Facebook Messenger Now Offers End-to-End Encryption for Chats

Following the recent surge in demand for secure apps, Facebook is now offering a new end-to-end encryption mode on Messenger, called Secret Conversations. The mode is currently available for a few users and could be in for prime time later this summer.

The mode brings Messenger in equal standing with competitors like iMessage, BBM and Whatsapp who already offer end-to-end encryption. Facebook highlights health and financial information as potential avenues where it could be used. It is not totally secure, but at least it demands a more sophisticated attack.

The mode resides inside the Messenger app, requiring no further installs. It will only work on one unique device at a time, be it your phone, laptop or desktop which makes sense as messages will only appear on the devices they’re delivered to. It will be very limited in terms of features at first, not supporting GIFs, payments, videos or any other Messenger features. Secret Conversations also won’t be turned on by default.

Users can time their messages to self-destruct after an allotted period, allowing greater controls over privacy.

Facebook, which came recently under fire from users for supposedly making their shared links on Messenger easy for marketers to find, is releasing the feature as a way to appease some of the bad press.

With 900 million users under its pocket, Messenger could be highly successful in getting encryption to larger populations. That is, if Facebook can shed away the trust issues to begin with.

MIUI 8 for Xiaomi Devices Announced Globally

Xiaomi announced its latest Android based OS version, MIUI 8, back in May. The UI update was released as a beta version in China back then. Today, the company has announced the global release of its MIUI 8. The global version of the ROM will consist of all the features found in the Chinese MIUI 8, plus some extra ones.

MIUI 8 is bringing a whole lot of visual changes to the interface while maintaining the same fluid animations and lag-free experience. The company claims they are “Using color in unlimited ways”.

Notification Drawer

The biggest change can be seen in the notification drawer which shifts from a two-pane one to single-pane one. The notification drawer now has a weather panel at the top which changes colors and animations according to the weather data.

Previously, the toggles used to be on the right pane. Now they have been moved to a single one and sit below the weather panel. The toggles can be edited and arranged as well.

Other changes include a color changing status bar with new animations across the whole UI, based on the apps in use. Xiaomi has kept an option for users to switch back to the old two-pane notification drawer, if they prefer the older one’s functionality.

Dual Apps

The most unique and the probably the best feature on the MIUI 8 is Dual Apps. Don’t mistake it for split screen multitasking. It is actually a change which allows users to have two instances of the same app installed simultaneously. For example, you can have two WhatsApp accounts for two different SIMs. This is unique and a great feature, something desired by users for quite a while.

Dual Spaces

Spaces are like having two different phones in one pocket. Each space has its own workspace, with its own separate set of apps, settings, customisations, image gallery. It is sort of like having two accounts on a single phone. One can be used for work, the other one for personal use.

While Android supports multiple accounts since Lollipop, Xiaomi has changed the original feature to make it more useful. Users can set different passcodes for each space and enter either one by simply entering the respective code. No need to switch again and again.

Another use-case for this is that people with tablets, or those who share their phones, can separate stuff from each other without much hassle.

Scrolling Screenshots

MIUI 8 brings another cool new feature, scrolling screenshots. Often, screenshots are limited since you can only show so much on such a small screen. This feature lets you take one long screenshot across a page by combining multiple images. The final image can then be cropped as well.

Quick Ball

It’s a small circular ball on the screen. The ball consists of quick shortcuts, basic functions like home, back and task manager plus shortcuts to apps of the user’s choice.

A similar feature has been available on rooted phones for quite some time but this is probably the first time an OEM has incorporated such a feature and improved it for daily use.

Other Features

Xiaomi has added some other nifty utilities into the mix as well:

• Smart Caller ID and Spam Alert
• Improved Mi Cloud Photo Sync (Saves storage automatically)
• Built-in video editing tools
• Revamped Task manager with music controls
• Math Problem Solver
• Multi-Window management
• Power Saving mode
• Wallpaper Carousal
• New Animations for calls

Release Info

The public beta for the MIUI 8 Global ROM will be released as an OTA update on 11 July while the stable release will hit all devices starting August 16.

Devices eligible for the upgrade are Mi 5, Mi Max, Mi Note, Mi 4i, Mi 4, Mi 3, and Mi 2. The Redmi series devices include Redmi Note 3, Redmi Note 2, Redmi Note Prime, Redmi Note, Redmi 2 Prime, Redmi 2, Redmi 1s and Redmi 1.

Google Names Android N as Nougat

It isn’t Nutella and certainly not Naan Khatai, but instead Google has named the next version of Android, “Nougat”.

For the very first time, Google had asked Android fan community to suggest names for the upcoming version.

Millions of people, including myself, submitted their favorite “sweet names” and many were confident that it will be called Nutella, considering Google’s partnership with KitKat in the past.

