Has Windows 10 Gone Crazy? Upgrade Now Or Upgrade TONIGHT?

With Windows 10, Microsoft is writing a perfect story titled “how to disrespect users’ choice”. After continuous Windows 10 update pop-ups on Windows 7/8.1 PCs, Redmond is now playing a dirty game to trick the users into upgrading to Windows 10. The new update pop-up only offers two options – ‘Upgrade tonight’ or ‘Upgrade now’.

Microsoft knows epic ways to screw up good things. They made theirmost complete operating system yet and named it Windows 10 and we loved it. Then came the relentless reports of Microsoft forcing the updates that was a nightmare for users with capped data plans. This was followed by the disclosure that Windows 10 keeps talking to its servers and Microsoft justified this by calling it a way to ameliorate the user experience.

Along the similar lines, Microsoft is getting more aggressive to install Windows 10 on your PCs. Microsoft has already apprised that it’s planning to make Windows 10 a recommended update in early 2016. But, the latest reports tell a darker story. The Reddit users have voiced their agitation as they are seeing an option to upgrade their Windows 7/8.1 PCs now or upgrade them tonight. As expected, there is no option to defer the install or delay it.

This sneaky alteration to the Get Windows 10 pop-up is surely a dirty trick by Microsoft to increase the falling installation rates. Earlier, users saw options ‘Upgrade now’ or ‘Start download, upgrade later’; the new pop-up only offers ‘Upgrade tonight’ or ‘Upgrade now’.

For some users, the condition is even worse as they are seeing just one option ‘Upgrade now’.

Good job, Microsoft!

While users can close the window by clicking the ‘X’ button at the top, this incessant nagging is surely irritating. If you are still running a Windows 7/8.1 PC and you don’t wish to install Windows 10, make sure that you keep a close eye on each option presented before you.

Which OS are you currently using on your PCs? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

Read Windows 10 guide by fossBytes

For more technology updates and interesting stories, follow fossBytes.

9 things about old mobile phones teenagers wont believe existed

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9 THINGS ABOUT PRE-ANDROID AND PRE-IPHONE FEATURE PHONES THAT NOBODY UNDER 20 WILL BELIEVE

Mobile telephone has come a long way ever since the first mobile phone, DynaTAC was unveiled by Motorola. DynaTAC looked and felt like a brick, had a one line display and you could only make and receive calls. People who were born after the 1995s may not even have seen DynaTAC or that matter the next series of mobiles phones to hit the market.

Today we list the nine unbelievable things about pre-Android, pre-iOS feature phones which you wont believe existed.

1. Batteries went for weeks

Today if your smartphone battery lasts a whole day, you will count yourself lucky. Back in the days when Nokia and Motorola mobiles phones ruled the roost, the batteries of phones could go on and on. Nokia’s were particularly rugged and could carry on with a single charge for a weeks at end.

2. The best mobile game was Snake

There was a time when a game called Snake ruled mobile gaming. You would be surprised to know that people bought the mobile only if it had Snake aboard it. Snake was first released only for monochrome phones. Graphics consisted of black squares, and it had 4 directions. It was programmed in 1997 by Taneli Armanto, a design engineer in Nokia and introduced on the Nokia 6110.

3. Phones didn’t all look the same

Even if their configurations may differ widely, now, we have almost all smartphones looking the same. In those merry old days, you could get a mobile phone according to your choice, and believe me, the choice was wide.  before the introduction of the first iPhone in 2007,  phones came in a fantastic range of forms: magic springy things, foldy things, flippy things, things with aerials, things with keyboards.

4. The internet didn’t work

Back in those days of 1G or WAP, if you got through on Internet you would be considered the luckiest man/woman on Earth. It would take hours for a page to render on your itsy bitsy screen. We couldn’t load proper web pages, let alone music or video. And all of it was text based.

5. Nobody wanted a touchscreen

The earliest of the touchscreen phones were rejected by users because they lacked direction. You had to click a mile away to select a feature. Today’s capacitive multi-touch screens are fast and fluid, but pre-2007, any phone with a touchscreen had a resistive one that you had to poke a hundred times with a stylus, and you had to calibrate that or the screen would decide you’d tapped about two centimetres away from where you actually had.

