Tech & Gadgets

Why and how following a Google+ Collection gives you only posts that you want to see

I see there is still a lot of confusion around following a Profile vs a Collection vs a Community on Google+. The key advantage to following just a Collection, is that you only see posts in your steam that relate to that topic that the Collection deals with eg. just cat photos, just tech news, just green technology, just yellow flowers, etc. A Collection is a place where just the owner posts on a particular topic. You cannot post there, but you can usually comment, reshare and respond on any posts.

Whereas following someone's Profile will show every single public post in your stream that the persons posts. This has little focus but you may interested in everything they post, or it could be a family member or friend where you want to see everything.

A Community is a shared area where the owner, as well as members of that Community, can make posts. It could be a public or private Community, depending on what the owner has set for it. Communities can have additional admins managing them, as well as filtered areas of interest. You can also switch notifications on/off (where you get alerted via an e-mail) or opt to have their posts show up, or not, in your stream.

But back to Collections.... the point is if someone posts a lot about various topics and not all of those topics interest you, but you do have a real interest in one or two topics that they post about, then go to their Profile on Google+ and check whether Collections show up.

You can follow the two screen shots below to see how you would unfollow their main Profile, and then just click on a Collection or two which interests you. Believe me this makes your Google+ experience far more relevant, pleasant and focussed.  You do NOT have to unfollow the main Profile, unless you only want to follow a Collection without seeing any public Profile posts.  If you unfollow a Collection or two, those specific Collections will no longer appear in your stream.

So there are two main scenarios now for Collection filtering:
1. Follow just a Collection - Public Profile is unfollowed, Collection to follow is followed (or more than one).
2. Follow all posts except a specific Collection - Public Profile is followed, only specific Collection is unfollowed (maybe it is a topic that you really don't want to see, or more than one could be selected to be unfollowed).

The advantage of option 2 above is that you will still see all general Public posts, and by default would see posts for any new Collections that the person creates. But for some people who are highly focussed, option 1 could still be their best bet where they only ever see the posts made in that Collection or two that they have selected. It certainly does give a lot of granular control to followers.

You can also get a good idea of the really interesting Collections that can be found on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/u/0/collections/featured. Remember that Google+' s real niche lies around interests and hobbies. This is where excels. Although it can do plain social media too, many people may opt to use Facebook for family and friendship based socialising, and Twitter for breaking news. An example is that I post the same posts across Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Tumblr and whilst I get 100 +1's and say 50 comments on a post on Google+ I rarely get more than one or two Likes on Facebook or one or two reshares. 

I hope this short explanation will give you a more enjoyable and cleaner experience on Google+

#tutorial   #guide   #collections  

Google Maps Adds Multiple Destination Directions, Timeline Notes to Android

Google Maps is finally adding a desperately needed feature. Starting today, you can add multiple destinations to a navigation trip when you get directions on Android.

Additionally, Google is adding a new feature to the Timeline tool. If you have location history turned on, Google will place all of your visits on a scrollable timeline. Now, you can add notes to that timeline.

Next we need the ability to share our trip realtime to friends. And I imagine the new functionality will also be rolling out soon to iOS.

See http://lifehacker.com/google-maps-adds-multiple-destination-directions-timel-1782879549

New Page Flip Feature Added to Kindle eReaders, Apps and Fire Tablets (Video)

The new feature is called Page Flip. It makes it easier to navigate and jump around parts of an ebook without losing your place.

You can zoom out to get a bird’s eye view of an ebook to easily find images, maps, tables, your added bookmarks and highlights, etc.

It’s laid out so that each page has a thumbnail image that automatically adjusts as you change font and margin settings.

The new Page Flip feature will be added with upcoming software updates for Kindle ereaders, Fire tablets and the Kindle apps for iOS and Android.

See http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2016/06/28/new-page-flip-feature-added-to-kindle-ereaders-apps-and-fire-tablets-video/

Payout of $10,000 for Windows 10 update

Microsoft has agreed to pay a Californian woman $10,000 (£7,500) after an automatic Windows 10 update left her computer unusable.

Teri Goldstein said her Windows 7 computer had automatically tried to update itself to Windows 10 without her permission.

She said the update had made her machine unstable, leaving her unable to use it to run her business.

Microsoft said it had dropped its appeal to save on legal costs.

I had a feeling these forced upgrades may have consequences. The ethically polite thing to do, is to give your consumers the choice, and then it is their decision. Just because it does not cost anything, it does not mean it can be forced down (then it becomes malware). The same goes for reboots after updates... the polite thing to do is to let the user decide when it should be rebooted, not to run a countdown, and just reboot in the middle of whatever they are not - just not elegant.

