be bothered with those extra steps, you can switch off Unhook and continue using the phone as usual. But use this sparingly, it’s all about self-discipline.

Download: Unhook for Android (Free)

5. Micro Breaks (Chrome): Customizable Reminder for Multiple Breaks

Micro Breaks is a customizable Chrome extension for periodic reminders to take breaks

If you use Google Chrome, don’t look further than this little extension for all your break reminders. Micro Breaks is the simplest and best tool for the job.

By default, there are a few reminders already set for healthy habits. This includes:

  • Breathing: Breathe in and out to manage stress, for 2 minutes, every 2 hours.
  • 20/20/20: Prevent digital eye strain by looking at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes.
  • Break: A simple break, for 6 minutes, every 80 minutes.
  • Exercise: Stand up and stretch to relieve muscles, for 2 minutes, every hour.

Micro Breaks also lets you set up any custom reminders you might want, and it’s all free. This is hands down the simplest implementation of a timer reminder in Chrome. Nonetheless, you might want to check out other excellent Chrome extensions to keep you healthy at your desk.

Download: Micro Breaks for Chrome (Free)

Fix Your Posture Quickly

These apps solve that important problem of getting a reminder to regularly take a break from your computer or phone screen. You could also use the any other reminder app to help you. But they don’t always tell you what to do when you take those breaks.

One of the best options for desk workers is to try out this 3-minute exercise to fix your posture. You can do it anywhere, and it doesn’t look so weird that the whole office will stare at you.

Read the full article: 5 Free Apps for Reminders to Take a Break From Screens



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Here’s What People Are Searching Google for About You

people-search-google-for

You may be a father, mother, boss, or employee. However you identify, there are people out there searching Google about you. It’s amazing how many life secrets you can learn from a simple Google search.

The Google Autocomplete feature reveals a lot of search trends. What are people “Googling” about you? What are kids searching for about their parents? What do employees want to know about their boss?

The clues might help you build better relationships, improve your career, and it could even improve your family life. Ready for some amazing insights into what other people want to know about you? Let’s start.

Why Is Someone Googling You?

While online, especially when using social networks, it can be easy to forget your digital footprint. How many times have you looked up your own name lately?

The results may surprise you, but they can do a lot more for those who Google about you.

There are different reasons why someone would look you up, but some of the common ones involve social networking.

Just remember, those results provide an often unexpected amount of information to anyone searching for you. Before we discuss those results, here are some of the most common reasons people will look you up with Google Search.

Googling Before You First Meet

First impressions are important, but they can often occur before you’ve ever met a person.

Consider this, you’re about to meet someone, but you’re nervous. You want to leave a good impression, and you think you could use a little help.

By Googling someone, you’ll often get a glimpse into their hobbies and likes via social media channels. It’s a great way to gain information, and you’re not exempt from it.

Googling After Dating

Another reason you might end up a search result comes after dating. Your first date could go wonderfully, but your date might wonder if you’re too good to be true. A small amount of curiosity can turn into them finding all your social networks and other personal details.

This is one reason it’s important to know how to protect your privacy while online dating.

Googling by Employers

While potential employers Google you after an interview may seem unlikely to you, it occurs much more often than you think. Employers value their image, so they’re likely to respond to anyone who might indirectly tarnish it.

Some companies make it a policy to screen social media accounts and any reference on the web while others might check-in after a tip-off.

You don’t want your job security held hostage by a disgruntled coworker. This is why online privacy matters and you should reclaim it.

See What People Google About You

Regardless of what reason caused someone to Google you, it’s important to get a look through their eyes. There are different ways to go about doing this. However, the easiest first step is simply Google your name for yourself.

Depending on how common your name is, the nature of your work, and how active you are on social media all factor into what you’re going to see. If you’re comfortable with the results, you can stop right there.

However, you should do your due diligence to get a truly neutral look through a lens such as a VPN.

Use VPN Browser Add-Ons

Browsing for a VPN that works consistently can prove stressful. If you’re using Firefox, look at the best free VPN for Firefox. However, if you’re using Google Chrome, you’ll be able to use many of the same VPN options just as easily.

Once you’ve decided on one of the reliable VPNs to use, head back to Google. Search for your name and make sure the results haven’t shifted at all.

Use Free Anonymous Proxy Browsers

If you don’t want to use an add-on, you can also use anonymous proxy browsers. There are several proxies you can use but hide.me consistently works and makes it super easy to double-check your information.

On the site, enter Google’s address and choose a proxy located outside your native country.

Once you use Google to search your own information via proxy, you can move onto your response.

How to Respond to People Googling You

Now that you know what others are seeing, you’re probably wondering who’s exactly looking. Take advantage of these ways to find out who’s searching for you online. Even if you can’t figure out who is, between your Google results and mentions, you can begin to shape your privacy actively.

Be Self-Aware of Your Online Footprint

While it’s difficult to advise and provide information relevant to everyone, there are some details you can control.

If you Google yourself, and your results point unquestionably to your social media, personal websites, or work history then consider whether or not you’re leaving the right impression.

You can change your posting habits and the content on any social media or websites you control.

If you find yourself listed erroneously (say wrongful information about your work history) anywhere, you can also reach out via a site’s contact information to try and get it corrected.

Take Active Approaches to Improve Your Privacy

On the other hand, your information is fine, but you might want to keep it private from others. For instance, you don’t want just anyone to stumble onto your public social media page and glean information about you.

Also, be extra careful when linking your phone number to all your accounts. Personal contact information, like phone numbers or addresses are the most common things searched for and misused.

Still, an easy way to stay more private involves learning the privacy controls and protocol for the sites you’re on. These can vary widely between sites, so it’s important to stay informed.

