With the growing number of professionals that choose to join LinkedIn, this channel has become priceless in lead nurturing, generation and outreach.

So if you are a sales manager or a recruiter desperate to collect more details about your ideal prospects and build an offline business contacts list you can consult whenever required, you are in the right place.

This article shares details on how you can quickly gather a list of contacts using the LinkedIn social network and connect with potential leads via email. Let’s get started.

What is LinkedIn scraping?

Scraping is often not limited to extracting leads’ emails only. It can be any critical data required for further processing and management.

Briefly, it is a growth hacking technique that gives you a hand in visiting profiles and copying and pasting the details in need from the LinkedIn pages to a file.

Top 3 tools to extract emails from LinkedIn in 2022

With due permission, LinkedIn allows exporting and downloading email IDs from social networks. Here are some of the means to achieve that:

A LinkedIn email scraping tool

The first option is to use LinkedIn-focused software, such as Linked Helper, to extract the required details.

Besides helping you extract prospects’ emails, the tool focuses on automation and lets you facilitate your LinkedIn-related activities.

They include:

• Finding leads based on specific parameters (keywords, interests, job positions, etc.)
• Visiting profiles and scraping any profile details
• Exporting info into a CSV file
• Sending outreach messages in bulk
• Using personalized and highly customizable outreach templates
• Multi-source targeting
• Integration with third-party CRMs, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, etc., and more

Please refer to this website for the complete list of features that Linked Helper offers.

This tool is not a Chrome extension. You’ll need to install it on your PC, guaranteeing a high safety level and zero chances of being banned by the LinkedIn algorithms.

Manual export of LinkedIn connections

Here’s another safe means to extract emails from LinkedIn. However, please note that it is available to a limited number of connections with permission privileges.

Commonly, LinkedIn users can choose never to let their connections access their email IDs. It’s achieved from the profile settings page.

However, if a prospect does have weaker privacy settings, then connections with permission privileges can achieve the goal successfully. 

To extra email IDs from LinkedIn connections, try to log into your LinkedIn profile and follow these quick steps:

• In the upper-right corner, click the Me icon to unfold the drop-down menu, and then navigate to Settings & Privacy.
• In the Data Privacy tab, under How LinkedIn uses your data, go to get a copy of your data.
• Under Export data, choose between the Download larger data archive and want something in particular? options. You’ll need to select which data you’d like to download first. It can be connections, imported contacts, messages, invitations, etc.
•  Click Request archive to complete your setup.

Keep in view that it can take LinkedIn from 10 minutes up to 24 hours to prepare your report.

Opting for a Chrome extension

There are a host of tools that come as Chrome extensions and help you do the job.

Often judged for having low safety algorithms, they help scrape email addresses directly as you browse and export them to a spreadsheet.

Some of the safest Chrome extensions to use are as follows:

• ContactOut
• Aeroleads
• Apollo.io
• GetProspect
• LeadGibbon

Generally, all of the tools mentioned above do their best to ensure good care of your LinkedIn account safety. It gets achieved by limiting the number of views per day.

Thus, your activities should comply in full with LinkedIn restrictions and algorithms. Intriguingly, the LinkedIn Helper tool was originally built as a Chrome extension.

To offer its users a safer and more functional solution, the team behind the product chose to move beyond the technology and develop full-scale software.

What if a scraped email won’t work?

Chances are that you used the methods described above and collected the required details, but some emails do not work.

Then, give the following means a try:

• Connect to prospects via LinkedIn: send a connection request, interact with their posts, send InMail or direct messages
• Look for your prospects on other social networks
• Google them, as they could have a website of their own

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, LinkedIn leads the pack in nurturing and generating potential clients. Besides, it’s a great channel to connect with influencers, employers, employees, job candidates, etc.

Though not all users choose to make all their details available to the public, emails remain one of the most excellent means to establish contact with your prospects.

Now that you know how to scrape emails from LinkedIn quickly and effectively, growing your lead lists will become a piece of cake.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• What is web scraping used for? Top 5 use cases
• How to generate quality B2B leads on LinkedIn
• How to send personalized mass emails
• Top 7 benefits of email marketing to your business

The post How to scrape emails from LinkedIn appeared first on KnowTechie.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) introduced the labels in 2016 on a volunteer basis. They contain information about the costs, speeds, and potentially-hidden extras.

Aimed at educating consumers, ISPs slow-walked implementing the labels. Now they don’t have a choice, as part of the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill mandates the use of the labels.

It’s about to get a whole lot easier to compare different internet plans.

Broadband ‘nutrition’ labels are coming

Now that the FCC is mandating these labels, ISPs have to display them at the point of sale. That’s when you sign up, either online or in-person at a retail store.

The ISPs don’t have to put the nutrition-style label onto monthly bills, at least not yet. Consumer Reports (CR) is trying to get the FCC to revise its ruling, so that every bill has a reminder.

Even if consumers can compare multiple broadband plans, many don’t have a viable choice. The monopolizing behavior of the ISPs has meant that many areas only have one provider.

The areas served by more than one have a choice, but the ISPs keep pricing static. That means you get comparable service for similar prices regardless of who you pay your bill to.

It doesn’t have to be like this. Municipal broadband could break up the stranglehold the big ISPs have over the industry.

In the UK, their version of the FCC regulates the telecom industry. Their system opens up the bigger ISP’s network hardware to being used by smaller players.

That’s similar to the MVNO system here for cellular plans and would spur competition on both price and service quality.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Comcast Xfinity subscribers will soon get faster internet speeds
• Watch an Apple 1 connect to the modern internet
• What equipment do I need to return to Comcast?
• FCC commissioner urges Apple and Google to ban TikTok

The post The FCC is cracking down on hidden fees from your ISP appeared first on KnowTechie.

One way to make it easier is by harnessing the best set of tools online. Building an online presence is important. 

Moreover, using the tools listed below would ensure that your focus is kept on blogging and not the hurdles that we typically meet along the way.

1. Namify

This tool will be a godsend if you are still considering starting a blog.

Not only will Namify help you pick a cool domain name on a budget, but it will also create a free logo matching that name:

The tool is absolutely free, requires no registration, and is incredibly easy to use – all of this makes it perfect for newbies.

2. Google Drive

Google Drive is a cloud storage service that gives users 15GB of free space upon signing up. It could host and backup files you have placed in your Google Drive folder for free. 

Once uploaded, these files could be accessed from any device such as a desktop computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or just about any device connected to the internet. 

Google Drive offers fast and secure access, so anything that you will upload on it is presumably safe.

With it, you no longer have to carry around physical storage to carry around digital files you use for blogging.

It is also a good way to share files with your contacts, like editors you are guest blogging for or collaborators you co-market with.

3. Copyscape

Protecting your content from plagiarizers should not be as difficult. Copyscape offers a solution that should make the process take only a few clicks.

It protects bloggers from the threat of online plagiarism as it provides an easy way to detect if your content has been duplicated. 

Once plagiarism is known, it can be reported for a takedown.

On the flip side, it can also be used for plagiarism not to happen in the first place. 

Suppose you’re unsure about the originality of the content you’re about to post on your site.

In that case, Copyscape makes it easy for bloggers to see if it’s identical to an already existing content somewhere else.

4. Smart Photo Stock

Using images in blogs is a little tricky since you cannot just grab photos off the internet for copyright concerns.

This is why using Smart Photo Stock is a great idea, as it is a tool that specializes in obtaining images that are free to use.

Additionally, you can use Google to find Copyright-free images, especially those published under a Creative Commons license. 

Photos uploaded as creative commons mean that a blogger can upload them to accompany text he or she has written with no consequence. 

5. HTML Editor

Figuring out the ever-changing WordPress editor can take some time.

This is a very helpful tool that converts texts written in Microsoft Word or any word editor software into a clean HTML format. 

It removes invalid tags that would otherwise cause trouble on some blogging platforms. 

It leaves behind an HTML-friendly version of your document that is ready to be uploaded to the web without a hitch.

6. Yoast

This specific tool, more commonly used by bloggers using the WordPress platform, is especially useful as it helps optimize SEO content. 

