Monday
Feb132017

‘Stranger Things’ crew gets tips from ‘Game of Thrones’ creators on how to protect against leaks

Stranger Things became such a surprise success that its crew needed tips from another extremely popular show on how to go about things moving forward. According to an interview by Entertainment Weekly with Stranger Things creators, they had to approach the producers of Game of Thrones on what to do when it comes to security protocols. “We literally consulted with the producers on Game of Thrones to learn security protocols,” say executive producer Shawn Levy. “I just knew I used to throw my sides away and now they have to be burnt,” says co-creator Ross Duffer of his daily shooting notes. The cast and the show itself now even gets code names. According to Millie Bobby Brown a.k.a. Eleven, “It’s this weird thing. On the call sheets our names are across it and if we lose it, we’re dead.”

Now, they’re hyperaware of the measures they need to take to make sure no spoilers get out. “We had no security protocols last season and we have extensive security protocols this season, Levy says. “I can’t speak about what they are because then people could crack them. We protect every story point, every page of every script.” 

Sunday
Feb122017

Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup 2/05-2/11

Sunday
Feb122017

New handy Instant Tethering feature for Android comes to Pixel and Nexus devices

One of the things we expect from our gadgets is that they just work. No need to toggle anything, they just have to work. Google is turning that into a reality with its own devices. Called Instant Tethering, the feature will let a select number of devices instantly use the same cellular data connection of a smartphone when it sees that there is a connection and sufficient battery life. At the moment the feature is available to any Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, or Nexus 6P running Android 7.1.1. All the aforementioned smartphones can serve as the host for another support device as long as it’s signed into the same Google account. You don’t even need to turn on the hotspot anymore or input any passwords, it’ll just work.

And you don’t even have to shut it off, too. When 10 minutes have passed when you last used a device that tethered to your smartphone, it’ll cut off the connection itself. Saving battery is something Google is paying attention, too. While this isn’t the first time tech manufacturers have done this. It’s good we have one more option. And hopefully more tech companies follow suit.

Source: The Verge

Sunday
Feb122017

Square makes payment transaction easier with new tools

Late last month, financial services and mobile payment company Square has added two new features to make storing customer information easier and safer. One of the new features is called Customer Directory. What it does is it centralizes customer information into one service. It’ll help sellers keep track of important customer information and even learn more about their spending habits. And when you do need to keep track of their preferences, the information is easily within your reach.

Aside from that, Square is making the payment process more seamless with its new Card on File feature. Business owners who get the permission of their customers can store payment information to be included in the Customer Directory. So every time the stored payment information is charged, the process will be done much faster. Of course, customers will be notified when a seller has stored their card information. They will also receive an email when an item has been charged on their card. And it’s also the customer’s prerogative to unlink their cards through receipts at any time.