However, it sometimes can be as simple as setting your profile information to private versus public.

Be Aware of What People Google About You

Someone Googling you may have never occurred to you before. But it’s important to know your information is out on the internet. Depending on your lifestyle and comfort levels, your response will differ. The important part is that you know now, and you have options.

Protecting you personal information is easier when you set tiny online habits. For instance, one way to stop Google’s data gathering involves simply avoiding Google and Bing and using alternative search engines that value your privacy.

Read the full article: Here’s What People Are Searching Google for About You



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15 Checklist, Schedule, and Planner Templates for Students

planners-checklist-templates

Templates are extremely useful for business documents, but for students they can be lifesavers.

You have enough to think about during the school year, so using a template can save a ton of time. Put your mind on your classes and use these helpful checklist and planning templates for the rest.

1. Homework Checklist

homework checklist teacher vision

For a plain and simple homework checklist, this template from TeacherVision is great for younger students, but can work for any age. Each subject is in its own spot with days of the week and check boxes to mark off as you complete assignments.

2. Printable Homework Planner

printable homework planner tidyform

This next homework planner from TidyForm lets you easily plan your assignments for each day of the week and even the weekend. Instead of listing out the subjects, you can enter them yourself for the day and include details with due dates for each.

Note: you will need a PDF editor to make changes to the template on your computer.

3. Homework Schedule

homework schedule tidyform

Another planner from TidyForm breaks down your days into time blocks. Each hour slot is along the left side of the sheet with the seven days of the week across the top. This one is great for assignments, but you could use it for class schedules or work shifts to plan your entire week ahead of time.

It is a basic template, but a useful one.

4. Class Schedule and Planner

class schedule template tidy templates

If you need a more detailed planner, this schedule is intended for classes. However, it can also be used for more. It uses time blocks like the TidyForm planner, but breaks them down into increments that you choose. Adjust the start time and interval minutes and the sheet automatically updates. You can add your classes, pop in your homework time, and add shifts for work all in one place.

5. Assignment Schedule

assignment schedule vertex42

This template from Vertex42 is another with time blocks in 30-minute increments. And, this one has even more detail. On one side of the template, you can list out classes with assignments, dates, and times.

On the other side, you can add your class schedule or plan your homework and projects. The workbook also includes a Homeschool tab for parents homeschooling their children. Overall, it’s a good dual-purpose option.

6. Multiple-Task Planner

multiple task planner onenotegem

If you are a OneNote user, check out this option from OneNoteGem. You can quickly fill out subjects and assignments for five days of the week. This is ideal for classes that have many tasks on the same day.

For example, you may need to work on a group project, research a paper, and finish an assignment in one day. The template has a good amount of room for those to-dos.

7. Student Notebook

student notebook onenotegem

Also, for OneNote you can download an entire student notebook template. Just scroll further down on the OneNoteGem templates page for this option.

What’s nice about this template is that the notebook includes sections for planners, five classes, and research along with note-taking tips.

8. Class Schedule

class schedule vertex42

For a neat and flexible class schedule template, this one is available for Excel, OpenOffice, and Google Sheets. It is basic with time slots broken into 15-minute increments on one tab and 30-minute increments on another. Plus, it includes seven days of the week, unlike many others. For college students, this is a terrific class schedule template.

9. Student Planner

student planner vertex42

With a student planner that lists your subjects by week, you can stay on track every single day. Vertex42 has two templates to pick from that offer different layouts.

One option has the subjects down the left side with days of the week across the top. The other template is the reverse of that. Each has spots for to-dos and notes and is available for either Excel or as a PDF.

10. All-in-One Schedule and Budget

all-in-one schedule and budget office

For an all-in-one workbook for college, this Excel template has sheets for classes per term, course credits, a college budget, and textbooks. You can keep everything in one place. You can also track your overall progress and your current GPA.

11. Student Calendar

student calendar office

Another planner from Microsoft Office is this 12-month student calendar. There is a tab for each month, spots for a weekly schedule, and a section for assignments. The year cell is editable making it reusable for your entire college career.

This template makes planning study time and homework a breeze.

12. Dorm Room Checklist

Dorm Room Checklist

If you are heading to a dorm room for college, there is no better way to make sure you have everything than with this checklist template. You can add box numbers for packing and checks when you pack the items.

The template gives you sections such as kitchen supplies, electronics, computer equipment, safety items, and more.

13. Back to School Checklist

Back To School Checklist

For parents with kids in elementary or middle school, this checklist is perfect for back-to-school time. One column has tasks to take care of like verifying immunizations and obtaining a school supply list. The second column has items to purchase from clothes and a backpack to school supplies.

If you have a youngster getting ready for a new school year, this is the template for you.

14. College Budget

college student budget vertex42

When you need to keep an eye on your college budget, this template is just for it. The top section is for your funding and income with the bottom for your expenses. The most common types of college-related items are included, making this a convenient template for college students.

15. Monthly College Budget

monthly college budget office

This monthly budget tracker from Microsoft Office gives you a simple way to view your cash flow. You can glance at the pie charts at the top to get an overview of your income and expenses by month. Change the values below to add your items and the charts change automatically.

It’s one simple sheet with everything you need to budget each month.

Time for Class!

For classes, assignments, budgeting, supplies, course credits, and all that goes with these things, make sure you are prepared when the bell rings or classroom door closes. Now that you have these 15 awesome template options, you are on your way to starting the school year off right.

You might also check out these essential Windows apps for students to help with school.

Image Credits: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

Read the full article: 15 Checklist, Schedule, and Planner Templates for Students



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