Yoast makes SEO easier for newbies because it handles most of it, like title tags, meta descriptions, and sitemaps. It also suggests related content to link internally to.

It’s perfect for beginners who are still sometimes lost in the interface of WordPress, which is already the most user-friendly blogging platform out there.

7. SE Ranking

Speaking of SEO, keyword research is something you will have to figure out from the start. Keywords will help your articles get found.

Plus, it is a great way to brainstorm new content ideas.

SE Ranking offers an easy keyword research tool that lets you find low search-volume search queries and estimates the keyword difficulty – both of these metrics help new sites to generate initial search visibility as they indicate low competition.

8. Text Optimizer

Once you pick your target keyword, run it through Text Optimizer to find related concepts, angles, and phrases to build your content around.

Text Optimizer is both a content ideation and optimization tool helping you create more in-depth and useful content.

9. WPForms

WP Forms is an easy tool to create online forms for your new blog.

You don’t need any technical skills to create your Contact page and newsletter forms to hear back from your new readers from page one.

It is a drag-and-drop form builder allowing you to build online forms in minutes.

10. Zenkit

To-do apps have been sprouting everywhere lately. They’re supposed to organize us throughout our day and ensure we don’t miss any important tasks.

The only problem is there are so many of them. How are you supposed to land the best, as I’m sure that’s what you’re after? 

With that in mind, I’d like you to meet Zenkit. It’s a great-looking, powerful and intuitive app that you can find on Android and iOS, as well as online. 

It also extends its services on the Chrome browser.

Its cross-platform flexibility, its ability to work as advertised, and it being free, are all deciding factors for me to choose above the rest. And did I mention that it looks good?

Blogging is fun once you figure it out. I am sure these tools will make it easier for you.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Understanding privacy on Instagram: Who can see what and for how long
• Three Twitter bio hacks you probably never heard of
• How to create your logo concept
• 3 privacy-enhancing Instagram hacks

The post 10 easy tools for beginner bloggers appeared first on KnowTechie.

Everyone writes about its future and how quickly it will take over our lives, but few articles give real-life examples of what it does.

This list is a quick way to suggest an actionable implementation of machine learning in digital marketing by listing a few easy (and, more importantly, affordable) tools that currently use machine learning.

What is Machine Learning?

Simply put, machine learning is teaching a machine to self-learn and adapt based on the data it has access to analyze.

In digital marketing, machine learning combines data sources, predicts campaign outcomes, and automates tasks, including email marketing automation.

Here are three tools that make machine learning easy to add to your digital marketing strategy.

WebCEO

WebCEO is an SEO suite that offers many tools to create a search engine optimization strategy for your site. Its Content Assistant tool uses machine learning to:

• Consolidate various data sources
• Create SEO recommendations and prioritize them based on the estimated impact:

Machine learning allows the platform to combine and make sense of data loads, so you don’t have to do that manually. WebCEO offers a free trial so that you can play with it immediately.

Namify

Finding a domain name requires hours and days of searching and brainstorming. But if you apply machine learning, it may take minutes.

Namify is a brand name generator that uses machine learning to suggest domain names based on your keyword and niche.

Instead of adding other words or prefixes to your keyword, this generator focuses on brand names that trigger significant niche associations.

For example, when somebody searches the word fashion, it spins suggestions like Glamify, Style Hub, Fab Lab, etc. Similarly, somebody looking for tech company name suggestions would see options like Code Hub, Tech yard, etc.

Namify uses machine learning to understand what the user is searching for and suggests company names that are meaningful. Namify is free, so you can go ahead and test it out right away.

Text Optimizer

Content research and brainstorming are two of the most creative tasks in digital marketing. And yet, machine learning can help here as well.

Text Optimizer is an advanced semantic analysis tool that offers you to look beyond keyword matching and encourages you to optimize for search intent by including related concepts and entities.

On top of that, the tool uses machine learning to suggest the most relevant sentence structures, which makes your writing process much more manageable:

The tool allows you to identify what your target audience expects to read on a topic.

Text Optimizer offers a free trial so that you can run it for a few of your keywords right away.

Machine learning and digital marketing

The future of machine learning is one of the hottest yet most complicated topics in data and analytics. Overall, machine learning presents an opportunity for the marketing industry.

Machine learning is fundamentally changing strategic marketing from eliminating the need for employees to do mechanical tasks to advanced data analysis.

The demand for machine learning marketing solutions will result in the growing popularity of Machine-Learning-as-a-Service (MLaaS) platforms. Some consider this the future of the SaaS business model as we know it.

It integrates machine learning into any business without investing into in-house technology.

Machine learning makes personalization easier, allowing you to customize your messages based on your previous interactions with the site.

In addition, it powers conversational marketing allowing businesses to provide 24/7 support through chatbots and conversational forms.

Machine learning will improve search and product discoverability by introducing more advanced emotion detection, facial, speech, and vision recognition.

Ultimately, machine learning will power advanced IoT analysis and make it possible to combine all the fragmented data from various devices to discover hidden patterns and create individual customer profiles.

Additionally, it will set up advanced personalized experiences in which the end user won’t have to do anything except for consuming the product. Machine learning is the future of digital marketing.

Conclusion

One big challenge most companies face when selecting the right software is determining the right tool depending on their existing workflow.

The best approach is not to introduce anything too radical, which can confuse your employees. 

Remember, you are incorporating a tool to make your team’s work easier and improve productivity; anything too complex to understand won’t help you there.

Also, go for something that offers ultimate flexibility and is easy to use and intuitive, apart from being reasonably priced.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• 5 tips for organizing machine learning projects
• Four ways businesses can capitalize on machine learning
• Balancing mobile engineering with machine learning
• How to improve cybersecurity using machine learning and applied data science

The post Three digital marketing tools that use machine learning appeared first on KnowTechie.

Whether you’re a fan of bubble shooter or strategy games or want to kill some time with a fun multiplayer game, we have something for everyone. So without further ado, let’s get started!

Bubble Shooter

Bubble Shooter is a classic online browser game that is perfect for players of all ages. The game’s objective is to clear the screen of all bubbles by shooting at them with your bubble.

You can match three or more bubbles of the same color together to make them disappear. The game starts easy but gets increasingly difficult as you progress.

There are hundreds of levels to keep you entertained for hours on end. Additionally, if you get stuck on a level, you can always use one of the five help bubbles to give you a boost.

Roblox

Roblox is a massively multiplayer online game with a massive community of players. The game takes place in a giant sandbox where players can create games and play others.

Unlimited content keeps you occupied, whether you’re into role-playing games, racing games, or anything in between.

You can also customize your avatar with millions of different clothes, hats, and accessories combinations. Best of all, Roblox is free to play!

Slither

Slither is an addicting multiplayer game where you control a snake and compete against other players to see who can get the longest.

The game is simple but highly addicting, and you’ll quickly find yourself trying to beat your high score. As you play, you’ll unlock new customization options for your snakes, such as different colors and patterns.

Additionally, you can collect power-ups to make your snake longer and give you an edge over the competition.

Shellshock

Shellshock is a multiplayer tank game set in a post-apocalyptic world. In the game, you must battle it against other players in a deathmatch-style battle to see who can be the last tank standing.

The game features a variety of different maps to fight on, as well as various types of tanks to pilot. You can also upgrade your tank with different weapons and abilities to help you survive the battle.

Shellshock is free-to-play and fun for fans of action-packed multiplayer games.

Stug

Stug is a multiplayer tower defense game where you must defend your base against waves of enemies. You can build different towers to help you protect your base and upgrade them with other weapons and abilities.

The game also features various enemy types that will test your defenses. Stug is free to play and an excellent option for players looking for a challenging strategy game. There are thousands of great browser games, but these are five of our favorites.

Conclusion

So whether you’re looking for a classic game like Bubble Shooter, or something more modern like Shellshock, we hope you found something on this list that interests you.

And remember, all these games are free to play, so you can start playing immediately! Thanks for reading.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Epic Games has a free app that scans your world into video games
• Here are your free Prime Gaming games for August 2022
• Meta’s Roblox competitor is now available to stream on Facebook
• Roblox is paying kids basically nothing to create the very thing that makes them worth $45 billion

The post 5 games you can play right now from your browser for free appeared first on KnowTechie.