6. Using Windows was considered futuristic

In the 2000s Windows powered phone was considered the ultimate test of technology. When the world’s first smartphone running on Windows Mobile, Orange SPV,  was released by HTC, websites, and media was agog with its news and features for weeks. However, like always, Google and Apple stole the march over Microsoft and Microsoft ended up being a fringe player in the smartphone market.

7. Users paid actual money to replace the operator logo

In those days everything came for a fee. You had to change ringtone, wallpaper or access your voicemails, you would be charged absurd amount by the service providers. Heck, even incoming calls were charged in those days.

8. Phones were unbreakable

Smartphones today need replacement even if they just slip out of your hands or your little one nips on the USB port. Back in those days mobiles were pretty indestructible with Nokia being one of the most rugged makers. You could even hit and hurt someone with a Nokia.

9. Nokia was Apple

Nokia was the king, queen and everything in those days. Nokia was Apple! Buying a Nokia mobile phone was considered the ultimate target of buyers when lots of other phones existed. In its hey days, 9 1⁄2 people out of 10 bought a Nokia. It was rugged, it was powerful, it could connect even from sewers and its battery lasted weeks. Nokia was a dream to own in those days.

Do you oldies remember your first phone and what it was like to use it comparing with today’s smartphones. Do write in the comments about your experience with your pre-Android and pre-iOS phones.

Resource : Android Pit.

How to Enable Hidden Offline Browsing In Google Chrome

Hello everyone, I remember the last time when I shared an article on How To Watch and Download YouTube Videos Offline, someone asked me if I could write something on how to browse offline. After a little research, I found something very useful.

As Mozilla and Internet Explorer already offer a “Work Offline” option to save and read later, Google chrome also has a similar feature hidden inside to do the same.

In 2013, Randy Smith, Chrome networking engineer, implemented the support for an Offline Cache Mode in chrome. When you enable this feature, you’ll be able to navigate through the saved content in cache.

How to Enable Hidden Offline Browsing In Google Chrome

Step 1: 

Type chrome://flags/ in search bar of Google Chrome.

Step 2: 

Search for “Enable Show Saved Copy Button” (It’ll be easier if you perform the search using ctrl+F ).

Step 3:

You’ll be seeing three options. Set it to “Enabled“, and restart the browser.

Step 4:

The next time you start the browser without an internet connection and enter some URL, it will ask you to “Show Saved copy” if the URL you entered is present in the local cache.

Click it and you are good to go. See the example below:

After loading the saved copy from cache, my website homepage looks like this:

Note:

The URL you entered must be stored in the local cache. If you want to access a particular page I’ll recommend you to copy and paste the URL in sticky notes or somewhere just before closing the browser.

Some of you may not find this feature working for the first time but it will surely run after a couple of restarts.

Did you find the offline working in Chrome useful? Tell us in comments!
See Our How To Guides for more tips and Tricks.

Reverse ATM attack used to steal nearly $4 million in cash A

Reverse ATM attack used to steal nearly $4 million in cash

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Don’t know what is a reverse ATM attack? You are about to find out

As banks and financial services are attempting to beef up security in order to preserve funds as much as possible, the level of sophistication with how money is being stolen from these institutes have also increased. Starting from last year, criminals in Russia have found a way to steal nearly 252 million Rubles, which translates into $3.8 million US dollars from five unnamed banks.

They have managed to achieve this feat by using a process called reverse ATM attack. According to the Russian digital intelligence firm Group-IB, reverse ATM attack is able to exploit weaknesses in the international transfer system, allowing criminals to withdraw bundles full of cash with ease. However, according to the security agency, these criminals could have ran away with more cash if they had been more patient, signifying how effective the reverse ATM attack method is when malice is your only intent.

