Use Facebook Messenger to send and receive money

It's a little-known fact that Facebook's chat app can also make like PayPal.
Here's how to set it up.
Remember when Facebook Messenger broke out of Facebook proper? A lot of users, including yours truly, were seriously irked. Why did we have to switch to entire different app just to chat with a Facebook friend?
Turns out Facebook had bigger plans for Messenger, including voice calls, chat bots, chess games and -- who knew? -- mobile payments.
It's true: You can use the Facebook Messenger app to send and receive money, PayPal-style.

Well, not quite -- Messenger payments require a debit card on both ends of the transaction. But there's no cost to use the service, which offers PIN-based protection and "industry-leading security," according to Facebook. Here's how to get started:

Add a debit card to Facebook Messenger so you can send and receive money.

Clear the Store cache in Windows 10

Having trouble with the Windows Store? If the Store is refusing to launch, crashing or freezing, or if apps are not downloading or updating, you're probably just a little frustrated. Before you toss your computer out the window and swear off Windows 10 forever, try clearing the Store cache -- it's fast, simple and may resolve all of your issues (then again, it may not).

Here's how to do it:

1. Right-click the Start button and choose Run to open the Run window.

2. In the Run window, type in WSReset.exe and click OK.

3. An empty command prompt window will open up.

 

When the reset is complete, this window will close and the Store window will open. This fix will also work for the Windows Store in Windows 8, 8.1 and RT.

Source: Cnet

Make sure your online accounts get deleted when you die

Not everyone wants to leave this earth with their online accounts being managed by relatives and next-of-kin, or just floating around on the Internet forever. If you're the kind of person who likes your privacy -- even in death -- you should probably make some plans to have all of your online and social media accounts nuked when you pass away.

Some services, such as Google and Facebook, let you set up your eventual account deletion before you get anywhere close to death. Other services will keep your account forever unless an immediate family member or the executor of your estate requests it be removed. Here's how to make sure all your loose ends are tied up, and that nobody ever gets hold of your top-secret/possibly incriminating emails and Twitter direct messages.

Stream Facebook Live Video like a Superstar

When it comes to broadcasting an event or a random rant to your social media friends, Twitter users have Periscope and Facebook users have, well, Facebook.

Facebook's Live Video feature was first announced in 2015 and available only to celebrities. As of last week, however, Facebook is expanding the feature's availability to iPhone users starting in the US, with expansion to the rest of the world in the "coming weeks."

Facebook's announcement also notes that it's working on adding the feature to the Android app "soon."

For those who have access to Facebook's Live Video feature, starting a stream is as easy as posting a status update.

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• In the Facebook app, begin to compose a status as you normally would.
• Instead of entering text, look for a new icon just above the keyboard. If you don't see it yet, check back in a day or two. Facebook is known for slowly rolling out new features to users.
• If you do have the icon, tap on it.
• Tap on Continue, fill in a title and select your privacy options (friends, public, etc.).

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Once you begin streaming, an alert will be sent to your Facebook friends, notifying them of your stream. The top half of your screen will show what your viewers are seeing, with a control to switch between the front and rear facing camera in the top-right corner.

The bottom half of the screen is where notifications of comments and new viewers will show up.

Source: Cnet

How to share custom short URLs from your Android

Want to share short URLs that you can pronounce? Or just keep a history of links you share on your Android? This app makes both easy.

Sharing links with friends on Android leaves you at the mercy of the app you're using to shorten the ridiculously long ones. Plus, you won't be able to easily see how many times your link has been clicked. Unless, of course, you use an app like URL Shortener.

Instead of generating a random mix of letters, you can control the structure of your short URL with seven choices, including lower and upper case, pronounceable, numbers only and custom. While smartphones can easily open a link, these choices will make it less cumbersome if your recipient wants to type the URL into a desktop browser. Additionally, you can add statistic tracking with several of the providers, giving you useful info about whether or not your links are being seen.

Step 1: Grab a copy of URL Shortener for your Android device.

Step 2: Open the app and head to Settings so you can choose your preferred URL provider (six choices), and whether you want to enable tracking. Unfortunately, you cannot set a default structure.

Step 3: When you're ready to share a link you have two options:

• Copy the URL and paste it into the app, giving you access to structure choices, and allowing you to divert from your default URL shortening service.

Note: According to tips offered by Guiding Tech, Goo.gl does not support anything other than standard structure, and tinyurl does not offer statistics.

• Share the link with the URL Shortener app (listed as Shorten URL in the menu). This option will not let you choose between URL structures, but will follow your default provider choice. You'll be able to copy the URL quickly, or share it through another app.

As an added bonus, the app will keep a history of all URLs you shorten.

What's your preferred method of shortening URLs? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Cnet

How to add family members to your Windows 10 PC

Give each member of the household their own Windows 10 login.

