- Lords of the Fallen’s Steam reviews improve as performance patch lands, devs advise players not to use graphics settings “their rigs cannot handle” Rock Paper Shotgun
- Lords of the Fallen disables crossplay after multiplayer issues Dexerto
- Lords of the Fallen’s Ultra Settings are “Next-Gen”, can drop to 40fps at Native 4K on NVIDIA RTX 4090 DSOGaming
- Lords of the Fallen earns Mostly Negative Steam rating as Hexworks share tips for crash and performance bugs Rock Paper Shotgun
- Lords of the Fallen runs surprisingly well on the Steam Deck Destructoid
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: settings
iPhone Experts Say You Should Always Have These 3 Settings Turned Off If You Want Your Battery To Last: Background App Refresh, Screen Brightness & Dynamic Wallpapers – Yahoo Life
- iPhone Experts Say You Should Always Have These 3 Settings Turned Off If You Want Your Battery To Last: Background App Refresh, Screen Brightness & Dynamic Wallpapers Yahoo Life
- Is your smartphone battery failing? Check now Komando
- Your iPhone battery life is probably getting worse. Here’s what to do. CNBC
- The Battery-Draining Setting iPhone Experts Say You Should Turn Off Immediately: Ask To Join Networks Yahoo Life
- The ‘Life-Changing’ iPhone Setting That Will Make Your Battery Last So Much Longer, According To Experts SheFinds
- View Full Coverage on Google News
California nurses slam state decision to roll back COVID-19 requirements in health care settings – The Hill
- California nurses slam state decision to roll back COVID-19 requirements in health care settings The Hill
- California to alter COVID rules in healthcare settings: Masks and vaccinations not required Yahoo News
- COVID in California: Virus levels remain stable nationwide San Francisco Chronicle
- What is Sacramento County’s COVID risk as emergency ends? Here’s the latest from CDC Sacramento Bee
- Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis Signs Legislation to Support State’s COVID-19 Preparedness | California Governor Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Millions are urged to change their settings on Google Maps to keep themselves safe
Millions are urged to change their settings on Google Maps to keep themselves safe
- Police have previously warned that online mapping tools are ‘useful’ to criminals
- But Google Maps offers two key options to improve personal safety online
- This include blurring out private details and location sharing with loved ones
From navigating cities to finding local restaurants, many of us have become dependent on Google Maps for getting around in daily life.
But despite its handiness, the platform’s panoramic street views may risk revealing private information about your home that might not be wanted online.
In the past, publicly accessible mapping tools have been deemed ‘useful’ to criminals planning attacks – from burglary to terrorism.
Google Maps itself also pixelated the home of Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook last year following stalking concerns.
But some may be pleased to know that blurring out what’s not wanted online is easily accessible to all using the Google Maps website.
Google Maps provides the option to blur out faces, your home, cars and other personal details
To do this, users can search for their home address on the computer using Google Maps.
A photograph of your home should then appear, which can be clicked on to present a close-up street view of the area.
If there are details that you would like to be blurred, click the three small dots that should be in the top left corner of the Google view.
This gives the option to ‘Report a Problem’ which, when clicked on, allows users to record an inappropriate street view.
Requests can be put forward to blur faces, homes, cars, license plates or different objects.
It also gives the chance to tell Google if there are any issues with image quality.
The only details required to put in about yourself is an email address.
For many of us, Google Maps is essential for getting around in day-to-day life
For those concerned about walking alone in the dark, Google Maps also allows users to share their location with loved ones.
To access this, click on the three lines at the left of the search bar which will provide view of a menu.
This provides a location sharing option where users can select the amount of time they want this tracking information made available to selected personal contacts.
These camera settings can help you take better photos on iPhone
Many people use their iPhone as their primary camera these days since the lenses on modern smartphones capture images with impressive quality. Even if the camera is good enough by default, there are some settings that you can change on your iPhone to take even better photos and videos. Read on as we detail how to do just that.
While you can switch between camera modes and change some options directly in the native Camera app, some of the settings can only be found within the iOS Settings app. For that, open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to the Camera menu.
Turn on the Grid
Framing a person or an object in a photo or video may not be as simple as it seems. However, having Grid enabled in the Camera app changes everything. Grid makes it much easier to hold your iPhone in the right position, center your main focus, and more.
Look for the Grid option in the Composition section and turn it on. Now you’ll see the grid lines every time you open the Camera app on your iPhone.