Whether you’re buying a gift for someone or you’re having some alone time on Yellow YouTube, it’s a great way to cover your tracks and keep your shame hidden from prying eyes.

Depending on what you’re doing and what sites you use, it may not be as secure as you think, though. So here’s everything Incognito mode does and doesn’t do when you’re browsing.

What is incognito mode?

Basically, Incognito mode is like that friend who forgets a conversation ever happened as soon as it’s over.

You can look at all the sites you want, and as soon as you close the browser, everything you’ve done will disappear. Your history isn’t retained, and all cookies are wiped too.

Cookies are like tiny trackers that keep tabs on your actions. They tell a site you’ve visited before and what username or email address you’ve used there.

If you throw something into your basket on Amazon – or any other shopping site, really – when using your browser normally, the items will still be there days later.

Using incognito mode means none of these things will happen. You’ll need to log in to sites manually. Purchases must be completed in that session, or you’ll lose out completely.

What can you do with incognito mode?

Because incognito mode doesn’t keep your browser history, it can be a great tool to use if you’re looking for basic anonymity.

After all, you don’t want anyone else to use your browser and see that weird video that makes you feel dirty after watching it.

Logging into a site with multiple accounts can also be done using incognito mode. You won’t need to worry about signing in and out multiple times.

Some browsers even forget the sites you’ve looked at in that session. If you accidentally close an incognito tab, you won’t be able to reopen it.

Speaking of signing in and out of sites, it becomes a whole other ball game if you do sign in anywhere.

Incognito Mode is not as private as you might think

Doing this stops your actions from being hidden temporarily, at least on the sites themselves.

The hypothetical basket mentioned earlier? That’ll save time between browsers and sessions if you’re logged in, so you might get annoying email reminders telling you your purchase wasn’t completed.

In all its invasive glory, Facebook can also start tracking you if you log in while using incognito mode and give you all the targeted adverts you could ask for.

It’s the same with Twitter, Gmail, or any other site you log into. Cookies and your history will be deleted, but sites will know what you’ve been doing while logged in

Even on sites you don’t log into, your IP address, device type, and browser can all be seen. This is known as fingerprinting, and it kinda makes you feel as though incognito isn’t quite as secure as you think.

Your ISP can still see the sites you use, and so can any devices you might use that are provided by your employer, so you definitely can’t get away with anything dodgy when using a work laptop.

Hide Away

It just goes to show that it can be very tough actually to cover your tracks online. Plenty of sites have different ways of figuring out who you are.

If you’re looking to leave no traces of yourself online, it might be worth looking into a privacy-focused browser. DuckDuckGo is a great option for smartphones. It has apps available on both Android and iOS, along with extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

Tor is another fantastic one to use on desktop and Android. Anyone on iOS can use the Tor-approved open-source Onion Browser.

It runs a little slower than other browsers, but this is because it encrypts your traffic three times, then bounces it around three servers too.

Have any thoughts on this? Do you use Incognito Mode a lot? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• More people bought Chromebooks than Macs in 2020
• Apple TV+ is now on Chromecast with Google TV
• Face ID support for Chrome on iOS will soon protect your embarrassing incognito tabs
• Here are some Google Chrome tab-saving extensions now that The Great Suspender is gone

The post Is Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode really as private as you think? appeared first on KnowTechie.

A pre-owned car is a great option and can save you a lot of money. But where do you find a good pre-owned car? The answer is the internet.

Before purchasing a pre-owned car, it’s important to know if there’s any history of theft, fire, or flood damage.

So make sure to get a Revs Check Report to determine if the car has any major problems. The report will tell you whether there have been any major repairs or if the car has a bad history for other reasons.

There are a ton of websites that can help you find a used car. We’ve compiled a list of the best websites to help you in your search for a pre-owned vehicle.

Autotrader.com

Autotrader.com is an online marketplace for buying and selling used cars. It connects car buyers with local dealerships and private sellers.

Autotrader.com offers a wide selection of makes and models, including certified and non-certified pre-owned vehicles.

Autotrader.com provides car buyers with a simple way to search for the perfect used car. Buyers can search by make, model, year, price, and location.

They can also filter their search results by features, style, manufacturer, year of manufacturing, and so on.

Once a buyer has found a car they’re interested in, they can contact the seller directly through the Autotrader.com website.

Autotrader.com also provides car buyers with resources like car research and tools, brand new cars, and instant cash offers.

Cargurus.com

Cargurus.com is a used car website that allows users to search for and compare used cars.

The website has a user-friendly interface and provides detailed information on each vehicle, including photos, prices, mileage, etc.

Users can also read reviews of cars on the website, and contact dealerships directly to inquire about purchasing a vehicle.

Cars.com

Cars.com is one of the most popular websites that offer pre-owned websites. The search engine features filters such as the maker, model, max price, distance traveled, body style, etc.

This website also allows users to view research and review content, news and videos, and service & repair. Users can also compare the car prices side-by-side and also find certified pre-owned cars.

Additionally, the website also has a separate section for dealers where they can sell their cars efficiently.

The blog section of cars.com is full of valuable articles for both experienced drivers, newbie drivers who just got their license, and people who are in the learning phase.

Adelaidevehiclecentre.com.au

This website claims that the pricing they offer is the lowest in all of Adelaide, Australia whilst providing quality used vehicles.

The company has seven outlets spread across Adelaide where you can check the vehicle of your liking and take it for a test drive as well.

In addition to that, they also offer a mechanical and structural guarantee on every one of the used cars they put out on their list.

Along with the plethora of options they offer, adelaidevehiclecentre.com.au also offers car trading where you might be able to trade your car for another one, based on the condition and valuation of your car.

And for those who are on a strict budget, the website also offers a financing service.

These services are very thoughtful and customer-friendly, making them one of the best-used vehicle websites in Australia.

Carsales.com.au

Carsales.com.au claims to be Australia’s no.1 car website and honestly, we don’t have any doubt about it. The website boasts over 150,000 cars on its list.

Along with used cars, the website also has new cars on sale and attractive deals on both.

Carsales.com.au also features certified pre-owned cars and electric cars.

On top of that, users can also have their car valued and inspected so that dealers and sellers can know the price range that their car will sell for.

Buyers can also compare different cars side-by-side to get the best possible deal.

Many websites allow you to search for pre-owned cars, but these are the best websites to use if you want to find a great deal on a pre-owned car.

These websites allow you to search for pre-owned cars by manufacturer, type, price range, and city. You can also read reviews of the cars on these websites before you make a purchase.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Steam games will be available on Tesla cars soon, says Elon Musk
• High-tech vehicle components most likely to fail
• This EV charger can be summoned directly to your vehicle
• Tesla is raising prices across all of its vehicle models

The post The best websites to hunt down pre-owned cars appeared first on KnowTechie.

People who do read the notifications carefully will find that they have the option to say no to some or all cookies.

The problem is, without careful attention those notifications become an annoyance and a subtle reminder that your online activity can be tracked.

As a researcher who studies online surveillance, I’ve found that failing to read the notifications thoroughly can lead to negative emotions and affect what people do online.

How cookies work

Browser cookies are not new. They were developed in 1994 by a Netscape programmer in order to optimize browsing experiences by exchanging users’ data with specific websites.

These small text files allowed websites to remember your passwords for easier logins and keep items in your virtual shopping cart for later purchases.

READ MORE: Instagram and Facebook track you on other websites – here’s how

But over the past three decades, cookies have evolved to track users across websites and devices.

This is how items in your Amazon shopping cart on your phone can be used to tailor the ads you see on Hulu and Twitter on your laptop. One study found that 35 of 50 popular websites use website cookies illegally.

European regulations require websites to receive your permission before using cookies. You can avoid this type of third-party tracking with website cookies by carefully reading platforms’ privacy policies and opting out of cookies, but people generally aren’t doing that.

One study found that, on average, internet users spend just 13 seconds reading a website’s terms of service statements before they consent to cookies and other outrageous terms, such as, as the study included, exchanging their first-born child for service on the platform.

