Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

Digital assistants are becoming increasingly popular as people become used to the idea of controlling electronic devices by speaking to them. With Android, Google has supported limited voice control for a while with "OK, Google", but with the release of the Voice Access app you can now do much, much more.

The problem with uttering "OK, Google" at your phone is that there are fairly severe limitations on what you can do -- there are only a small number of supported actions. But with Voice Access you can use your voice to dictate and edit text, and interact with anything that appear on the screen. Here's how to get started.

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Apple is using proprietary software to block third parties from making repairs on new iMac Pro and 2018 MacBook Pro computers.

A document sent to Apple's Authorized Service Providers -- seen by MacRumors and Motherboard -- shows that the T2 security chip that's built into modern Macs is being used to prevent authorized repairs from being carried out. The security feature requires Macs to pass Apple diagnostics in order for specific repairs to be performed.

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We live in an age where privacy is simultaneously highly valued and under increasing attack -- and nowhere is this truer than online. The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) has been fighting the corner for web users for some time, and with the latest version of its Privacy Badger extension it is helping people fight back against Google.

The latest update to the extension -- which is available for Chrome and Opera on the desktop, and Firefox on both the desktop and Android -- introduces new blocks on "link tracking" in Google web search, Hangouts and the Docs suite

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Researchers from Australia's RMIT University have created a font which they say could help you to retain more data.

Sans Forgetica is the result of work involving typographic design specialists and psychologists, and it has been designed specifically to make it easier to remember written information. The font has purposefully been made slightly difficult to read, using a reverse slant and gaps in letters to exploit the "desirable difficulty" as a memory aid.

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Without a mobile operating system of its own, Microsoft is doing more for iOS and Android users than ever before. One example of this is the Your Phone app which makes it possible to view your Android phone's photos on your computer, as well as viewing and sending text messages from the comfort of Windows 10. Microsoft has also promised to enable an exciting-sounding app-mirroring feature.

As long as you have upgraded to the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, you'll have the Your Phone app installed on your computer already. Here we take a look at this handy tool and show you how to get started with it.

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Having introduced a new Voice Access app to allow for full voice control of Android phones, Google has also redesigned Google Assistant on both iOS and Android.

The revamp makes the app a more visual experience, with Google acknowledging that while the Assistant is a voice-activated tool, touch is also a key component. With the redesign, Google hopes that bigger visuals and new controls will make it easier and faster to get things done with a combination of voice and touch.

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Continuing to increase its appeal to cord-cutters, Plex has announced a new on-demand streaming feature. Plex Web Shows is launching in beta and includes curated content from independent creators like Epic Meal Time, ASAPscience, Household Hacker, People are Awesome, and The Pet Collective, as well as brands including GQ, Saveur, Epicurious, and Pitchfork.

Plex Web Shows works across a range of devices -- web, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Windows, macOS and more --  and does not require either a Plex server or a paid Plex subscription. Like Plex News and Plex Podcasts, content is not only curated, but includes smart, custom recommendations based on preferences and watching history.

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Google has announced the availability of a new TLD (top-level domain) from its own Google Registry. Joining the likes of .com and .org comes .page which is described as "a new opportunity for anyone to build an online presence".

With security in mind, Google says that all .page websites require an SSL certificate. For businesses and individuals, the race is now on to grab the domain they want before it is snapped up by someone else.

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Apple has released the second beta version of iOS 12.1 and while the iPhone-maker is heralding the including of more than 70 new emoji, the bigger news is that it includes a fix for the charging problem users have been complaining about.

When owners of the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max started to complain that their handsets were not charging, it was initially thought there was a problem with the latest hardware. But it seems that the problem was actually down to iOS 12.

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Google has a new app that allows for full control of an Android phone with your voice -- Voice Access. While it has been possible to perform simple actions such as switching apps and writing messages, the ability to interact with on-screen elements is something that has been missing.

Pitched as an accessibility tool, Voice Access fills in many gaps in Android's voice control system, making it possible to navigate apps, edit text and much more.

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Since the revelation that a "security issue" allowed hackers to steal access tokens to view people's Facebook accounts, the company has provided a further update about the incident. Facebook has already provided one update about the attack, but now the investigation has progressed and the social network is trying to offer reassurances to those who have understandable concerns about security.

The company says that the attackers did not access any apps that make use of Facebook Login, the system that makes it possible to sign into other accounts and services with Facebook credentials.

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The problems of bullying, harassment and trolling on social media are getting worse all of the time and the likes of Twitter and Facebook are under pressure to offer tools and protection to their users. Today Facebook unveils new options to help empower those who fall victim to such attacks.

One new feature provides a way to report or delete multiple posts at once, and there is also a way to report bullying on behalf of someone else. Facebook is introducing new protections for public figures -- who frequently find themselves under attack -- and is also pushing education programs.

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Today -- Wednesday October 3 -- your phone will receive a text message; assuming you're in the US, that is, and use Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T or Sprint as your carrier. The text should arrive from 11:18AM PT / 2:18PM ET, and it will feature the dramatic heading of Presidential Alert.

You may be reading this because you wonder what on Earth is going on -- particularly if your phone has made a strange noise -- but there's nothing to worry about. Not this time, anyway.

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If you haven't already made the jump to Magisk to cater for your handset rooting needs, now is very much the time to do so. The long-popular SuperSU has been removed from the Google Play Store, meaning one of the most popular rooting tools has been lost.

The disappearance is not entirely surprising as SuperSU has not been updated for some time and plenty of other root apps have grown in popularity -- but it will still come as a disappointment for its many fans.

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Google is well known for hiding Easter eggs in its software and tools, and a new little treat has just been discovered. Hidden in Google Chrome's developer console is a text adventure game.

While this is not exactly The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and it's unlikely to draw you away from Fortnite or Assassin's Creed, the game is a simple delight like Chrome's jumping dinosaur. Here's how to access it.

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