Table of contents for August 2018 in Tech Advisor

Google always pulls out the stops for the keynote at its annual I/O developer conference, and this year was no exception. I/O 2018 lacked the flashy flagship hardware that defined previous keynotes – nary a new Chromebook, Pixel, or Google Home could be found – but it still managed to shine, thanks to some serious improvements to the software and services underlying the entire Google ecosystem. Hardware is nothing without software that tells it what to do, after all. And at I/O 2018, Google’s software was focused squarely on making the Internet more about you through the power of machine learning. Let’s dig in. Gmail Smart Compose Google CEO Sundar Pichai kicked things off with Smart Compose, which is basically Gmail’s Smart Reply cranked to 11. Whereas Smart Reply would…

As expected Google released the open public beta of its new operating system, Android P, at its Google I/O event on 8 May 2018. It’s an update that brings noticeable visual change along with some quite dramatic gesture controls. For the first time you can download the beta on more than just the past few Pixel phones – see page 108. We’ve been using P (confectionary name TBC) for a few days by now, so here’s a rundown of what we think about the new look including new gestures, menus, settings and adaptive features. We downloaded it onto a Pixel 2 XL and it’s a bigger overhaul from Oreo than that OS was from Nougat and there’s a lot to unpack. Design Google introduced what it calls Material Design into…

Windows 10’s Timeline feature helps answer the question: what was I working on? This handy, optional feature can track what documents and web pages you’ve been working on over the past weeks and months, organizing them into a collection of documents you can quickly open to pick up where you left off. Timeline is part of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, also known as Redstone 4. Chances are you already know where it’s found, even if you’ve never used it: down in the taskbar, next to the Cortana search box, there’s a small icon called Task View within the Fall Creators Update. A slightly different icon identifies Timeline within the latest version. Part of the reason Timeline was added within Task View was because few users were using Task…

Microsoft’s Windows 10 April 2018 Update barely received a formal title, which understandably makes you wonder how much importance the company ascribed to it. But as our guide shows, what Microsoft internally referred to as the ‘Redstone 4’ release conceals numerous changes and improvements, with two – Timeline and Nearby Sharing – sharing the marquee. Really, though, the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (Version 1803) is an ensemble show, with a supporting cast of more minor enhancements. There’s Quiet Hours, now called Focus Assist; improved data usage management; and a ton of updates in Edge, some of which you’ve seen before within other browsers. Underneath it all, Microsoft may be building something new, as the Edge engine includes the underpinnings for Progressive Web Apps, a fresh way of supplying apps…

It happened again. Another major web service lost control of its database, and now you’re scrambling to stay ahead of the bad guys. As much as we hate them, data breaches are here to stay. The good news is they don’t have to elicit full-blown panic no matter how sensitive the pilfered data might be. There are usually some very simple steps you can take to minimize your exposure to the potential threat. Here’s how. Determine the damage The first thing to figure out is what the hackers took. If they got your username and password, for example, there’s little point in alerting your credit card company. News articles and company statements should make it very clear what leaked. Was it just your email address, or was it your password…

We are terrible at passwords. We’re rubbish at creating them (the top two most popular remain ‘123456’ and ‘password’), we share them too freely, and we forget them all the time. Indeed, the very thing that can ensure our online security has become out biggest obstacle to it. This is what makes a good password manager essential. A password manager relieves the burden of thinking up and remembering unique, complex logins – the hallmark of a secure password. It allows you to safely share those logins with others when necessary. And because these tools encrypt your login info in a virtual vault – either locally or in the cloud – and lock it with a single master password, they protect the passwords themselves. If you’re looking to up your security…

There’s a new Android P Public Beta that is available on more than just Pixel devices. You’ll also be able to install it on select devices from Nokia, Vivo, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Sony, and Oppo, and can check which are compatible at fave.co/2jI53oW. Should you install Android P? If you’re curious, have a compatible device and are reasonably techy, then why not. You can get a good look at what’s in store for Android, and if you don’t like it or find it too buggy you can simply revert to your previous operating system. Before you begin you should take the necessary steps to ensure all your data is backed up. Install Android P Public Beta Downloading Android P should be simple with Google’s Android Beta Program. Any devices enrolled to…