These terms-of-service provisions are cumbersome and intended to create friction.

Friction is a technique used to slow down internet users, either to maintain governmental control or reduce customer service loads.

Autocratic governments that want to maintain control via state surveillance without jeopardizing their public legitimacy frequently use this technique.

Friction involves building frustrating experiences into website and app design so that users who are trying to avoid monitoring or censorship become so inconvenienced that they ultimately give up.

How cookies affect you

My newest research sought to understand how website cookie notifications are used in the U.S. to create friction and influence user behavior.

To do this research, I looked to the concept of mindless compliance, an idea made infamous by Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram. 

Milgram’s experiments – now considered a radical breach of research ethics – asked participants to administer electric shocks to fellow study takers in order to test obedience to authority.

Milgram’s research demonstrated that people often consent to a request by authority without first deliberating on whether it’s the right thing to do. In a much more routine case, I suspected this is also what was happening with website cookies.

I conducted a large, nationally representative experiment that presented users with a boilerplate browser cookie pop-up message, similar to one you may have encountered on your way to read this article.

I evaluated whether the cookie message triggered an emotional response – either anger or fear, which are both expected responses to online friction. And then I assessed how these cookie notifications influenced internet users’ willingness to express themselves online.

Online expression is central to democratic life, and various types of internet monitoring are known to suppress it.

The results showed that cookie notifications triggered strong feelings of anger and fear, suggesting that website cookies are no longer perceived as the helpful online tool they were designed to be.

Instead, they are a hindrance to accessing information and making informed choices about one’s privacy permissions.

And, as suspected, cookie notifications also reduced people’s stated desire to express opinions, search for information and go against the status quo.

Cookie solutions

Legislation regulating cookie notifications like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and California Consumer Privacy Act were designed with the public in mind. But notification of online tracking is creating an unintentional boomerang effect.

There are three design choices that could help. First, making consent to cookies more mindful, so people are more aware of which data will be collected and how it will be used.

This will involve changing the default of website cookies from opt-out to opt-in so that people who want to use cookies to improve their experience can voluntarily do so.

Second, cookie permissions change regularly, and what data is being requested and how it will be used should be front and center.

And third, U.S. internet users should possess the right to be forgotten, or the right to remove online information about themselves that is harmful or not used for its original intent, including the data collected by tracking cookies.

This is a provision granted in the General Data Protection Regulation but does not extend to U.S. internet users.

In the meantime, I recommend that people read the terms and conditions of cookie use and accept only what’s necessary.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Elizabeth Stoycheff, Associate Professor of Communication, Wayne State University, and republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• The iPhone turns 15: A look at the device’s past, present, and future
• Tesla Autopilot crashes have big implications for self-driving cars
• Given the right description, this AI can create wild works of art
• Why have so many women in tech chosen to become whistleblowers?

The post Here’s why everyone hates those annoying cookie notifications appeared first on KnowTechie.

The company revealed the new Starlink Maritime service earlier this week, with CEO Elon Musk exclaiming “Starlink for boats!” on his own personal Twitter account.

In fact, the new service comes just a week after the FCC granted SpaceX approval to begin offering Starlink internet in moving vehicles.

“From merchant vessels to oil rigs to premium yachts, Starlink Maritime allows you to connect from the most remote waters across the world, just like you would in the office or at home,” reads an exerpt from the Starlink Maritime website.

The company says Starlink Maritime takes up very little space on your boat and is pretty easy to install. But it’s definitely not cheap.

The service starts with a one-time fee of $10,000. And that’s just for the two satellite receiving dishes that will be installed on your boat. As if that’s not enough, you’ll then have to fork over $5,000 per month for the service.

Musk acknowledged later in a different tweet that this was “premium pricing,” but that the use of high-performance terminals is necessary to provide internet in choppy seas and heavy storms.

The company has a coverage map for those interested in Starlink Maritime service. Service on the oceans is somewhat limited for now. But the company plans to expand greatly over the next couple of years.

$10,000 upfront and $5,000 per month are definitely a little steep for everyday boaters. But it could be a good option for the upper class or commercial boat operators, as long as SpaceX is able to expand its service area the way it promises.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• How many rockets does SpaceX need to throw into orbit before we can leave this dump?
• Elon Musk’s $44B Twitter bid approved by board of directors
• Starlink will provide free in-flight WiFi later this year
• Starlink’s new Premium tier will set you back an eye-watering $500 a month

The post Starlink can now beam high-speed internet to boats appeared first on KnowTechie.

Prime continues to add new features that are available to members. Some of these are well-known, like Prime Video. There are a ton of lesser-known benefits that we’ll get you up to speed on.

We’ve compiled a list of everything you can do with your Prime account. From baby registries and free ebooks to charity donations, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Let’s dive in.

Amazon Prime Early Access

First, did you even know about Amazon’s Lightning Deals page? It’s dope and gives members all sorts of deals. Those could be on Amazon’s own devices. Or maybe timely sales, like the current Back to School one.

The catch? Products are only available for a limited time and in limited quantities. On hot items, you’ll need to be ready to snag them as soon as they become available.

But did you know that with your Amazon Prime account, you get first access to Lightning Deals? Click the Prime Early Access deals checkbox on the left, and you’ll see them. As a Prime member, you’ll see these 30 minutes before anyone casually browsing Amazon.

Free ebooks for Prime members

Sadly, there isn’t an option for free physical copies of books. That would be an amazing perk, but this is nearly as good. Prime members do get access to many ebooks for the amazing cost of free. This lesser-known feature is called Prime Reading.

There are over 1,000 books available for Prime members to download. These include many classic fiction titles, including works like 1984, also autobiographies, and non-fiction titles available for your reading pleasure.

Oh, and you also get tons of audiobooks, magazines, and even comics via Comixology.

Kindle owners, you also need to be taking advantage of the First Reads program. This gives you one free book every month, from a choice of genres. Non-Prime users have to pay $1.99 if they want to choose a book.

Same-day, one-day, and 2-hour shipping options

We all know about Prime’s free, 2-day shipping benefits, but did you know that there is an ever-growing number of products available that are available for even quicker shipping?  Because sometimes you don’t want to leave the house and really need that Game of Thrones box set with the quickness.

There are some stipulations, however. For Same-Day shipping, your order must be over $25. You can still get Same-Day if your order is smaller, but you’ll get charged $3 so it’s worth making the minimum.

All items must be available for Same-Day, you must order before the cut off time (usually around lunch), and be in one of the eligible zip codes.

Non-Prime members must pay $9.99 per Same-Day delivery, so you’re getting a huge deal here.

One-Day shipping doesn’t have a minimum order amount. It’s available coast-to-coast, and the promise is that you’ll get it by 9 PM the next day. The cutoff time for your zip code might be early though, in which case you’ll get it the day after.

Did you also know you can use your Prime Shipping benefits on Shopbop and Woot!? Now you do.

Grocery delivery

Now that Amazon owns Whole Foods, you can also get two-hour grocery delivery or one-hour pickup. This is available in over 2,000 US cities and towns, and it’s a great benefit to have. You don’t pay for the delivery, or service fees, but it’s nice to tip your delivery person.

The best part? Whole Foods bags your groceries up in sealed, strong paper bags. No chance of losing items in delivery, and no plastic bags – just recycle those paper ones afterward.

Some areas also get Amazon Fresh, where Amazon can deliver groceries to you.

Free GrubHub Plus

Newly announced ahead of this year’s Prime Day, Prime members now can get free GrubHub+ for a year. That means no delivery fees on unlimited delivery from local restaurants. What a deal.

Seriously, this almost refunds your entire Prime subscription fee, assuming you live in an area that has enough GrubHub-using restaurants.

Amazon Day

Don’t like your porch looking like this? Prefer to be more environmentally conscious, before you get your stuff? Group all your Amazon purchases together with Amazon Day.

It lets you schedule all your weekly purchases to turn up on the same day, and often in the same box. That cuts down on packaging materials, and on the carbon emissions the delivery drivers make.