According to Forbes, here is how the process works:

Mules or simple depositors working for these criminals would deposit sums of 5,000, 10,000 and 30,000 Rubles into verified accounts, and after that, they would withdraw the amount from the ATM machine. Afterwards, they take a receipt from the ATM, which details a payment reference number as well as the amount withdrawn by them.

After this process has been successfully carried out, the information is later sent to hackers who then use the data and gain access to thousands of point of sale terminals, which are located in abundance in the US and the Czech Republic. By doing this, they are able to create a ‘reversal operation’ on a terminal that fools the bank into believing the withdrawal of funds had been cancelled.

At the point of sale terminal, this looked as though goods were returned or a payment declined, while to banks it looks like the ATM withdrawal had been cancelled. Funds are returned to the account, though the crooks had already taken the cash and are probably celebrating their payday over a successful, clever and clandestine heist.

The process is continued until there are no physical notes remaining in that particular ATM. This process is then repeated at various locations, which explains how the criminals had been able to steal so much cash in a small amount of time. Group-IB has currently not stated its plans to bring these hackers to justice nor has it specified any other information to the public. However, if we have an update, we will publish it accordingly.

These 13 Google Chrome hacks will change the way you use the internet

Flickr/Isaac Bowen

Since it debuted in 2008, Google Chrome has quickly risen to be the most popular web browser in the world, beating out Firefox and Internet Explorer.

But that doesn't mean you can't make it better.

There are many extensions and programs that innovative developers have built to make using Chrome more productive and more fun. With them, you can save articles to read anywhere, learn a new language, save money while shopping, and even improve your writing.

And the beauty is that they don't actually require you to put in any extra work.

These 13 extensions and apps can help you streamline your Chrome browsing and help you do things you didn't even know were possible. Read on to become a Google Chrome expert:

View As: One Page Slides

Become a coupon pro with Honey.

Honey

Honey automatically searches for coupon codes and sales whenever you are checking out online. Just click the Honey button and it will scour the web and apply coupon codes to your shopping cart. It's basically just free money.

Download Honey here.

Make sure you always have something to read with Pocket.

Google Play Store

Pocket is an easy way to save any article to read later — on your phone, tablet, or computer. If you come across an article — or any website — you don't have time to read right then, hit the Pocket extension and that article will end up in your Pocket queue. You can access this from any of your devices.

Download Pocket here.

Practice a new language while you surf the web with Language Immersion.

Business Insider

Language Immersion is an ingenious Chrome extension that tries to simulate what it's like to be immersed in a foreign language. It works by switching random words and phrases from English into a language of your choice — you can always click them to put them back into English. This allows you to passively practice your new language while you are doing other things.

Download Language Immersion here.

Hide all your tabs in a flash with Panic Button.

Star5112 via Flickr

Panic Button is a hilarious extension that lets you hide all of your tabs with the click of a button. If someone comes around who you would rather not let see what you were looking at, instead of quitting Chrome altogether, just hit the Panic Button.

This is useful for two reasons. First, it's less sketchy that someone seeing your browser quickly shutting down, and second, it saves the sites you were on in a separate folder. When the coast is clear, you can restore them and get back to whatever you were doing.

Download Panic Button here.

Always keep an eye on your inbox with Google Mail Checker.

Google Mail Checker is a no-brainer for anyone who sends and receives email on a daily basis. The extension is wonderful in its simplicity, and shows you how many unread messages are in your inbox without your having to click or tab over and check.

Download Google Mail Checker here.

Block all those annoying pop-up ads with AdBlock Plus.

Thomson Reuters

Adblock Plus is one of the most popular and well-made ad-blocking extensions.

The extension removes annoying things like banner ads and pop-ups from your web experience. That may seem like a slight difference, but visiting some sites that tend to be bogged down, especially with pop-ups, can be liberating. But if you do choose to use it, make sure to "white list" sites you feel don't have an intrusive ad experience — especially those who make their money on advertising revenue.

AdBlock Plus also works with Safari, Opera, and Firefox if you don't have Chrome.

Download Adblock Plus here.

OneTab is great if you find yourself with too many tabs open to keep track of.

