The winner of the 2015 Federal Trade Commission's "Robocalls: Humanity Strikes Back" contest, RoboKiller is an app that smothers robocalls on landlines and mobile phones. Creators Ethan Garr and Bryan Moyles rely on universally available call forwarding to screen incoming calls, and use audio-fingerprint technology to determine if the call is from a human or a robot. "We're about 98 percent effective," says Garr.
Consumers dial a simple code to forward their calls to RoboKiller. When a call comes in, the system analyzes it for audio clues that identify whether the caller is a human or a robot—"chunks of silence, delays, how the sounds are made, how the sounds scale," Garr explains. "All these details go into our algorithm, which weights them and scores the result as human or robot."
Read more about the reason for the flood of robocalls and how you can combat them in "Rage Against Robocalls." And find out what works best against these annoying calls in our robocall blocker review.
If the call is from a robot, Garr says, "we kill it and put it in our SpamBox." (That's RoboKiller's term for a "honeypot," an information system used by government, private and academic partners to lure, collect and analyze robocalls.)The SpamBox utilizes consumer-controlled whitelist and blacklist filtering and provides personalized setting options. RoboKiller also analyzes data to identify "legal" calls such as notifications of school closings or your pharmacy alerting you to a prescription refill. Consumers can access the SpamBox at any time to update their whitelist settings.
If the caller is human, the call is returned to your smartphone. "That's the one requirement," says Garr. While calls can be forwarded from any type of phone, he notes, "You need a smartphone" to receive the calls. In the future, though, consumers will be able to port their phone numbers to RoboKiller, so the call can be returned to a landline.
Garr and Moyles work for TelTech, a New Jersey-based app developer, whose TrapCall caller ID unmasking device helped protect consumers from this year's notorious IRS phone scam. "We saw people get hurt from the IRS phone scam and we learned that robocalls were part of that problem. That's where we came up with the genesis of the idea for RoboKiller," Garr says.
RoboKiller is currently available in a free beta format for iPhones and Android phones. Garr and Moyles are donating their $25,000 prize money to a Kickstarter campaign to further develop RoboKiller. "What will make RoboKiller successful is people using it," says Garr. "This has the potential to solve the problem of robocalls on a mass scale. We're improving every day."
Y ou're settled in safe at home when suddenly the lights go out and the comforting hums of the refrigerator and furnace fade out. As you rummage around in a drawer for the flashlights and batteries, you're probably kicking yourself for not investing in a generator after the last storm. Don't let that happen during the next one. The best of the 45 generators in Consumer Reports' tests supply power for everything from the bare necessities to your whole house. Some generators deliver more juice than others. Some, including pricey inverter models, provide power that's cleaner and won't make appliances run hotter and sensitive electronics run less reliably. Others include smart features, such as automatic shutdown if engine oil gets low. Here's how to choose one wisely, install it properly, use it safely, and keep it running as long as possible.
Choose stationary or portable
Stationary models are significantly more expensive, but they start automatically when the power goes out and often supply more power than portables. They also periodically run a self-diagnosis routine that can alert you, via the display panel or sometimes text or e-mail. Running on natural gas or propane, they save you the hassle and safety risks of storing gallons of gasoline.
In addition to costing less, portables can be transported easily to another location. If you go for a portable, one handy new feature to look for is a removable console, connected via cable to the generator. You can plug directly into the console without running extension cords to the generator, which we don't recommend.
Know your power needs
Unless you want the generator to keep the whole house running, compile a list of priorities for what you want your portable model to power. At the very least you'll probably want to make sure essentials such as the refrigerator, sump pump, and heating system stay on. Additionally, you can map every outlet and switch in the house so that you'll know which circuit on your service panel powers what. Two people on cell phones can do that easily. Leave one person manning the panel while the other goes from room to room, checking what works as circuits are switched on and off. A circuit finder, $25 to $30, can help identify which circuit on your service panel powers a given receptacle.
Of course, for a fee a pro can also perform that diagnosis for you. The list of circuits will help you determine just what you want your generator to target.
Consult a pro
Whichever type of generator you choose, consult an electrician to ensure proper selection and installation. If you already know which items in your home you'll want to power, you could save hundreds by not paying for the labor required to map the circuits. If you're going for a stationary model, a pro should be able to help with your town or municipal requirements for proper location on your property, noise restrictions, and obtaining permits.