Sharing a PC doesn't have to be a pain if you give each family member their own personal login. Personal logins allow for separate files, desktops, and browser favorites, and adult family members can monitor and restrict kids' activity by blocking websites, limiting screen time, and keeping tabs on what sites kids are visiting and what they're searching for.

To add a family member to your Windows 10 PC, you'll need to sign them up for a Microsoft account -- only the primary user can have a local login.

Here's how to get started:

How to easily toggle alerts in Skype chats

Getting annoyed with alerts from one of your Skype chats? There's a fast way to turn them off.

Skype's group conversations are a convenient way to stay in touch with family, friends, or coworkers from your computer. But sometimes the constant stream of blips and beeps for new messages can be frustrating if you need to focus on another task.

Disabling notifications for all chats means you may miss something important if you also use Skype for work. And leaving a group conversation means you can't catch up on what was said later. Luckily, there's a quick way to disable alerts on a group-by-group (or individual) basis, and still get notified if someone mentions you by name. Here's how:

Note: For Mac users, these commands are available, but do not work consistently, according to Skype support.

Toggling alerts

• Open the chat window you want to disable alerts for. This can be a group or individual chat.
• Type /alertsoff, then press Enter. You will not see a confirmation message, but alerts for this chat are now disabled and no notification counters will appear on the Skype icon.
• When you want to enable alerts for the chat again, simply type /alertson. Again, you will not see a confirmation message.

Trigger word alerts

After turning off alerts, you can set up trigger words that will still alert you when mentioned in the chat.

• If you type /alertson [yournamehere], you'll be notified and your name will be highlighted.
• You can expand on this trigger by adding more words with spaces between them. So if your name is David and you like talking about basketball, you can use /alertson david basketball.

Now you won't have to hear every alert, just the ones pertaining to you or your interests.

Source: Cnet

Six ways to make your iPhone more secure

1. Use a passcode

I now use a passcode. The standard passcode for iOS 9 is a six-digit passcode, though you can increase the strength of the passcode by choosing an alphanumeric passcode or a numeric passcode longer than six digits. You can also move in the opposite direction and choose a four-digit passcode, which was the default option prior to iOS 9. (Even if you set up Touch ID to use your fingerprint to unlock your iPhone, you'll still need a passcode for times when your finger is sweaty or wet or otherwise can't be read by your iPhone's fingerprint scanner.)

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To turn on a passcode, head to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode. Tap Turn Passcode On and enter a six-digit code. To downgrade to a more convenient but less secure four-digit passcode or a stronger custom passcode, tap Change Passcode and then tap Passcode Options.

Get Gmail features for Yahoo and Outlook accounts on Android

Gmail may not be the only email provider you use, and that's why Google added the ability to access other email accounts through their app. Unfortunately, those non-Gmail accounts didn't gain access to the features that make Google's version of email so great. Now Google is changing that by letting you Gmailify your Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail/Outlook.com accounts.

So what exactly is Gmailify? It's a shorthand version of forwarding your email from other services to Gmail. That way, Gmail can offer you some of its best features. Here's some of the perks you can expect, according to AndroidPolice, and how to set it up:

• Better spam protection
• Sorting into Gmail categories
• Advanced search capabilities
• Itineraries appearing in Google Now

Note: This feature is rolling out in Gmail version 5.11. If you are not on this version yet, you can download and install it from APKMirror.

Three tips to get you started with Workflow 1.1

Workflow, the popular iOS automation app, has received a huge update adding new features and actions. Here are some tips to help you get started.

                                     Workflow on an iPad. 

Workflow is one of those apps when you first start using it on your iOS device, you have a moment of questioning how it's possible for such an app to exist on iOS.

After using the app for the last few months, I still don't know how it was allowed through the App Store. But I'm thankful it was. The latest update to Workflow adds new features and actions and improves upon the app tremendously.

Turn your phone into a computer mouse with Remote Mouse

Remote Mouse lets you use your iPhone, Android or Windows Phone as a touchpad to control your onscreen cursor in a pinch.

I'm writing this one with my wife in mind, who has been using a work-issued laptop with a broken trackpad for nearly a year. She has adapted by using a wireless mouse, but since she also has a work-issued iPhone 6 , she could use that instead of the old mouse I gave her and carry one less item in her work bag. All that's needed is the Remote Mouse app and its companion Mac/PC app.

Find the IMEI number for a lost or stolen Android device

Losing your phone is awful, but if you're working with your carrier and law enforcement to recover it, they may need your IMEI number.

 

Once you realize your device is gone, you'll probably think about what sort of personal information is accessible via the device, what photos you had saved on it, and the cost of replacing it. If you've already attempted to recover the device with the Android Device Manager (or your friend's Android), then it's time to contact the police and your wireless provider to report the situation.