ProRAW and ProRes
Since iPhone 12 Pro, Apple lets users capture images in ProRAW format directly in the Camera app. For those unfamiliar, a RAW photo is basically the original image captured from the sensor, with minimal or no post-processing. It contains all the data about things like brightness, shadows, and colors that can be edited later in image editing software like Adobe Lightroom.
With iPhone 13 Pro, Apple has also added support for ProRes video, which is a codec with minimal compression that ensures higher quality files that are better for post-editing.
You can enable both ProRAW and ProRes in the Formats menu within the Camera app settings. If you have an iPhone 14 Pro, you can also choose between taking ProRAW photos with 12-megapixel or 48-megapixel resolution. After turning these options on, you’ll see ProRAW and ProRes buttons in the Camera app. Just tap them when you want to capture photos and videos using these formats.
It’s worth noting that none of these options are available for non-Pro iPhone models. Also keep in mind that ProRAW photos and ProRes videos take up much more space in iPhone storage than regular formats.
Mirror Front Camera
By default, every photo you take using the front camera of your iPhone is flipped. This is because, rather than capturing exactly what you see on the screen, iPhone flips the image so that things like text are displayed correctly. However, if you prefer to capture selfies exactly as they appear in the Camera app preview, you can.
All you need to do is turn on the Mirror Front Camera option in the Composition section of the Camera app’s settings. With this option turned on, your selfies will look exactly as you see them in the preview.
Macro Control
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro feature a Macro mode built into the ultra-wide lens, which lets users capture really close-up images. This mode is automatically turned on depending on the distance between the iPhone and the object you are pointing at, which may annoy some people. Luckily, you can choose to turn this option on manually only when you want to use it.
To do this, enable the Macro Control option in the Camera app settings. Now the Macro button will appear when the iPhone is really close to an object, and it will only activate if you tap on it.
Photographic Styles
Apple introduced Photographic Styles with iPhone 13. These are presets with different tone and warmth values that can dramatically change how your photos look while still preserving things like sky color and skin tones.
You can choose a Photographic Style directly from the Camera app or in the settings by tapping the Photographic Styles option under the Photo Capture section.
Change the video resolution
The Camera app on the iPhone lets you quickly switch between different resolutions and frame rates before shooting a video. However, changing these options from the Settings app lets you choose even more resolutions and frame rates.
For example, you can set your iPhone to record videos in 720p resolution to save storage space, shoot slow motion videos in 1080p resolution at 240 fps for better quality and smoothness, or even capture Cinematic Videos in 4K resolution at 24 fps or 30 fps on the iPhone 14.
Just tap the Record Video, Record Slo-mo, or Record Cinematic menus in the Camera settings and choose the option that works best for you.
Preserve Settings
When you’re taking pictures or filming with your iPhone, there are a lot of adjustments you can make, such as changing the exposure level, choosing a filter, or enabling ProRAW. By default, every time you close the Camera app, these settings are reset. But if you want to keep them on, there’s a way to do that.
Simply tap the Preserve Settings menu in the Camera app settings. There you can select which options you want to keep the same settings every time you open the Camera app.
Bonus: Swipe up for more
When you’re about to take a photo or record a video with the Camera app, try swiping your finger upward on the screen to reveal a menu with extra options. There you can change Photographic Styles, the Aspect Ratio, apply filters, set the Aspect Ratio, and more.
Are there any other tricks you know? Share it with us in the comments section below.
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Apple Sued Over iPhone Privacy Settings After Gizmodo Story
Apple is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly harvesting iPhone user data even when the company’s own privacy settings promise not to. The suit, filed Thursday in California federal court, comes days after Gizmodo exclusively reported on research into how multiple iPhone apps send Apple analytics data, regardless of whether the iPhone Analytics privacy setting is turned on or off.
The problem was spotted by two independent researchers at the software company Mysk, who found that the Apple App Store sends the company exhaustive information about nearly everything a user does in the app, despite a privacy setting, iPhone Analytics, which claims to “disable the sharing of Device Analytics altogether” when switched off. Gizmodo asked the researchers to run additional tests on other iPhone apps, including Apple Music, Apple TV, Books, and Stocks. The researchers found that the problem persists across most of Apple’s suite of built-in iPhone apps.