Consider a transfer switch
Extension cords are a hassle, and they can be hazardous. A transfer switch, about $500 to $900 with labor to install, links the generator to your circuit panel. That lets you power circuits, including those for hardwired appliances, directly. You'll need at least a 5,000-rated-watt generator to use one.
Keep up with maintenance
For a stationary generator, make a habit of checking its display to see whether maintenance is required. For a portable, your owner's manual will tell you how often to change the oil and which type to use. If your generator uses gasoline, add stabilizer to all of your stored fuel.
Always operate safely
Never run a generator indoors; it creates deadly levels of carbon monoxide. It should be run at least 15 feet from the house, away from doors and windows, and never in the basement, the garage, or any other enclosed space. Don't run a portable in the rain; model-specific tents are available online.
How much generator do you need?
Here's what different-sized generators can power. Pick a model that generates wattage at least equal to the total for what you're powering. Manufacturers also suggest totaling the higher surge watts that some appliances—such as fridges and pumps—draw when they cycle on. One caveat: Small portables require you to connect appliances using extension cords, which is inconvenient and can even be potentially dangerous.
Small portable: 3,000 to 4,000 watts
What it powers: The basics, including:
Refrigerator (600 watts)
Sump pump (600 watts)
Several lights (400 watts)
TV (200 watts)
Price range: $400 to $800 for most; more for inverter models that use an alternative technology that makes wattage output smoother so that there are no power surges.
Midsized portable and small stationary: 5,000 to 8,500 watts
What it powers: Same as small models, plus:
Portable heater (1,300 watts)
Computer (250 watts)
Heating system (500 watts)
Well pump (1,500 watts)
More lights (400 watts)
Price range: $500 to $1,000 for portable; $1,800 to $3,200 for stationary.
Large portable: 10,000 watts
What it powers: Adds one of these:
Small electric water heater (3,000 watts)
Central air conditioner (5,000 watts)
Electric range (5,000 watts)
Price range: $2,000 to $3,000.
Large stationary: 10,000 to 15,000 watts
What it powers: Same as large portable models, plus:
Clothes washer (1,200 watts)
Electric dryer (5,000 watts)
Price range: $3,500 to $5,000 plus installation.
How much fuel?
A 7,000-watt portable generator will use 12 to 20 gallons of gasoline per day if run continuously for 24 hours. More powerful generators use more fuel. (Store gasoline only in ANSI-approved containers.) A small 8,000-watt stationary model can run for eight to 15 days on a 250-gallon propane tank or indefinitely on a natural-gas line.
What made Sandy a superstorm?
'Superstorm' is now part of our lexicon. But just what made October 2012's Sandy so super? A hurricane followed by a nor'easter, it packed a potent one-two punch. Winds of 80-plus mph, epic waves, and the storm surge pummeled the East Coast—killing at least 147 and causing about $50 billion in damages. Read our special report, "Lessons Learned From Superstorm Sandy," to help you be prepared when a natural disaster strikes.
Maybe that last pop-up asking if you want to join some random Wi-Fi network was the final straw, or perhaps it was another unwelcome alert on a lazy Sunday. Maybe you're feeling a little woozy from iOS's zoomy new screen effects, or it could be that you wish the stubborn Newsstand app would make itself scarce. Whatever it is, let's face it: Sometimes iOS can be, well, annoying.
The good news is that you can tweak or turn off many of iOS's most nagging and intrusive features. All it takes is a little time spent in Settings.
Asking if you want to join a new Wi-Fi network
Assuming everything's running smoothly, your iPhone or iPad will seamlessly switch between your "known" home and office Wi-Fi networks and its cellular data connection. But even when you're not connected to Wi-Fi, iOS will keep an ear out for any other nearby Wi-Fi networks—and if it finds any, a pop-up will appear, asking if you want to join one of them.
Annoyed by all the "Select a Wireless Network" pop-ups? There's an easy way to turn them off.
That's a handy feature for spendthrifts on the lookout for free Wi-Fi, but if you're someone who'd never consider joining one of those iffy "Public Wi-Fi" hotspots (as you should be), those "Available Wi-Fi networks" pop-ups can get annoying real fast.
To turn them off for good, tap Settings > Wi-Fi, then turn off the "Ask to Join Networks" setting.
Asking if you really want to delete an email
Few things in life are as satisfying as deleting email from your inbox with a quick tap on the Trash icon. Getting in the way of all that efficiency, though, is that annoying little "Trash Message" confirmation that appears each and every time you tap the Trash button inside an open message (or Edit > Trash).