Your carrier may require a police report to prove that the device is actually missing. In addition to the make, model and visual appearance, the police and your carrier may request the International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) to help identify the device. This is number is unique to your hardware, and may allow the carrier to discontinue service to it, or blacklist it from their network if it was stolen.

As a recent post on the Digital Inspiration blog points out, you can still find your IMEI without the phone in your hand. Here's how:

Start by logging into your Google Dashboard by heading to http://www.google.com/settings.

                   Google Dashboard displaying Android devices.

After you're signed in, click the arrow next to Android. You will see all devices that have been attached to your Google account. Find your current phone and copy the IMEI number.

Hopefully the combined effort of the police and your wireless carrier will help you retrieve your device.

Source: http://www.cnet.com

How to add Dropbox files to Gmail messages

The new Dropbox for Gmail extension gives Chrome users an easy way of attaching cloud files.

 

Want to share a Dropbox link with someone? There are many ways to go about it, but most of them involving a fairly clunky procession of finding, copying and pasting links.

If you're a Chrome user and a Gmail user, however, Dropbox sharing just got a whole lot quicker. The new Dropbox for Gmail extension for Chrome lets you preview and send Dropbox files and links without clicking away from your composition window. Here's how to get started:

Download your YouTube videos in their original resolution

Want to move your YouTube videos to another service but don't have backups? Skip downloading the low-resolution ones from your account and use this method instead.

YouTube is a great medium for sharing your videos with friends, family or the world in general. However, if you want to post your videos elsewhere, you'll need to keep copies on your hard drive. If you don't have backups, you could download them from YouTube, but you'll get lower-resolution copies of your videos. As a solution, the Digital Inspiration Blog recommends skipping YouTube's video downloads and using Google Takeout instead. Here's how:

Control music on your Mac from your iPhone's Notification Center

The TodayRemote app lets you control music playback on your Mac from your iPhone without needing to open an app.

 

Apple has long offered the Remote app that lets you use your iPhone to control Apple TV or iTunes on your Mac. With the TodayRemote app, you can control iTunes on your Mac with the added benefit of not needing to open an app on your iPhone to do so. TodayRemote lets you add a widget to Notification Center, giving you access to playback and volume controls just by swiping down from the top edge of your iPhone. The app is free, but a $1.99 in-app purchase lets you use TodayRemote with Spotify, Rdio, VLC and Vox, while also adding global volume control and the ability to control multiple Macs from a single iPhone.

How to use WhatsApp from your computer

Tired of only being able to access your WhatsApp conversations on your phone? 

Start using WhatsApp Web.

       WhatsApp on an iPhone, with WhatsApp Web in the background. 

Earlier this week Facebook-owned WhatsApp announced WhatsApp Web. The new service makes it possible for a user to link a website accessible only through Google's Chrome browser to his or her WhatsApp account. In doing so, WhatsApp conversations will sync between the mobile device and desktop.

Five ways to lower your smartphone data consumption

Which apps and services are the worst offenders when it comes to chewing through your data plan?

 
                            Data usage on a smartphone.

In the early days of cell phones, it was all about the minutes -- voice minutes, that is, because people used their phones to call each other. (Weird, right?) You had to limit your conversations or suffer the horrors of overage charges.

Group Text+, Email+ simplify group conversations on iOS

Two new iOS apps aim to eliminate the pain points of sending emails and iMessages to large groups.

                    Group Text+ and Email+ on an iPhone 6 Plus.

Even with the improvements Apple made to the Messages app in iOS 8, and with the ability to create contact groups on iOS, the process for sending a message or email to more than one person could use some work.

How to take advantage of Dropbox for Business APIs

Users love Dropbox, but until recently, it wasn't a great tool for business use. The new APIs added to Dropbox for Business last month changed all that

Cloud services have become an increasingly important part of modern IT. Yet a broad mix of services can be hard to manage and control, with consumer-grade services existing alongside enterprise tools on user devices. That has led to confusion, with users bringing their favorite consumer services into business workflows -- but not considering how they affect risk.

One tool that has made the leap from consumer utility to business essential is Dropbox, one of the easiest-to-use cloud storage and file-sharing platforms. Until recently, it has been hard to manage for businesses. That all changed in December with the launch of a set of Dropbox for Business APIs. Focusing on user management, the new APIs opened up the platform to anyone who wants to build tools to control and manage users of the service.

Group Text+, Email+ simplify group conversations on iOS

Two new iOS apps aim to eliminate the pain points of sending emails and iMessages to large groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Group Text+ and Email+ on an iPhone 6 Plus.

Even with the improvements Apple made to the Messages app in iOS 8, and with the ability to create contact groups on iOS, the process for sending a message or email to more than one person could use some work.