The lawsuit accuses Apple of violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act. “Privacy is one of the main issues that Apple uses to set its products apart from competitors,” the plaintiff, Elliot Libman, said in the suit, which can be read on Bloomberg Law. “But Apple’s privacy guarantees are completely illusory.” The company has plastered billboards across the country with the slogan “Privacy. That’s iPhone.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As seen in a video posted to the Mysk YouTube Channel, the App Store appears to harvest information about your activity in real time, including what you tap on, which apps you search for, what ads you see, how you found a given app and how long you looked at the app’s page.
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Apple’s privacy settings make explicit promises about shut off that kind of tracking. But in the tests, turning the iPhone Analytics setting off had no evident effect on the data collection, nor did any of the iPhone’s other built-in settings meant to protect your privacy from Apple’s data collection.
Mysk’s tests on the App Store found that Apple receives that data along with details that can identify you and your device, including ID numbers, what kind of phone you’re using, your screen resolution, your keyboard languages and how you’re connected to the internet—the kind of information commonly used for device fingerprinting.
When the researchers looked at other iPhone apps at Gizmodo’s request, they found that many behaved similarly. While the Health and Wallet apps didn’t collect analytics data, Apple Music, Apple TV, Books, the iTunes Store, and Stocks all did. The Stocks app shared data including your list of watched stocks, the names of stocks you viewed or searched for and time stamps for when you did it, as well as a record of any news articles you saw in the app.
“The level of detail is shocking for a company like Apple,” Tommy Mysk previously told Gizmodo.
This data can be sensitive, especially when you consider that merely searching for apps related to topics such as religion, LGBTQ issues, health and addiction can reveal details about a person’s life.
“Through its pervasive and unlawful data tracking and collection business, Apple knows even the most intimate and potentially embarrassing aspects of the user’s app usage—regardless of whether the user accepts Apple’s illusory offer to keep such activities private,” the lawsuit said.
Apple is under increased scrutiny for its privacy practices as the company expands into digital advertising. Apple recently introduced new ads in the App Store, reportedly plans to ads to Apple TV, and seems focused on poaching small business advertisers from Meta, Facebook’s parent company. While Apple’s company literature loudly declares that “Privacy is a human right,” it remains to be seen how much the iPhone manufacturer is willing to compromise that right as it develops new data-driven business ventures.
Samsung’s new RegiStar app lets you use Google Assistant via power button, customize Settings menu
Samsung has released one more exciting and useful Good Lock app module: RegiStar. It is available for download via the Galaxy Store, and to use it, you need to install the Good Lock app. This new module lets you customize back taps, power button, search layout and history, and power (side) key actions.
The RegiStar app lets you customize and reorganize the Settings app’s home screen on your Galaxy smartphone or tablet. It means that you can add or remove items and reorganize their order. You can also decide to show your full name or nickname. You can even hide your email address in the Settings app’s home screen.
This new 30MB module for Good Lock also lets you customize the search results and hide related tag suggestions. You can also activate and customize double-tap and triple-tap actions. For example, you can set the double tap to open the camera app and the triple tap to capture a screenshot.
Using RegiStar, you can set the power (side) button’s press-and-hold action. Many Galaxy smartphone users have been requesting Samsung to allow them to open Google Assistant with the power button’s press-and-hold action, and they can now do this with the RegiStar app.
PS5: Hidden menu in Debug settings can be accessed with button combo (video)
Zecoxao reports that PS5s can access additional debug options with the press of a button combination. Your PS5 will need to be hacked (and have the Debug Settings enabled) in order to run this trick. This additional menu could contain options that can typically be found on TestKit consoles, but it seems pretty empty on retail consoles.
What’s the PS5 Debug Settings Hidden Menu about?
Pressing Start + L3 on the PS5 (in any place) while the Debug Settings are enabled, will pop up that hidden menu, which is unfortunately very empty right now.
People who have tested it seem to report it does a whole lot of nothing. Specifically, pressing the button combo will open a Debug Menu : Cex menu, itself with a “launch settings” option. Clicking that option apparently just takes you to the regular settings menu, as shown in the video below by @Ifaicompa.
It can be opened in any interface pic.twitter.com/ztYHej40Db
— ナイスなすさん🍆 (@Ifaicompa) November 6, 2022
(By the way L3 means clicking the analog stick, if you didn’t know)
TestKit options on Retail PS5 – Current Status and limitations
It’s worth keeping in mind that most Debug Settings options are broken on retail consoles. Just because we have the ability to show the GUI (in this case, the menu) of a given TestKit option, doesn’t mean the option will work (or that the underlying app is present) on a retail unit.