Save yourself a tap by disabling iOS's "Ask Before Delete" setting.
The culprit? iOS's "Ask Before Deleting" setting—which, oddly enough, won't actually stop you from trashing a message by simply swiping it from the Inbox view.
So, what's the point of the "Ask Before Deleting" setting, given that the swipe-to-delete gesture is the easiest way to trash a message by accident? Good question.
You can disable the annoying "Trash Message" dialog by tapping Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and toggling the "Ask Before Deleting" setting.
Zooming in and out of apps with too-cool "motion effects"
iOS got a huge facelift with the arrival of iOS 7 in 2013, serving up an all-new interface with an assortment of flashy, eye-popping features.
Dizzy yet? iOS's "Reduce Motion Effects" setting can help.
Among them were "parallax" effects, or clever visual trickery that gives the screen the illusion of depth. Tilt your iPhone this way or that, for example, and your apps will appear to be floating on the home screen. iOS 7 also introduced a dizzying (for some, at least) effect where apps and folders zoom in and out as you open and close them.
Neat—but kinda weird and woozy, too. If your eyes and stomach need a break, tap Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion, then flip the switch on.
Bugging you with notifications even when Do Not Disturb is switched on
You activated iOS's Do Not Disturb mode—you know, the feature that disables the sound on some or all of your alerts—so you could read your new Kindle book in peace. And yet, alerts are still buzzing and your phone is still ringing. What gives?
You can set "Do Not Distrub" mode to truly leave you alone, even when your iPhone or iPad is unlocked.
Well, Do Not Disturb was originally designed to silence your alerts and alarms only when your iPhone or iPad was asleep. Once your iOS device was unlocked, all your alerts would start going off again, even if Do Not Disturb's telltale half-moon icon was still sitting at the top of the screen.
Luckily, Apple saw the light and added a Do Not Disturb setting that'll muzzle your notifications at all times, even when your handset is awake.
Just tap Settings > Do Not Disturb, scroll down to the Silence heading, then toggle the setting from "Only while iPhone is locked" to "Always."
Bonus tip: To make sure important calls get through when you have Do Not Disturb switched on, tap Settings > Do Not Disturb > Allow Calls From, then pick "Everyone," "No One," or "Favorites." You can also enable the "Repeated Calls" setting to allow calls from someone who is (perhaps frantically) calling your number over and over.
Buttons that don't look like buttons
When Apple debuted the sleek, ultra-modern design of the revamped iOS 7, one of the most helpful features of the old iPhone/iPad interface went out with the bathwater: Specifically, buttons that actually look like buttons.
The "Button Shapes" setting will help iOS's so-called buttons look a bit more like buttons.
In their place: Navigation arrows and one-word "buttons" that are easy to miss—or at least, they are to those of us who still expect touchscreen buttons to look like... well, buttons.
Those old, curved iOS buttons aren't coming back anytime soon, but at least there's a way to give iOS's "un-buttons" a bit more graphical heft. Just tap General > Accessibility, then flick on the Button Shapes switch.
Now, those too-subtle arrows and labels will boast either a light-gray outline or underlining—clunky and ugly, yes, but at least they'll look tappable.
The stubborn Newsstand app on your home screen
There's something about the iOS Newsstand app that's aggressively, well, just there, whether you like it or not.
So long, Newsstand. You won't be missed.
Newsstand is the home for any of your digital magazine or newspaper subscriptions purchased through iTunes, but it won't house any non-iTunes publications, nor can you drag your iTunes subscriptions out of the Newsstand folder. Also, once you open a magazine or newspaper app in Newsstand, you can't jump back to your home screen without making a stop at the Newsstand interface first. And no, you can't delete Newsstand off your iPhone or iPad, no matter how hard you try.
All in all, supremely annoying (and no wonder that Newsstand will get a major overhaul and a name change once iOS 9 arrives). In the meantime, though, you can at least hide Newsstand in a way that wasn't even possible until iOS 7 came around: Just tuck it into a folder, perhaps along with other iOS apps you never use. (Notes, anyone?)
The new Apple Music "Connect" button
If you finally gave in and updated your iPhone or iPad to iOS 8.4, you probably noticed the all-new Apple Music app on your home screen—and, sitting at the bottom of Apple Music's revamped interface, you may also have seen the Connect tab.
