IRON BLOG

Earlier this year, Google announced that its line of Nest smart home devices would be folded into its “helpful home” initiative. A side effect of this move is IFTTT fans would no longer be able to build triggers and automations using their Nest devices, starting on August 31, 2019...

The imminent launch of Android 10 (née “Android Q”) will bring a host of new things to do, and several built-in Android apps are also prepping a few fun features that you can try out right now—no Android Q needed. These include Google’s own Digital Wellbeing app, which lets users monitor their device and app usage, set screen timers, and enable special modes to curb distractions. The app’s next big feature, Focus mode, can temporarily “lock” users out of distracting apps to help them maintain their focus elsewhere—for work, school, errands, or even just family dinner...

Despite being associated with some of the biggest technologies and most popular devices currently available, Google also develops products and services for places with limited infrastructure and resources. One of these products, the streamlined search app “Google Go,” is now available worldwide for all Android users to try. Google Go was designed for Android Go devices, which are primarily sold in regions where connection speeds are slow or unreliable. Since the app is now rolling out everywhere, any Android device running Android 5...

Windows has a propensity to accrue digital dust and grime that can bog down the system, and reinstalling the operating system is a nice catch-all cure for anything that ails it. Newer versions of Windows include a handy refresh option that lets you keep your personal files, but removes your apps and reinstalls Windows. This saves you from a lengthier backup and restore, and it cuts down on reconfiguring your device after you’ve reinstalled the OS—it just doesn’t always work. Ironically, many of the issues that force users into trying a Windows refresh can also prevent it from working...

We try our best to keep Lifehacker readers aware of recent data breaches and security vulnerabilities that might have compromised their data. Any good website or service should tell you what’s up, too. Sometimes, though, you get an email out of the blue that your account credentials have been compromised—even though the company sending you that information is just fine. What gives? As internet security reporter Brian Krebs points out in a recent blog post, a company asking you to change your password...