No-rush delivery credits

If you don’t need your purchase straight away, Amazon gives you credits for choosing a slower delivery date. No-Rush Shipping gives you a reward or a discount, so you’re kinda getting paid to shop.

This is usually $1 that can be applied to ebooks, digital music, videos, or even app purchases. It’s only for digital products currently, but sometimes Amazon does offer cash balance credits.

I use this all the time for things I don’t urgently need and use the credits to rent or buy movies that I know aren’t going to be streaming for a while.

Key by Amazon

Nobody wants their packages or groceries to sit out on the stoop. That’s just asking for trouble, so Amazon figured out how to deliver into your garage.

It’s called Key, and thanks to smart home partnerships, you can have packages put into your garage. Or your main door if you have a smart lock there. Now even if you’re not home, or if it’s raining, your packages will be protected.

Hand off returns to Kohl’s

Okay, this isn’t strictly a Prime benefit, but it is an often-overlooked Amazon one. You can handle all your returns at Kohl’s, which is often easier to find than your nearest UPS Store.

The best part? You don’t even need to box things up. Select Kohl’s Dropoff when arranging the return, and you’ll get a QR code that you’ll need in-store. Show that code to the associate at Kohl’s, and they’ll package everything up for you.

$10 off video game preorders

Amazon Prime members also get occasional $10 discounts when they preorder video games. There aren’t any eligible games right now, but I’ve used this multiple times in the past. The best thing here isn’t just the discount, but also getting the physical game on release day. Few online vendors will manage to do that.

Give to charity, with every order

Feel better about your Amazon order history and give a little back every time you buy something. AmazonSmile gives 0.5% of every eligible purchase to the charity of your choice.

And we really mean ‘your choice’. There are over a million 501(c)(3) organizations to choose from. Pick one, then order from smile.amazon.com, and everything is handled.

If you use the Amazon Shopping app, Amazon treats it as if you’d gone to the Smile website, every shopping trip.

Amazon Prime Day

Starting back in 2015 to lackluster reviews, Prime Day is basically an exclusive Black Friday-style deals day for Prime members. Prime Day in 2016 was better, but still not what members expected as far as deals were concerned.

Now it’s really two days of deals, although it’s still called Prime Day. Amazon likes to have this in mid-July, and this year is no exception.

Amazon Prime Try Before You Buy

Think of this as an in-store fitting room, but in the comfort of your own home. Order up to six items at once and keep them for seven days to try on. Send back what you don’t want, and you’ll be charged for what you keep.

You can also do Personal Shopper, which costs $4.99 per styling. Do a quiz to let Amazon’s stylists get to know you, and choose to get new looks monthly, bi-monthly, or every three months.

They’ll do the hard work, pick out up to 16 items, and you can choose up to eight to be delivered to your home. Again, like Try Before You Buy, you have seven days to decide what you’re keeping.

Unlimited Amazon Prime Photo storage

Here’s a handy fix for how quickly digital photo saving eats up your storage on other services. Prime members get unlimited, full-resolution photo storage in Amazon Photos. That storage stays if Prime is active.

Amazon used to also offer free video storage but changed that recently. Now you must pay extra for video storage capacity, but it’s still fairly priced compared to other cloud providers.

Amazon Kids+ at a discount

Amazon Kids+ is packed full of educational content for your kids, all curated by Amazon. You get a year when you buy one of the Kid’s versions of a Fire tablet, or it’s $7.99 a month normally.

Prime members save $3 a month, so all those apps, games, books, and videos will cost $4.99. You also get comprehensive parental controls, and age-appropriate options for what content is shown.

Amazon Prime Rx Savings

Did you know you could save on prescriptions with Prime? Amazon will take over your existing prescriptions, ship them to you for free, and you might get other discounts on top.

The only caveat, you’ll want to check with your existing pharmacy or online service to see which one is cheaper for you. The convoluted landscape of pharmacy pricing is something Amazon hasn’t yet conquered.

Saving on wireless plans

Prime members can save major cash from some of the nation’s wireless carriers. All plans are compatible with most unlocked devices, or you can buy an unlocked phone from the carrier. Amazon Prime members also get 10% back in credit every month.

Amazon private labels

You probably know that Amazon has its own devices and white-label brands. Most of these can be bought by anyone, but did you know some are limited to Prime members?

Amazon Elements is one, which has vitamins, nutritional supplements, and things like baby wipes. The cool thing about this private label? Take the Amazon Shopping app, scan a code on the product’s packaging, and Amazon will show you where every single ingredient was sourced. Yes, that means the water in the baby wipes is traced back to source. Neat.

Baby Registry Box

You can claim a free baby registry box, by creating a registry on Amazon with at least $10 of things on it. We did this before our little one was born, along with multiple other baby registry boxes. The Amazon one had some of the better things, like a swaddle cloth and some trial size baby care products.

Amazon Prime gives you more

If you do any online buying, you probably end up on Amazon more times than not, so for that reason alone Prime is worth the fee.

But just because you’re getting your money’s worth with free shipping, don’t let that stop you from taking advantage of many of the other features Prime has to offer. The ones listed above are lesser-known but great. Also make sure to check out Prime Video for some great original shows and movies and Prime Gaming, intended for gamers.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member and are looking to try it out, Amazon will give you 30-day free trial to try the service out. That’s not a bad deal. Give it a look to see if it’s right for you. If worse comes to worse, you can always get your money back.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• The best noise-canceling headphones on Amazon
• Do you need an Amazon account to use Alexa?
• How to redeem Amazon Prime Gaming rewards on Twitch
• Amazon adds an invite system to stop PS5 scalpers

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

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The approval came in the form of an official authorization from the FCC late last week. With this approval, Starlink will be able to expand the existing deals that it recently developed with commercial airlines.

But Starlink’s vision doesn’t stop with airlines. The company wants to expand its internet to other platforms on the go, such as cruise ships, semi-trucks, and even personal RVs.

“Authorizing a new class of terminals for SpaceX’s satellite system will expand the range of broadband capabilities to meet the growing user demands that now require connectivity while on the move, whether driving an RV across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port, or while on a domestic or international flight,” reads a snippet from the FCC’s authorization.

Starlink is currently offering internet to rural users in parts of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and a few European countries. And it has huge expansion plans, hoping to reach most of the rest of the world sometime next year.

The expansion into transportation could be greatly beneficial for both Starlink and its customers. Deals with airlines, cruise ships, and transport companies could be incredibly lucrative for the company.

And private users will ultimately benefit as well. Fitting your RV with a Starlink receiver could ensure that you’ll have an internet connection. You could be connected even in the most rural locations during your long road trips.

Starlink will likely announce some new commercial partnerships over the next few months. The next time you fly or hop on a cruise ship, Starlink internet might be available to you.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Starlink will provide free in-flight WiFi later this year
• Starlink’s new Premium tier will set you back an eye-watering $500 a month
• How many rockets does SpaceX need to throw into orbit before we can leave this dump?
• Elon Musk’s $44B Twitter bid approved by board of directors

The post Starlink can now provide internet to cars, boats, and planes appeared first on KnowTechie.

That first event is on June 22, at 3 p.m. EST. On the stream, will be a selection of collectibles; including a 1995 Topps Finest Michael Jordan M1 Red Bordered Refractor PSA 9 MINT and a 1998 Kobe Bryant Skybox That’s Jam PSA 10.

eBay says it’ll be hosted by trading card and metaverse enthusiast DJ Skee. Chat participants will be able to interact with him via messages or reaction buttons.

Essentially, this is QVC on steroids, crossed with livestreaming. eBay likens it to being in a traditional offline shop, except who goes to those anymore?

eBay isn’t the only online company producing new shopping ideas. YouTube is working on a livestream shopping expansion. Twitter has Product Drops that give you reminders of upcoming sales, and livestreams.

Meta also has Live Shopping for creators, on both Facebook and Instagram. It seems the future is going to have a whole lot more infomercials.

eBay is going back to its roots in some ways, with a renewed focus on collectibles and trading cards. The online marketplace opened its own vault this month.