Can't find a way to get rid of the "Connect" button? It can be done, once you poke around your Restrictions settings.
What's Connect? It's Apple's way of letting you "connect" with your favorite artists. Think of it as a music-focused Twitter stream stocked with updates and photos of musicians... well, doing their thing.
If you've always wanted to feel a little closer to your favorite bands and crooners, Apple Music Connect may be the thing you've been waiting for. If not, you may find yourself wondering how to zap the prominent "Connect" button off the Apple Music interface, since none of the usual methods (like tapping an "Edit" button or tapping and holding the Connect button itself) will work.
Here's what you do:
Tap Settings > General > Restrictions, then either "Enable Restrictions" (if you don't have iOS's Restrictions feature turned on yet) or enter your Restrictions passcode (which you'll need to create the first time you turn Restrictions on).
Scroll down a bit until you find the "Apple Music Connect" setting, then turn that setting off.
Head back to the Apple Music app and behold the Playlists button, which just replaced the now-missing Connect button.
Given the nature of our connected world, a business' website could be viewed as its lifeblood. Customers are increasingly likely to find your business online, which means it's important that you find a dependable web hosting solution without breaking the bank.
Whether you're looking to set up a new website or switch operations over to a new host, you're looking at a sea of potential options. Not only do you want to find a web host that will be stable under load, but it's particularly important for businesses large and small to pick a provider with the right balance of plan options and prices.
To help you make your choice, we've put together this list of 10 of the best web hosting providers out there.
1. SiteGround
Excellent customer service and features at a price
SiteGround is one of the top rated web hosts out there, and with good reason. Prices are a bit higher than some competitors, but are still fairly competitive. However, plans are feature-packed, and customer service is generally reported to be great.
2. Media Temple
Expensive, but worth it for serious business needs
Like most other options on this list, you get your selection of shared, dedicated, VPS, and WordPress hosting with MediaTemple. There's something for just about everyone, with a wide array of prices to go along. Overall, Media Temple is a great option for just about anyone.
DreamHost knocks it out of the park when it comes to the sheer amount of choice with its plans. Like other web hosts, the provider offers everything from WordPress hosting and shared hosting to VPS and dedicated servers, giving you a wide variety of choice. But DreamHost provides a plethora of options within each hosting type, along with an equally large spread of prices.
HostGator is a name that definitely deserves more recognition. Like most web hosting providers, HostGator offers up three main packages at competitive prices. Also like most providers, you'll get a slightly cheaper rate if you're willing to sign up for more than one year at a time.
Don't be fooled by the cartoon cow on your screen: FatCow is another host where you can't really go wrong. The service has a great record for uptime, prices are generally in-line with the competition, and site response times are fast and fluid.
If your main concern is a tight budget, iPage is the hosting solution for you. As you progressively move up each of iPage's tiers, you'll notice that the host's prices consistently undercut much of the competition. Alongside iPage's budget attraction comes reliable uptime, generally good website speeds, and features you'd expect from any decent web hosting service.
7. BlueHost
Great pricing, but reliability is a concern
Excellent variety
Affordable
Uptime concerns
Slow customer support
BlueHost offers a wide variety of hosting packages that are really only limited by how much you want to spend and whether you prefer shared, VPS, or dedicated hosting. Prices are reasonable, even coming in slightly cheaper than some of its competitors on some plans.
HostRocket can be a bit more expensive than some other options, but generally provides a similar suite of hosting plans and services. You'll be able to find a plan for just about everyone, and they offer all of the major features you've come to expect from a competent web host.
9. 1&1
User-friendly setup is the name of the game with 1&1
As far as basic web hosting is concerned, 1&1 does the job. If you're a small business interested in a no-frills, easy setup, then this option may be worth a look. 1&1's main packages are affordable, with a total of four ranging from a base rate of $3.99 to $12.99 per month. There are additional "performance" packages available as well if you're okay with spending quite a bit more.
10. GoDaddy
Competent packages, but with questionable customer support
Chances are when you first thought about web hosting, GoDaddy popped into your mind. The company advertises aggressively and is one of the biggest domain registrars out there. Unfortunately this doesn't necessarily make GoDaddy your best option. As a basic hosting service, GoDaddy is competent and sports all of the features you'd expect from a web host. However, users have generally reported a subpar customer service experience with fairly long wait times and unreliable uptime.