However Google decided to go with the sweet candy.

It is still unclear about the version number that Google will assign to Nougat, it could be 7.0 or just an increment to Android 6.0.

To make it official Google also unveiled the new Android Nougat statue at its headquarters in California.

Android Nougat will bring performance and security updates and is likely to be released in September this year along with a new Nexus device.

China Made the World's Fastest & Powerful Super Computer without US chips

China beats its own record with the World's fastest supercomputer.

Sunway TaihuLight, a newly built supercomputer from China, now ranks as the world's most powerful machine.

During the International Supercomputer Conference in Germany on Monday, Top500 declared China's 10.65 Million-core Sunway TaihuLight as the world's fastest supercomputer. Moreover, the supercomputer is leading by a wide margin, too.

With 93 petaflops of processing power, Sunway TaihuLight is nearly three times more powerful than the world’s previous fastest supercomputer, Tianhe-2, which had been the world's fastest computer for last 3 years with speeds of 33.9 petaflops per second.

That's 93 quadrillion floating point operations per second (FLOP), which means the supercomputer can perform around 93,000 trillion calculations per second, at its peak.

The Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer is installed at the National Supercomputing Centre in Wuxi.

"Sunway TaihuLight, with 10,649,600 computing cores comprising 40,960 nodes," is one of the world's most efficient systems, with "peak power consumption under load (running the HPL benchmark)" at a relatively modest 15.37 Megawatts of energy consumption.

What's the irony?

The microprocessors inside Sunway TaihuLight are 100 percent Chinese.

Sunway TaihuLight is powered entirely by Chinese processors (the 260-core ShenWei 26010) and runs on a custom Linux-based operating system.

Speaking of the TOP500 list, the National Supercomputing Centre's director, Professor Dr. Guangwen Yang said:

"As the first number one system of China that is completely based on homegrown processors, the Sunway TaihuLight system demonstrates the significant progress that China has made in the domain of designing and manufacturing large-scale computation system."

In the past, China relied heavily on American processors for its supercomputers, but the US thought that China was using the Tianhe-2, which was built with Intel cores, to run its nuclear simulations.

Due to this reason, the United States government banned Intel from exporting its powerful Xeon processors over a year ago to a number of Chinese supercomputer makers.

China is Leading the World in Supercomputing

The US decision did not halt the Chinese progress. Instead, it seems like the US policy has made an opposite effect.

For the first time since the Top500 list began, China has overtaken the United States in the amount of supercomputers being used. China has 167 computers in the top 500 while the US has 165.

"Considering that just 10 years ago, China claimed a mere 28 systems on the list, with none ranked in the top 30, the nation has come further and faster than any other country in the history of supercomputing," said the latest Top500 announcement.

Sunway TaihuLight will be used in scientific research and engineering work in fields including life science research, data analytics, advanced manufacturing and climate, weather and Earth systems modeling.

Google's 2-Factor Authentication, more simple and faster

When it comes to data breaches of major online services like LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and VK.com, it's two-factor authentication that could save you from being hacked.

Two-factor authentication or 2-step verification is an effective way to secure online accounts, but many users avoid enabling the feature just to save themselves from irritation of receiving and typing a six-digit code that takes their 10 to 15 extra seconds.

Now, Google has made the 2-Step Verification (2FV) process much easier for its users, allowing you to login with just a single tap instead of typing codes.

Previously, you have had to manually enter a six-digit code received via an SMS or from an authenticator app, but now…

Google has introduced a new method called "Google Prompt" that uses a simple push notification where you just have to tap on your mobile phone to approve login requests.

In other words, while signing in to your account, just enter your password, and you will get a pop-up message on your mobile phone asking you if you want to sign in. If you want, then press "Yes" and you're in.

How to Set Up Google Prompt

Here's how you can enable Google Prompt for your Google accounts:

Before enabling Google Prompt, first enable two-step verification for your Google account and you have already enabled two-step verification, you can skip this part.

• Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in to your Google account.
• Select 'Signing in to Google,' using 2-Step Verification.
• Click on 'Get started' and enter your password once again.
• Now provide your phone number you want to use for authenticating, and choose either an SMS or phone call for verification, and click on 'Try it.'
• Enter the 6-digit code from the SMS or phone call and select 'Next.'
• For setting up two-step verification, click 'Turn ON.

Now, once you have enabled two-step verification, follow these simple steps that will just take a few second. All you need is an Android or iOS device nearby.

• Under 'Set up alternative second step,' click on the Google prompt option
• Add phone and click Get started.

Then just follow the on-screen instructions and you're all set to go.

If you have an iPhone, you are required to download the Google Search app first and sign in before using Google Prompt. But, if you are an Android user, just update your Google Play Service.

Two-step verification has become so easier to use, so what are you now waiting for?