OneTab

OneTab is a lifesaver for anyone who keeps a lot of tabs open. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, OneTab will take them and turn them into a list, organized by date. This also frees up your computer's memory for other things.

Download OneTab here.

Simple Blocker is perfect for when you need to focus.

REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Simple Blocker is great if you're the type of person who gets easily distracted by Facebook or Twitter. This extension allows you to block access to certain domains for a given period of time (from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., for example). It was designed with students in mind, but is really useful for anyone with a penchant for procrastination.

Download Simple Blocker here.

Chrome Remote Desktop lets you easily access your other computer.

YouTube

Chrome Remote Desktop gives you the magical ability to access other computers from your own and vice versa. Left a file at work? Connect via Remote Desk and grab it. It's also an easy way to share your screen with someone else if there's a problem.

Download Chrome Remote Desktop here.

Identify that weird photo with Search by Image.

YouTube

Search by Image helps you easily identify things you see in pictures online. It is basically Google Images in reverse, letting you start a Google search from any image you find on the web. This is especially useful for identifying a location or unfamiliar landmark.

Download Search by Image here.

Take your work with you thanks to Chrome to Mobile.

Flickr / Theen Moy

Chrome to Mobile is an easy way to take whatever you're working on with you when you leave the office. The extension lets you take live web pages and work on the go by replicating your desktop browser experience on your smartphone.

It works offline, too, in case you need to get stuff done in a dead zone.

Download Chrome to Mobile here.

MightyText lets you text your friends without constantly reaching for your phone.

MightyText

MightyText does what iMessage has been letting Mac users do for a while: Send texts from a computer to other phones. Like iMessage, the extension gives you a nice notification when you receive a message. Until MightyText, there was no easy way to communicate from your computer to Android phones.

Download MightyText here.

Avoid stupid mistakes in your writing with Grammarly.

Grammarly

Have you ever sent an email right before realizing there was a typo in it? That's what Grammarly is for. The extension looks for misspellings and improves the quality of your writing. And it's not just for Gmail. Grammarly works on social media, too.

Download Grammarly here.

Additional reporting by Sam Colt.

How to remove Bing from Edge or Internet Explorer

Maybe you like Google. Or Yahoo. Or DuckDuckGo. Choosing your own search engine just takes a few steps.

The Bing search engine page on Microsoft's Edge browser.

Related:Peter Jones asked me a question about Internet Explorer: “How do I get rid of Bing?” My answer also covers the new Edge browser that comes with Windows 10.

Microsoft, of course, would rather you used its Bing search engine in its browser running inside its operating system. But you don’t have to. Even if you'd prefer to stay with Microsoft’s browser, you can change that browser’s default search engine.

I’ll give you instructions for both Internet Explorer 11 and Edge.

Internet Explorer 11

In Internet Explorer, go to the Internet Explorer Gallery webpage. Scroll down a bit, and you’ll find a block of add-ons. Some of them, such as Google and Yahoo, will be clearly labeled as Search.

Here’s the unfortunate part: If your preferred search engine isn’t on this page, you can’t make it your default. You can make Google or Yahoo your default, but not, for instance, the privacy-friendly DuckDuckGo.

Click your preferred search engine (or at least the best in the group). This will take you to another webpage, where you can click the Add to Internet Explorer button.

In the resulting Add Search Provider dialog box, check Make this my default search provider and click Add.

That’s it: you’ve changed Internet Explorer’s Search provider.

Edge

Just about any search engine works here, including DuckDuckGo.

First, go to your preferred search engine’s main page. You don’t have to do anything there. You just have to bring up the page in Edge. Then follow these instructions:

1.   Click the menu icon (three dots) in the top-right corner and select Settings.

2.   Scroll down the Settings panel, then find and click the View advanced settings button.

3.   Scroll down the Advanced settings panel to “Search in the address bar with.” Click the pull-down menu. You’ll find two options: Bing and <Add new>. Click <Add new>.

 4.   Here’ you’ll find all of the search engines you’ve visited. Select the one you want and click Add as default.

That’s it. Edge will now default to your favorite search engine.