No spectators will be allowed in person to watch the ball drop in New York City’s Times Square to mark the transition from 2020 to 2021. Thankfully, there are still plenty of ways to watch the annual tradition from home. The glittering Times Square Ball has been descending along a pole to mark the passage of time on New Year’s Eve since 1907 turned to 1908, and its TV broadcast is one of the most enduring holiday traditions in the U.S. Here’s how you can stream the Times Square Ball drop this year. Times Square Online One Times Square, the property where the Ball is located, is offering an augmented-reality app for Android, iPhone, and iPad that brings Times Square directly to wherever you are. If AR isn’t your thing, the app offers an online live stream with multiple feeds from Times Square and around the world, plus behind-the-scenes footage. There’s also a more traditional live webcast from the Times Square website . ABC ABC’s long-running New Year’s Eve … [Read more...] about How to Watch the 2020 Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop
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How to Start Google Maps in Satellite View
Satellite View is a feature that has been in Google Maps since the service was first released. It can be handy to see a real-world top-down view of any location. We’ll show you how to start in this view by default on Android and iPhone. Before we enable Satellite View by default, you should know that it will use more data than the minimalist “Map” view. Satellite View will also be enabled during turn-by-turn navigation. Keep this in mind if you use Google Maps with a mobile data connection. RELATED: How to Change Your Car Icon in Google Maps The process for enabling Satellite View by default is a little different on Android and iPhone. We’ll start with Google Maps for Android. Open the Maps app on your Android smartphone or tablet and tap your profile icon in the top-right corner. Next, select “Settings” from the menu. Scroll down and toggle the switch for “Start Maps in Satellite View.” It’s as simple as that. Google Maps will now be in Satellite … [Read more...] about How to Start Google Maps in Satellite View
Why SMS Text Messages Aren’t Private or Secure
You might think that switching from Facebook Messenger to old-fashioned text messages would help protect your privacy. But standard SMS text messages aren’t very private or secure. SMS is like fax —an old, outdated standard that refuses to go away. Your Cellular Carrier Can See Your SMS Messages With SMS, messages you send are not end-to-end encrypted. Your cellular provider can see the contents of messages you send and receive. Those messages are stored on your cellular provider’s systems—so, instead of a tech company like Facebook seeing your messages, your cellular provider can see your messages. Cellular carriers store the contents of those messages for various amounts of time . Messages are often only retained for several days, but they store metadata (which number sent a message to which number, and at what time) for even longer. These records could be subject to subpoena in legal proceedings—for example, text message records are a common form of evidence in divorce … [Read more...] about Why SMS Text Messages Aren’t Private or Secure
How to Enable Google Chrome Flags to Test Beta Features
The Google Chrome browser has tons of great features, but many of them are not available by default. Chrome “flags” can enable experimental and beta features if you know where to find them. It’s surprisingly easy to do. Google will often put features behind flags before they are ready for prime time. Sometimes these features make their way to stable releases, but they can also disappear without warning. That’s the nature of using experimental and beta features. RELATED: The Best Chrome Flags to Enable for Better Browsing There are flags available for different platforms as well. For example, there are certain flags for Chrome on Android, Chrome on Windows, etc. The process for enabling these flags is very simple. Warning: These features are not available to everyone for a reason. They may not work correctly and they can negatively impact your browser’s performance. Enable flags at your own risk. First, open the Chrome browser on your device. Flags are available … [Read more...] about How to Enable Google Chrome Flags to Test Beta Features
What Is Ecosia? Meet a Google Alternative That Plants Trees
Ecosia is a not-for-profit search engine that uses advertising revenue gained from searches to plant trees. It doesn’t have the privacy-focus of DuckDuckGo , nor does it have the search results of Google. But it does have a unique mission. This search engine is getting bigger and more widely recognized. For example, starting with Apple’s iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 , Ecosia is one of the few options you can use as your default search engine in Safari. Google Chrome also includes it as a built-in option. Ecosia’s Main Mission Is to Plant Trees Ecosia is a not-for-profit search engine that aims to help the environment by planting trees. The search engine’s mission is to absorb as much CO2 as possible by planting trees to try and reduce the impact of climate change. This is done for the planet, for people, and for animals. The service acknowledges that trees can help empower and lift vulnerable populations out of poverty through the regeneration of depleted soils and … [Read more...] about What Is Ecosia? Meet a Google Alternative That Plants Trees