It’s there right in front of you every time you use GPS navigation: a triangle-shaped cursor representing your location on a GPS display, moving where you move. But did you know the cursor originates from Atari’s 1979 Asteroids arcade game? Here’s how it came to be. Modern in-Car Navigational Systems Began at Etak The triangle-shaped navigational cursor featured in many GPS units and in-car navigation systems originated with the Etak Navigator in 1985. The Navigator was the world’s first computerized in-car navigation system . The Navigator didn’t use GPS, but instead, used another clever method to keep track of your position on a display as you drove around in your car. Here’s a great video of the Navigator in action, in this case, re-branded as the “Travel Pilot” for the U.K. market. To make the Navigator’s display sharp and easily readable with the technology available at the time (and the low memory available due to cost reasons), the Etak team used a vector CRT … [Read more...] about Did You Know? The GPS Triangle Cursor Comes From Atari’s Asteroids
World hottest guys
What Does “HBU” Mean, and How Do You Use It?
If you’ve ever made small talk with someone on the internet, you’ve likely come across the initialism “HBU.” We’ll explain what this internet slang term means, and how you use it in conversation. How About You? HBU stands for “how about you?” or “how ’bout you?” People often use this phrase as a follow-up when asked how they’re doing. After all, it’s common in a conversation to share some information about yourself, and then ask about the other person, as well. For example, if someone asks how you’re doing, you might reply: “I’m ok, hbu?” This initialism is most commonly used in text messaging. It’s expressed in both lower- and uppercase letters, although you’ll see it more frequently in all lowercase (hbu). It can also be used when chatting with a large group of people. However, a plural noun is normally added when addressing more than one person, like “hbu guys” or “hbu everyone.” The Origin of HBU Like other acronyms, HBU became popular in early online chatrooms … [Read more...] about What Does “HBU” Mean, and How Do You Use It?
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