Zecoxao believes that this option could unlock additional functionality (such as UART logs) if the PS5 was hacked further, for example if a Hypervisor hack could be developed.
How to access the Hidden Debug Menu on your PS5
You will need a hackable PS5 to run this.
- Run the PS5 Kernel exploit with Debug settings enabled (they are enabled by default on all exploit variations afaik)
- Anywhere in the PS5 interface, hitting START + L3 will show the menu.
The PS5 Dev wiki has additional button combos for you to try if you want. (But Do. not. Enter. IDU. Mode!!!)
5 iPhone security settings you need to change now
Your phone doesn’t come with a user manual. Sure, you can find online guides from Apple or Android, but don’t bet on Big Tech telling you the secrets to best protect yourself.
Default settings are often much better for the companies behind them than for you. Tap or click for 10 default iPhone settings that need your attention.
Some features get more attention than others, like the new way to take back a text. Tap or click to see what really happens when you unsend a text. Spoiler: It’s not quite as sneaky as you think.
Now, grab your iPhone and I’ll show you a few changes to make to keep yourself safe.
1. Clear out the junk texts
Spam calls are blocked relatively effectively at the carrier level, but texts are different. If your phone is inundated with fake shipping notifications and other junk, take a few steps to stop them.
The most basic and straightforward method to stop spam texts is to block the number. Here’s how to block a number in Messages:
- Tap the name or number at the top of a Messages conversation.
- Tap info, then scroll down and tap Block this Caller.
You can also go a step further by filtering messages from unknown senders. Texts from anyone not in your contact list will be sent to the Unknown Senders tab in the Messages list. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Settings > Messages.
- Turn on Filter Unknown Senders.
Bonus tip: If you get a message from an unknown number identified as spam or junk, you can report it to Apple. In the message, tap Report Junk, then Delete and Report Junk.
What if you get a verification code you didn’t request? It might be nothing, but it could be a scam. Tap or click here for hints you need to take action.
2. Stop all the tracking
When you go from one website to another, you’re often followed by trackers that collect data on where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing.
Data on your browsing habits, likes, shares, ads you click, and shopping cart is all up for grabs. This info can be sold to third parties or used for targeted advertising.
Safari limits third-party cookies and data. The good news is this is on by default, but it’s a good idea to ensure you have this option turned on. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings > Safari.
- Under Privacy and Security, toggle on Prevent Cross-Site Tracking. If it’s already on, you’re good to go.
Your computer’s browser is likely packed with trackers. Tap or click for an easy way to wipe out dozens with a few clicks.
3. Block the creep who won’t leave you alone
I get requests for help on my national radio show and podcast all the time from people dealing with an ex, an abusive family member, or an old friend who can’t take a hint. If you’re sick of their calls and texts, block them.
Block someone via Contacts:
- Open Contacts, then tap the name of the contact you want to block.
- Tap Block this Caller, then Block Contact.
Block someone via the Messages app:
- Open the Messages app and tap a conversation.
- Tap the name, number, or profile pic at the top of the screen.
- Tap the info button below the contact.
- Scroll down and tap Block this Caller > Block Contact
Bonus tip: You can hide or block your number from Caller ID. Tap or click here for the steps to do it.
4. Browse privately
The Safari version of Incognito mode is called Private Browsing. No, it doesn’t keep everything you do entirely private, but it does have some plusses:
- Your browsing history isn’t saved, and the sites you visit aren’t shared with your other devices.
- Safari won’t remember the pages you visit, what you search for, or your AutoFill information.
Here’s how to open a Private Browsing window on your iPhone:
- Open Safari on your iPhone and tap the two squares tabs button in the lower-right corner.
- If you have many tabs open, tap [number] Tabs at the bottom of the screen to show the Tab Groups list.
- If you have just one tab open, tap Start Page at the bottom of the screen to show the Tab Groups list.
- Tap Private, then tap Done.
Of course, Private mode isn’t 100% private. Tap or click for my 60-second podcast that breaks it down.
5. Lock down your lock screen
You can access a few features — widgets, media playback controls, your camera, and the Control Center — from your iPhone’s lock screen.
You may want to change what’s accessible from your lock screen to protect your privacy. If you can see it, so can anyone else holding your phone.
Here’s how to keep things private:
- Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (on an iPhone with Face ID) or Touch ID & Passcode (on an iPhone with a Home button).
