Want to Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke? Laugh, Eat Chocolate and Floss

Vascular disease may be hiding in the walls of your arteries. Many people do not know they have plaque in their arteries until it is too late.  Fifty percent of people who die from a heart attack had no idea they had vascular disease.

The standard of care for cardiovascular disease prevention is based on a risk factor model rather than a disease treatment model.  The standard of care uses a formula based approach that looks at risk factors such as age, gender, cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking status and places each person in a risk category, assigning a percentage of heart attack risk over a 10-year period. It is kind of like a gamble – a best-guess scenario.

Read about Bradley Bale and Amy Doneen’s different approach at http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/health-answers/lauging-chocolate-flossing-tips-for-preventing-heart-attack-and-stroke/.

Mashable retracts recommendation of the Samsung Galaxy Note7

Due to ongoing concerns about safety, Mashable is retracting its recommendation of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 and revoking its Mashable Choice award.

We do not take this action lightly, but what's happened to the Samsung Galaxy Note7 in the last six weeks is unprecedented in mobile. After Samsung released the high-end phone to generally great reviews, including Mashable's, multiple reports began to surface that the phones were spontaneously catching fire due to exploding batteries.

It quickly became clear there was some kind of defect in how the phone's battery was made, which caused a significant (although statistically small) number of Note7 devices to malfunction. Lithium-ion batteries — the type of battery in the vast majority of today's portable consumer electronics — can become dangerously volatile if they're damaged or defective.

Samsung appeared to identify the flaw in its manufacturing process and correct it. It then began shipping "safe" Galaxy Note7 phones to customers.

That's when events went from unfortunate to unthinkable. It now appears multiple replacement Galaxy Note7's have caught fire. The developments have led to wireless carriers in the U.S. and other countries to halt sales of the device. Even Samsung is reportedly halting production of the Note7, which the company did not deny in a statement.

Those same developments have led Mashable to do something it's never done before: In light of the continued safety concerns that Samsung has yet to fully explain, Mashable can no longer recommend the Samsung Galaxy Note7, and we are rescinding the product's Mashable Choice status. Further, we echo the words of our senior editor, Stan Schroeder: Don't buy this phone.

Read Pete Pachal’s complete article at http://mashable.com/2016/10/10/do-not-buy-samsung-galaxy-note7/.

5 tips for selling on Marketplace, Facebook's version of Craigslist

Here's how to make your Facebook Marketplace listings pop

Facebook wants to get into the local buying-and-selling game with its new mobile classifieds section, Facebook Marketplace. The new Facebook Marketplace -- not to be confused with the old Facebook Marketplace -- lets you put up Craigslist-like ads for everything from furniture and clothing to cars and housing. The new Facebook Marketplace lets you sell to anyone (well, anyone within 100 miles of you), rather than limiting you to friends or group members.

Facebook Marketplace is similar to Craigslist: It's a venue, not a facilitator, and the details of any sales (including price, shipping and other logistics) are between the buyer and the seller. Facebook doesn't take a cut of the profits, nor does it offer protection for either party -- like Ebay does -- but it is slightly more credible than Craigslist because it's linked to your Facebook account.

Looking to offload your old sofa or a pile of baby clothes? Read Sarah Jacobsson Purewal's article at https://www.cnet.com/how-to/5-tips-for-selling-on-facebook-marketplace/.

The giant inflatable duck apocalypse has finally come to Scotland

It's time to put down your weapons and calmly welcome our duck new overlords.

On Saturday, motorists driving through the wind-swept roads of Glasgow, Scotland, were visited by a rather strange sight — a monstrous inflatable duck the size of a small building casually trundling its way along a hectic four-lane road.

See Sam Haysom’s article, including video, at http://mashable.com/2016/09/26/giant-inflatable-duck-glasgow/?utm_cid=hp-h-3#LUv_JKy85SqD.

Trim your wireless bill -- skip that phone upgrade

It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

Wireless subscribers have been conditioned to get a new phone every two years. That made sense back in the day, when wireless subsidies from mobile operators let you upgrade to the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy for only $200.

Those days are over. Today consumers are expected to pay full price for their devices. The carriers have tried to make the hefty $650 price tag of high-end devices more palatable by offering payment plans. But wireless subscribers shouldn't confuse these plans with the old device subsidies.

Marguerite Reardon explains why, in this new era of wireless, you'll spend considerably more if you continue your device-upgrade-every-two-years habit at https://www.cnet.com/news/trim-your-wireless-bill-skip-that-phone-upgrade/.

Stroke Treatment: Why Every Second Counts

Each passing second after someone suffers a stroke means greater risk of permanent damage or death, so it's critical to get a diagnosis and treatment as fast as possible.

The first few seconds of a stroke may be confusing, both to a witness and the stroke patient. Signs may be subtle — someone just isn't quite normal, seems tired, confused, or uncoordinated. But the quicker you spot the initial signs of a stroke, the faster stroke treatment can be given. Once a stroke starts, you've got just three hours before the window of opportunity for the most successful stroke treatment closes.

Stroke: What Happens

"It's important for people to understand that not all strokes are the same,” says Mark Alberts, MD, professor of neurology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the stroke program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

There are two distinct types of stroke. Roughly 85 percent are ischemic strokes in which blood flow to the brain is blocked by a blood clot. The rest are hemorrhagic strokes, in which there's bleeding in or around the brain due to a burst blood vessel. "Even though hemorrhagic strokes are less common, they are more deadly and cause more damage,” says Dr. Alberts. “The number of people who die from ischemic strokes might be around 10 percent; those who die from hemorrhagic stroke might be 40 or 50 percent."