See http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36640464

The Best Biometric Bedside Safe

This biometric safe earned The Best rating from the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute for its user accessibility and features. Analysts programmed their fingerprints into various biometric safes and this model was the easiest for them to access as authorized users. Unlike lesser models that only accepted 44% of authorized fingerprints on the first scan, The Best safe accepted 94%. The 14-gauge steel door secures valuables with its built-in anti-pry tabs and reinforced latch system that provides additional protection against forced entry. The safe has a 15-fingerprint memory that permits additional authorized users or allows a single user to upload multiple fingerprints. Its automatic door opens in one second after swipe and the interior lights provide visibility of contents in the dark.

Sells for $279.95 - see http://www.hammacher.com/Product/88577?source=AddThisGPlus#.V2-n6RIGoIE.google_plusone_share

Who Cares if Apple Ditches the Headphone Jack? Wireless Is the Future

By now you've probably heard the rumor. You know, the one about the iPhone 7 not having a headphone jack?

Whether Apple actually swings the ax this fall (which it probably will) or waits another generation, the headphone jack is definitely on its way out. Motorola’s next flagship phone, the Moto Z, doesn’t have a headphone jack. LeEco, a Chinese company, recently launched three phones with zero headphone jacks between them. Even audio companies are getting on board: Headphone makers like Audeze and Philips, along with a long list of smaller companies, are already making cans and buds that plug into USB and Lightning ports instead of that tiny round hole.

Unlike with Lightning or USB models, the case for wireless headphones is incredibly easy to make. They’re wireless! They don’t tangle, they don’t rip out of your ears because they’re stuck on the lady’s bag next to you, they don’t wear and fray and need replacement. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi work across device types and platforms, and are likely to be supported long after Apple inevitably dumps Lightning too.

See http://www.wired.com/2016/06/cares-apples-ditches-headphone-jack-wireless-future/

What If We Replaced School With A Bot?

Instead of gathering students into a room and teaching them, everybody learns on their own time, on tablets and guided by artificial intelligence.

Flash Forward is a podcast about the future. Each week we take on a possible future scenario — everything from the existence of artificial wombs, to what would happen if space pirates dragged a second moon to Earth.

Rose Eveleth is the host of "Flash Forward" and a producer, designer, writer and animator based in Brooklyn. She's dabbled in everything from research on pelagic invertebrates to animations about beer to podcasts about fake tumbleweed farms. These days, she explores how humans tangle with science and technology.

You should be able to subscribe to the podcast with any popular podcast player.

See http://digg.com/2016/flash-forward-bot-school

10 features of Google Docs you should be using

Not only is the "voice typing" in Google Doisc really good, but I think a real killer feature has been left out of these 10 features listed in the article below, and that is the team editing. You can literally have a few people typing at the same time on the same document remotely (you will see their names in a tooltip where they are typing). With revision history you can review the changes made to a document by yourself or others.

Google Docs has really come a long way and new features are being added all the time. You can access your document anywhere from any device, without having to install software or worrying about what OS you are using at that time - just the way apps should be.

See http://www.cnet.com/how-to/10-features-of-google-docs-you-should-be-using/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0e&linkId=25862042

New Entry-Level Kindle Released, Plus White Version of Paperwhite with Bluetooth

The RAM has been boosted on the new Kindle from the last model so that it can run the TTS and VoiceView software that Amazon recently unveiled with the release of the Kindle Audio Adapter.

However, the adapter is not needed on this new Kindle because it comes with Bluetooth to connect speakers or headphones wirelessly (it still can’t be used for other audio, though, and the TTS is a pain to use because it only works with the VoiceView feature that is designed for visually-impaired people).

Otherwise the main specs and prices remain the same.

See http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2016/06/22/new-entry-level-kindle-released-plus-white-version-of-paperwhite/

A Motion-Detecting Camp Lantern Promises to Keep Blair Witches at Bay

Like a security guard posted to watch over your campsite all night long, the CampGuard has built-in 360-degree motion sensors that are able to detect movements from as far away as 35 feet, and automatically react to them, depending on how comfortable or uncomfortable you are with nature.

Battery life isn’t specified, but given the size of the CampGuard lantern, and the fact it uses energy-efficient LEDs, it will probably stay running for at least a weekend’s worth of adventures if not left at full intensity all night long. But at $80 and quite heavy looking, experienced campers who are happy to survive on whatever they can stuff in their backpacks might want to skip this one.

See http://gizmodo.com/a-motion-detecting-camp-lantern-promises-to-keep-blair-1782420157