The vault is a 31-thousand square foot, 24/7 secured, temperature-controlled facility for collector’s use. Collectors and sellers can ship their cards to eBay for storage, paying a nominal fee when they withdraw their item.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• What will shopping in the Metaverse look like?
• How to stop Alexa’s Amazon shopping notifications
• Amazon is giving away over 30 games for Prime Day
• Amazon Prime Day 2022 starts on July 12

The post eBay is launching a new ‘live’ platform that’s basically QVC appeared first on KnowTechie.

Honestly, it’s time for IE to retire. First introduced in 1995, with the release of Windows 95, Internet Explorer literally took the internet by storm. Last year, Microsoft gave the timeline for retirement, and it’s finally here.

On June 15, Internet Explorer 11 will be officially retired for Windows 10 clients and Windows 10 IoT versions. That means if you’re a home user of Windows 10, you’ll have to make the switch to another, more modern browser, like Chrome or Edge.

It’s not a clean break for Microsoft. IE Mode in Microsoft Edge will work until 2029. Many legacy apps still require IE to access, so this time gives companies and developers the chance to modernize their apps. Those include apps built on Access, which used to need IE for web browser control.

Microsoft also isn’t ending IE support for Windows Server LTSC, IE Mode in Edge, IE 11 desktop on Windows 8.1, Windows 7 (with Extended Security Updates), Windows Server 2022, Windows 10 client LTSC, or Windows 10 IoT LTSC.

IE Mode in Edge will be available until 2029. You’ve got seven years to fix your only-accessible-in-IE apps. Seven years. Fix them.

IE 11 has been around for nearly a decade, and now it’ll only live on in memes. If you’ve not moved to a modern browser by now, here’s some words of wisdom from our founder. “Seriously, stop using Internet Explorer.”

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Google Chrome is still the fastest browser on Mac
• Firefox is putting ads in its search bar
• DuckDuckGo is tracking you even though it is a ‘private’ browser
• Microsoft Edge is testing a free in-browser VPN

The post RIP: Internet Explorer rides off into the sunset on June 15 appeared first on KnowTechie.

That seems like a pretty bold move, right? Especially in a world where Google controls more than 70 percent of searches.

Other engines, like Bing and DuckDuckGo, have tried to shake up the search engine market. But none of them realistically compete with Google.

That said, Ahrefs is seemingly confident that its new strategy will be able to draw users. In fact, the company has already invested $60 million of its own resources into the development of the Yep search engine. And the revenue predictions make that investment look pretty worthy.

“Let’s say that the biggest search engine in the world makes $100B a year. Now, imagine if they gave $90B to content creators and publishers. Wikipedia would probably earn a few billion dollars a year from its content. They’d be able to stop asking for donations and start paying the people who polish their articles a decent salary,” reads a statement on the Yep website.

But the real question is how Ahrefs can make Yep an actual competitor in the already well-established search engine market? I know it’ll take quite a lot to get me to switch to another option besides Google.

However, the idea behind Yep is a sound one. Without creators and publishers, there’s really no place for search engines to thrive at all. It only seems right that those engines share some of the revenue they’ve gained off the backs of creators.

Ahrefs seems serious about its new project. The company has invested $60 million into Yep without any external investments. It will be interesting to see how this new venture from the company takes off.

The Yep search engine is available now at yep.com.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Google can now remove your personal information from search results
• Twitter’s Search Subscribe will send you alerts for search terms
• This search engine is basically Google but for facial recognition
• Google Chrome on desktop now has a better image search option

The post Yep is a new search engine that rewards creators for content appeared first on KnowTechie.

That’s about a third of the number of daily Google Chrome users worldwide. Chrome has 3,378,967,819 users daily, between all sources. With Android having two billion daily users, and Chrome being the default browser, that does make sense.

Safari does have a strong presence in second place though, with 19.16% of all internet users. Microsoft Edge is in third place, with 212,695,000 users daily.

The thing is, should anyone be surprised? Safari is the default browser on all Apple devices. The company makes it hard to switch to any other browser, so it’s more surprising that some Apple users don’t use Safari.

The iPhone has over a billion users on its own, and there are at least 100 million Mac users to add to that total. It’s only recently that Apple let us change the default browser on iOS. I’ve stuck with Safari because it’s the easiest to use on my iPhone, even if I use Chrome everywhere else.

Apple’s WWDC developer conference for 2022 is nearly here, and we expect Apple to talk about Safari. That will probably be a focus on privacy concerns.

Last year, Apple redesigned Safari, which wasn’t received well. Apple then reverted to a prior version of Safari, giving users the choice of the two versions.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Where The Verge and NYT went wrong with Apple’s repair program
• How to automatically show the full URL in Safari
• This Chrome extension helps you read better and faster
• Don’t expect to see Apple’s VR/AR headset at WWDC this year

The post Safari is now used by over a billion people appeared first on KnowTechie.

Yes, you read that correctly. Users who are interested in trying out T-Mobile’s 5G home internet now have the opportunity to try it out free for 15 days.

This is a really nice feature for T-Mobile to add to its emerging home internet service. The inherent risk with cellular internet is that it relies on the signal strength at your house. With T-Mobile’s trial, you can check your home signal risk-free to make sure it’s strong enough.

READ MORE: T-Mobile is once again the 5G leader in the US

Of course, T-Mobile’s 5G network can’t quite compete with some of the wired, cable connections that many of us are used to. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth considering. It offers speeds from 33 to 182 Mbps, which is already an improvement over reported speeds earlier this year.

Additionally, T-mobile home internet is relatively affordable, with a flat fee of just $50 per month. There are no equipment fees or contracts so you can cancel at any time. And the plan is unlimited so there are no data caps that you need to worry about.

How to try T-Mobile’s home internet for free

READ MORE: T-Mobile is now selling your app usage data to advertisers

If you’re interested in making the switch over to 5G home internet, you might want to take advantage of the free trial period that T-Mobile offers. This way, you can make sure the service has a strong enough signal in your home to replace the service that you already have.

Start by heading to this T-Mobile link to check if the service is available in your area. The service is currently available in 40 million homes, but you’ll need to make sure yours is one of them.

After confirming availability, simply submit the information required on the screen. You’ll be prompted to enter your email address and phone number. Then, a T-Mobile representative will contact you to start the sign-up process.

You will have to create an account and enter your billing information. But if you decide to not use the service after the 15-day trial, T-Mobile will refund any initial charges.

After that, the company will send you a gateway (shown below) that doubles as your WiFi router. You simply plug the gateway in and follow T-Mobile’s setup instructions and you’re good to go. You might want to move the gateway around your home to find the best possible signal location.

Then all you need to do is test it out. If you decide that T-Mobile’s 5G home service meets your standards, you can continue to use it past the 15 days as a paid service. T-Mobile will even reimburse you up to $500 if you have to pay an early termination fee on your other internet service.

But if the service doesn’t fit your needs, there’s still no need to worry. Just contact T-Mobile support at 844-839-5057 to cancel the service before the 15 days are up. After that, send the gateway back to the company and you won’t have to worry about any future charges.

Risk-free trial for a new internet option

This is a really nice promotion from T-Mobile. Companies have been working on 5G home internet for a couple of years now. But users have always been skeptical concerning the signal strength of wireless, cellular internet.

But now, you can try out the service for yourself to see just how good the signal strength really is. And you don’t have to worry about paying a bunch of money for a service that might not even work.

And if you do decide that T-Mobile’s 5G home internet is sufficient for your needs, it could end up saving you some money. The service costs $50 per month with no contracts and no equipment fees. That price point is a little more appealing than some of the cable options that are currently available.

Again, head to this service compatibility page to see if T-Mobile home internet is available in your area. From there, you can start the process to begin your free trial and maybe switch over your home internet for good.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• T-Mobile is bringing back unlimited Google Photos storage
• New 5G report gives T-Mobile the crown over Verizon and AT&T
• Verizon users are being scammed by their own phone numbers
• How to switch off 5G to save iPhone battery life

The post How to try T-Mobile’s 5G home internet for free appeared first on KnowTechie.

And one of the dimensions is very special as it expands the very paradigm of gaming — from just great entertainment to deep and diverse social interactions.

Multiplayer games connect people. They allow players to complete brave missions together, battle in virtual worlds, or just take care of a joint garden.