- Enter your four-digit passcode when prompted.
- Under the Allow Access When Locked section, review the options and choose which can be seen on the lock screen. Choices include Notification Center, Control Center and more. Turn Notification Center off if you want to keep notifications private.
7 default settings tech companies don’t ever want you to change
Our devices are packed full of settings that keep us safe and secure. You just need to know which ones to adjust. Tap or click for Windows and Mac security settings to check now.
The same goes for the software and apps we use day in and day out. Google Chrome is safe, but you can make it even safer. Tap or click for five steps you can take.
Default settings are often much better for the company behind them than for you. Grab your phone and computer, then take a few minutes to improve your digital life.
1. Apple, stop tracking my location
Apple keeps track of where you go and how often you visit. It can then make suggestions based on what it calls Significant Locations. You might see these as calendar events or map directions alerts.
Sure, it’s helpful, but not everyone likes it. You can clear this list.
- On your iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services.
- Tap Significant Locations.
- Hit the Clear History button.
Use a Mac? Here’s how to find all the passwords hidden on your computer.
2. Alexa, don’t read my mind
The Amazon Echo monitors and learns your behavior based on requests you make through the Hunches feature. Here’s an example. You say, “Alexa, good night,” and your smart speaker says, “You left the kitchen light on. Would you like me to turn it off?”
If you don’t like it, there’s an easy fix. Just say, “Alexa, disable Hunches,” and you’re good to go.
You can disable Hunches through the app if you’re not near your Alexa.
- Open the Amazon Alexa app > tap More at the bottom of the screen to open the menu.
- Tap on Settings, then scroll down and select Hunches.
- Use the toggle to turn off Hunches.
Tech drives us all up the wall now and then. Here are four more annoying Alexa settings to change.
3. Google, don’t track everywhere I go
If you use Google Maps, you know Google sees where you go. Beyond that, Google may save where you go even when you aren’t using a specific Google service. You don’t have to let that info sit around in perpetuity.
- Sign in to your Google account. Click on your profile picture, then Manage your Google Account or go to your Google Account page.
- On the left, click on Data & privacy.
- Under History settings, click on Location History.
- You can toggle this off.
Switching this off stops tracking in the future, but it will retain a copy of your history.
To completely delete your location history data, click on the Auto-delete option. You can choose to auto-delete the data older than three months, older than 18 months or older than 36 months. You can still manually delete anything before that.
Speaking of Google, this hidden map on your phone shows where you’ve been and the photos you took there.
4. Apple, stop bugging me for reviews
Whether you love or hate an app, you can rate and review it — but there should be no pressure or obligation. In-app review prompts are annoying, period.
To turn these off:
- On your iPhone, go to Settings > App Store.
- Turn off In-App Ratings & Reviews.
5. Samsung, I’m saying goodbye to Bixby
If you have a Samsung phone, you also have access to Bixby. This virtual assistant is not as popular as Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri.
The bad news is you can’t delete Bixby altogether, but you can disable it and reassign the Bixby side button on your phone to do something else, like launching the camera app. Here’s how:
6. Windows, stop showing me ads
Microsoft places ads and suggested apps in the Start menu. There are enough ads online without seeing them in your Start menu, too.
Here’s how to turn them off:
- Go to the Start menu and open Settings.
- Choose Personalization.
- Select Start from the left pane.
- Toggle off Show suggestions occasionally in Start.
Keep going: 10 default Windows settings you should change
7. Android, I don’t want to share everything I do
Usage and diagnostic data are one of Big Tech’s clever ways of getting their hands on everything you do. Everything from the apps you use to your battery’s lifespan daily is considered.
You don’t have to send out all this personal info. Opting out is easy. Follow these steps to turn off Usage and diagnostics on your Android:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy > Usage & diagnostics.
- Toggle the switch off.
Privacy matters. Take a few minutes to adjust these settings on your Android.
Keep your tech-know going
My popular podcast is called “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.
PODCAST PICK: Secret iPhone keyboard, Audacity update, 5 mistakes that ruin tech
In this fun episode, Google Fiber’s 100 Gbps download speed, Starlink slows down, Audacity update, secret iPhone keyboard and 5 ways you’re ruining your expensive phone, laptop, tablet, and TV. Plus, you’ll use this eBay pro tip time and time again.
Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”
What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to or watch The Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, television, or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.
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Learn about all the latest technology on The Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters, and more, visit her website at Komando.com.