Most importantly, all the players have a chance to express themselves here. It happens through the actions and appearance of game characters.

In-game skins give you the freedom to be whoever you want to be in this particular world. Have a fresh look for your Dota 2 hero, and the teammates with opponents will perceive you differently. Get an awesome M4A1-S skin for your CS:GO arsenal, and somehow you look (and feel) more threatening.

Theoretically, everything is possible when you express yourself through cosmetic items in multiplayer games (and creating your own unique atmosphere). But practically…

Tell Me What You Want

These items have been created for players, obviously, but they have some other roles in the big-scale play of the gaming business too. Skins are meant to bring money to the company and/or keep players inside this multiplayer adventure.

Knowing the internal values of skins, games sell them for cash. In this case, it’s not easy to purchase everything you want — the skin collection grows, and you need to invest in new stuff and purchase something for your ever-changing moods.

Knowing how gamers want to have a nice variety of skins, games give players a limited number and assortment of free items. Want some more? Play more! Or even better: just buy those skins already.

If you want specific stuff in your in-game cosmetics collection, be prepared to pay for it or desperately hunt for it with drops and various loot boxes.

But here is the moment when we figure out that there is a simple solution — you can exchange CS:GO skins.

This solution allows you to get rid of unwanted items and get something you are eager to use during your playing sessions.

There is also a way to delve into the world of exchanges, getting skins of a greater value than you had before, and even earn some money.

The Magic of Skins Exchange

Use reliable 3rd-party marketplaces, such as DMarket, and step beyond the environment of your game. DMarket connects skin owners and facilitates the exchange process.

So how does skins exchange work?

Basically, you put any skin from your inventory on the marketplace, decide what you want to get in exchange, and wait for someone who’s ready to offer that or something similar.

Or you can browse the list of available offers and accept one that is already on the marketplace.

It’s very easy to exchange skins — the whole process is intuitive and straightforward.

What might be a bit tricky is to get more from such exchanges. For example, to get skins that cost more in real-world value.

Or to get something that is more in demand among gamers, so that it’s easy for you to seal a profitable deal with those items.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can get involved in such a profitable skins exchange.

Exchange Skins — Get Skins and Money

Patience is a virtue, and knowledge is your best weapon. 

You need the patience to wait for the best offer possible. People visit the marketplace pretty often, listing their items for exchange or checking newly listed items.

Don’t rush the process until you see a good deal — then be as quick as possible because you are not alone on this hunt.

Your knowledge of the game and its community is crucial for recognizing a good deal in the marketplace. Skins exchange is a kind of science, and you become a pro at it as you gain experience.

Why is that skin so popular? Which items would gamers rather not buy?

The knowledge should be based on your personal understanding of this specific game, new/existing items in it, and events at esports competitions.

Here are some possible strategies:

• You find someone who wants your specific skin and is ready to give more for it. You need to be aware of rare items in your collection and give them a higher value accordingly.
• Look for random offers when people don’t want to delve deep into the topic. They offer rare and valuable skins more cheaply only because they don’t like them and prefer something else.
• You have a valuable and rare skin, and you exchange it for a bunch of more common and cheaper items — and their general price is significantly bigger. Then you exchange a few of those cheaper skins for something you want for your collection, and sell the rest for cash.
• You are somewhat opposed to the previous item — you collect popular but cheaper skins and then look for a rare and expensive one on offer.
• Use the intermediation of money. Sometimes it’s easier to seal a deal with cash than to make an exchange transaction. If you sell your skins, you can use that money to purchase whatever you want on the marketplace (and keep the rest).

There is one more ingredient to your recipe for success in the skins exchange, and it’s luck. But the basis for gaining it is the same — patience and knowledge.

Patiently explore the marketplace and wait for good offers. And then when you know something great is on the horizon, catch it and enjoy your skin and monetary profit.

A Reliable Marketplace

The skin trading/exchanging business has become pretty huge. On one hand, you still can fall into some nasty traps with dishonest people. On the other hand, the industry has already formed a reliable infrastructure, and if you use it, you will be safe.

DMarket has gained quite a reputation in the in-game items business. The platform works with various games, such as CS:GO, Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, and Rust.

In addition, DMarket develops its NFT ecosystem and supports exclusive integrations with some gaming titles.

DMarket is one of a few reliable platforms, and it has an impressive number of active users. The popularity of this marketplace increases your chances of “catching” a very good offer.

You can exchange skins and items from other games here, sell something from your inventory for real money, purchase skins of your choice, and you can even withdraw cash from your DMarket account to various payment systems.

While playing your favorite game, you automatically accumulate cosmetic items, and for multiplayer titles, it’s just part of the process.

Most of them are pretty much useless, so take them to the marketplace and exchange skins for something awesome, something you would use in the game, and something that expresses your great personality in this virtual environment.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Best AK47 skins in CS:GO
• CS:GO Skins trading: Steam marketplace or third-party sites?
• Are Nintendo Switch skins and decals safe to use?
• Fortnite removed building so now it’s just like other battle royales

The post How to exchange game skins and earn money appeared first on KnowTechie.

Your next flight might have in-flight WiFi powered by Starlink satellites. Both semi-private regional carrier JSX and Hawaiian Air are rolling out free, Starlink connectivity for all their passengers.

JSX’s first flights equipped with Starlink internet are scheduled for later this year. It plans to outfit 100 jets to start with.

Hawaiian Air will be operating Starlink-equipped airliners next year. It will be trans-Pacific flights only, with the smaller Boeing 717 planes that operate inter-island not getting the service.

READ MORE: Starlink can now provide internet to cars, boats, and planes

Delta Air Lines is also testing Starlink out, but currently, the company has no firm plans for an announcement or timeframe for the new service.

Because Starlink’s satellites are linked, data can travel through the vacuum of space. That makes it faster than fiber optic cables. It also means less latency than other satellite-based systems, perfect for better in-flight internet.

SpaceX has been asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve Starlink on commercial aircraft and shipping vessels for in-flight WiFi use. The FCC has approved testing only at this time. Any agreement with the airlines is pending regulatory approvals.

READ MORE: Starlink can now beam high-speed internet to boats

There are some 2,000 Starlink satellites in near-Earth orbit. Not everyone likes the fact they’re up there. China said that the satellites nearly collided with its space station twice in 2021.

There’s also the chance that space debris in near-Earth orbit could trap us on our planet. That’s only going to get worse if SpaceX is allowed to put the 12,000 CubeSats it wants up into orbit.

READ MORE: Delta’s new AI-powered screen shows personalized flight info

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Elon Musk is officially buying Twitter, but will anything change?
• Starlink’s new Premium tier will set you back an eye-watering $500 a month
• SpaceX wants to launch a whopping 52 missions into space this year
• Starlink’s internet speeds are dropping as more people join the service

The post Starlink will provide free in-flight WiFi later this year appeared first on KnowTechie.

So what if you could make that buzz a regular thing while somehow maintaining an element of surprise? You can, of course — and it’s all thanks to subscription services.

Using a subscription service means having a steady flow of goodies delivered directly to your doorstep.

You can opt for simply replenishing your supplies of basic utility products, of course, but there’s more fun in choosing a service where you’re truly getting something new every time a package arrives — and you can find a service whether you’re after hot sauce or hand towels. Look around and you’ll surely find something perfect for you.

In this post, we’re going to look at eight of the weirdest subscription services you can find online — but first, we’ll delve a little into how subscription services became so popular in the first place. Let’s get started, shall we?

Why are there so many subscription services?

Today, subscription services are everywhere. Want to catch the latest Disney flick? Fancy some healthy snacks? Just want to make sure your delivery arrives on time? There’s a subscription for that.

But if you haven’t been closely following the development of the ecommerce world, you might be a little unclear about how this happened.

Well, there are actually several factors that have contributed to this industry shift. Let’s go through the leading reasons why it’s so easy to find subscription services today:

• Digital streaming changed the game. Netflix and Spotify gained so much traction because they were so much more convenient than their alternatives, and they got consumers accustomed to the subscription concept. Now they think nothing of committing to monthly schemes for audio and video, they’re much more open to doing the same for other services and even products.
• Software democratized ecommerce. There are more subscription services because there are more online entrepreneurs in general, and there are two reasons for that. Firstly, a relative dearth of regular work opportunities made people eager to make their own opportunities — and secondly, the proliferation of SaaS solutions allowed them to do just that.

Consider how easy CMS options like Wix made website creation simple, or — more relevantly — how subscription management software like Chargebee empowered budding sellers to run sophisticated subscription services without needing to learn anything about web development.

• Competition drove product margins down. With so many online stores around, and suppliers looking for all manner of ways to keep prices down, it became hugely difficult for a seller to reach decent margins on their products. By packaging those products into unique arrangements, they could charge extra for their expert curation, allowing them to bring in significantly greater returns.
• The internet made life less mysterious. There used to be so many things that would surprise people on a daily basis. Now, though, we live in a time of spoilers and instant worldwide communication, and this has sparked our desire for some classic mystery. A big selling point for a typical subscription box, then, is the element of uncertainty about what each box will include.

For all these reasons (and more), the internet is packed with subscription services. Bespoke tea cozies made from organic wool? Absolutely. Hand-made soap bars? No problem.

But we can do weirder, so let’s get to either of the strangest subscription-based offerings the web has to offer. Here we go:

Dive Bar Shirt Club

The USP? “T-shirts from the best bars you’ve never heard of”. Want to represent dive bars from across America? Dive Bar Shirt Club will send you authentic wearable merchandise from bars across the US.

Representing bars from the Shooting Star in Utah to the Matador in New Mexico, these shirts are sure to satisfy the budding barfly within!

Hunt A Killer

Think you’ve got what it takes to crack the case? Hunt A Killer sends out an individual “episode” each month which pits you, the detective, against an intriguing murder mystery case.

If you find yourself asking “How did they miss that?!” while bingeing true crime documentaries, this could be just the subscription for you.

Avocado Monthly

Avocados sent to your door on a regular basis. That’s it. We’re not sure what else to say. They’re hand-grown in California and they’re delicious.

Want to say farewell forever to the absence of avocados in your household? Have six delivered to your door for $29.50 per month, or 9 for $40, and pursue all the avocado-related projects can you can dream up.

Fancy Sprinkles

Baking an inordinate number of cakes every month? Churning out chocolate-chip cookies like there’s no tomorrow? If so, there’s a good chance you’re running low on sprinkles.

The folks at Fancy Sprinkles know this issue all too well, which is why they’ve pioneed a subscription service dedicated to mass sprinkling. 

Barring sprinkle-based panic buying or a complete collapse of worldwide sprinkle infrastructure, a subscription to Fancy Sprinkles should ensure that your cakes receive suitable coatings for the foreseeable future. Truly a blessing.

Cloudpaper

Talking of panic-buying, how are you doing with toilet paper? Cloudpaper is more than happy to deliver 24 silky-smooth rolls of TP straight to your door.

Made from bamboo, Cloudpaper’s rolls are environmentally friendly and convenient. Better yet, in the event of another global disaster, you’ll be the most popular person around!

Battlbox

If you’re convinced that the apocalypse may soon be upon us (an idea looking less crazy by the day), Battlbox might pique your interest.

Whether you pick a basic, advanced, pro, or pro plus box, you’ll receive a smorgasbord of survival essentials every month.

Prices start from $29 per month and you can expect to receive some intriguing items in every delivery. From ‘Road Candles’ to ‘Rapid Ropes’, you’ll be ready for anything.

Bonebox

Time to enter the bone zone. The idea is simple, albeit baffling: pay Bonebox each month and you’ll receive the remains of animals great and small.

Promising ‘genuine remains only’, Bonebox will never send out replicas, so you can rest assured that your mailbox will soon be stuffed with skulls, teeth, and various other bits. Lovely!

Navigate a thorny confrontation with a turkey skull after a hard day at the office, or rush to the door in the morning to welcome a rabbit’s foot.

If anything about this somehow sounds compelling to you, there’s a world of enjoyment awaiting you with Bonebox.

Bark Potty

Eco-friendly potty pads for the pampered pooch in your life. Bark Potty assures us that the natural earthy smells emitted from this premium potty pad should stimulate your dog’s natural instinct to ‘go’.

Crucially, each pad is designed to neutralize any nasty smells, and shipping is completely free. Each box is $37. let’s hope your hound has a decent aim.

Found a bizarre box of your own? Let us know about any strange subscription service we may have missed in the comments below!

Editors’ Recommendations:

• How to cancel many of the subscription services you might not be using
• Nura offers a subscription services that let you rent high-end headphones
• How to cancel your subscriptions and stop paying for services you don’t need
• Cancel subscriptions & stop wasting money on services you don’t need with this app

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RuneScape is a massive online multiplayer game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is important to learn the basics before you start playing. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

About RuneScape

RuneScape is a browser-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in January 2001 by British developer Jagex.

RuneScape was originally a Java applet, but after poor reception, it was replaced with an HTML client in February 2002. Despite its release over fifteen years ago, RuneScape continues to receive updates.

The game is set in the Middle Ages in a fictional world named Gielinor, which is divided into different kingdoms, regions, and cities.

Players can travel throughout Gielinor on foot or by using various forms of transportation such as boats and magic carpets. They can complete quests, fight monsters, and interact with other players.

There are two versions of RuneScape: the pay-to-play (PvP) version and the free-to-play (FtP) version. The PvE version requires a monthly subscription fee, but allows access to all areas of the game. The FtP version has some restricted areas, but is otherwise free to play.

1. Create A Strong Password

The first tip is to create a strong password. It is recommended that a strong password has eight characters and includes a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.

Also, never use the same password for multiple purposes. If you do, your account will be much easier to hack. Namely, the most common passwords are “123456” and “password”.

So, try to be creative and use a different password for each of your accounts. This will make it much harder for someone to hack into your account.

2. Use A Secure Connection

The second tip is to use a secure connection. When you are playing RuneScape, it is important to use a secure connection. This means that you should never play on public Wi-Fi.

Public Wi-Fi is not secure and anyone can access your account if they know your password. The best way to play RuneScape is to use a private Wi-Fi connection.

This way, only you will have access to your account and no one else will be able to hack into it.

3. Earn OSRS Gold

Earning OSRS gold can be a difficult task, especially for new players. However, there are a few ways that you can make some quick and easy money. One way is to pick up dropped items and resell them.

On the other hand, you can find a store to buy OSRS gold or mine for ore and sell it to other players. You can also kill monsters and take their loot. Or, you can do quests and get rewards.

Whatever method you choose, just make sure you are careful about how much money you spend. You don’t want to end up in debt!

4. Be Careful About What You Download

The third tip is to be careful what you download. When you are playing RuneScape, you will come across many files that you can download. However, not all of these files are safe.

Some of them may contain viruses or malware that can harm your computer. An example of such a file is the “RuneScape Client”. This file is not safe to use, and you should avoid it at all costs.

So, it is important to be careful what you download. Only download files from trusted sources.

5. Improve Your Skills

The fourth tip is to improve your skills. RuneScape is a complex game, and it takes time to master it. So, don’t be discouraged if you are not doing well at first.

Just keep practicing and you will eventually get better. There are many resources available online that can help you improve your skills. Make use of them and you will surely become a better player.

6. Get Quests Done

The fifth tip is to get quests done. Quests are an important part of RuneScape. They can help you level up your character and earn some money. So, it is always a good idea to complete as many quests as you can.

There are many guides available online that can help you complete quests. For instance, there are quests for every skill in the game. So, if you want to level up your mining skill, you can look for a quest that requires you to mine ore.

These are just a few tips that can help you get started with playing RuneScape. Just remember to be careful about what you do and never give up! With time and practice, you will become a master of this game. Good luck!

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• A beginner’s guide for old school RuneScape players
• Do’s and don’ts for a successful Runescape player
• RuneScape’s deadman wonderland: Dimension of the Damned
• The most effective methods to level up fast in Lost Ark

The post How to play Runescape: 6 useful tips appeared first on KnowTechie.