Stroke: The Damage

The rates of disability for both types of stroke are significant. Alberts says that 20 to 30 percent of patients will be significantly disabled following an ischemic stroke; those numbers rise to 40 to 50 percent of patients with hemorrhagic stroke. Disabilities range from problems with communication and mobility to issues so severe that the patient needs nursing home care.


"Strokes are sort of like real estate — it all depends on location and size, on where in the brain they occur and how large they are," Albert says. "Those two factors determine how much damage there will be. A small stroke in a critical part of the brain can cause a lot of damage, while a large stroke in a less important part of the brain may not cause as much."

Stroke: Fast Action is Important

To have the greatest chance of being effective, one of the best treatments for ischemic stroke, tissue plasminogen activator, or t-PA (Activase), has to be administered quickly.

Alberts emphasizes that "t-PA has to be given within three hours of stroke onset. Everything shows that ‘time is brain,’ and every second you delay treating someone the patient is losing tens of thousands of brain cells. The overriding concept is to treat patients as soon as possible."

A medication that is given by injection, t-PA is a clot buster. It is a very powerful agent that eats away at the blood clot in the vessel that's causing the ischemic stroke, says Alberts. “It begins working pretty rapidly, and we have certainly seen cases where it chews away the blood clot within an hour or two of being administered. But that isn't typical. Sometimes, t-PA isn't successful at destroying a clot; other times, it may take much longer to destroy the clot and fully restore blood flow to the brain.

That narrow window for treating stroke patients with t-PA may be expanded in the future, but Alberts says that doesn't mean there's time to waste. For patients who have suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, treatment will depend on the cause of the bleeding in the brain. Two common causes of bleeding are aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). An aneurysm is a bulge in the artery wall; an AVM is an abnormal connection between arteries and veins that creates a knotted group of blood vessels prone to bleeding. Surgery may be needed to drain blood from the brain or to repair the leaking blood vessels. But as with ischemic stroke, time is of essence.

Stroke: Call 911

Don’t waste time calling a doctor if you suspect someone has suffered a stroke or think it could be happening to you. Call 911 to request emergency medical help, so that treatment can be started immediately and brain cells can be saved.

Read Diana Rodriguez's article at http://www.everydayhealth.com/stroke/stroke-treatment-every-second-counts.aspx.

What to do if your iPhone 7 gets wet

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are water resistant, but what should you do if your new iPhone accidentally goes for a swim?

With Apple trumpeting its new iPhones as being "splash and water resistant," you'll understandably be tempted to take your new iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus on more adventures, from rainy-day hikes and long walks on the beach to fishing trips and whitewater rafting. Having your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus on your person during such activities will create great photo opps (while upping your selfie game), but it also increases the odds that your new iPhone will come into contact with water.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus both received an IP67 rating, which means the phones can survive being dropped in water up to 1 meter in depth for 30 minutes. It also means they are completely dust resistant to survive Burning Man and other dry, dusty environments.

Despite the IP67 rating for both new models, Apple makes clear that "liquid damage is not covered under warranty" and lists a number of forbidden pursuits for you and your new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus.

Learn more from Matt Elliott’s article at https://www.cnet.com/how-to/what-to-do-if-your-iphone-7-gets-wet/.

Yahoo confirms hacker stole personal data of “at least” 500 million users

In case you're wondering why professionals suggest you use strong, distinct passwords for each account and change them, and any security questions, regularly ...

Yahoo today confirmed it’s working with law enforcement to investigate a data breach which affected the account information of “at least” 500 million users. The company says that the user account information was stolen from its network in late 2014 by what it now believes to be a state-sponsored actor. The stolen information includes people’s names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates, passwords (most hashed with bcrypt), and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted responses to security questions and answers.

This makes the data breach one of the most serious to date, given not only who may be behind it, but the nature of the information the attackers were able to access, as well as the scale.

With the answers to security questions, a hacker could easily jump through a number of online forms to reset users’ passwords on sites where an additional means of account verification – like two-factor authentication – is not involved.

Yahoo says it has invalidated all the unencrypted security questions and answers so they can’t be used to access a Yahoo account, but of course those same questions are commonly repeated across the web.

However, the attacker did not gain access to unprotected passwords, says Yahoo. Nor were they able to get payment card information or bank account information, as these were housed in a different system that the one that was affected.

The company started notifying affected users via email beginning at 11:30 AM PDT, and asking them to change their passwords as well as adopt an alternate means of account verification. It will additional ask those who haven’t updated their passwords since 2014 to now do so, too.

12 Kids' Symptoms You Should Never Ignore

When you become a parent, you earn a medical merit badge of sorts. Whether you're sopping up a goopy nose or extracting a dangling-by-a-thread baby tooth, eventually few things faze you. But sometimes it's tough to tell what warrants a call to your doctor's office: Which temperature actually classifies as a "high fever"? What kind of tummy ache means your child has more than your average stomach bug? And when something truly frightening happens -- say, your child suddenly breaks out in hives -- should you call your pediatrician or head straight to the E.R.?

"Parents should always err on the side of caution and seek immediate medical care when they're worried about something," says Anita Chandra-Puri, M.D., a pediatrician at Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, in Chicago, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, to give you more specific guidelines to follow, we talked to top pediatricians about the 12 symptoms that always require medical attention.

Symptom #1: High Fever
Symptom #2: Long-Lasting Fever
Symptom #3: Fever with Headache
Symptom #4: Circle-Shaped Rash
Symptom #5: Unusual Mole
Symptom #6: Sudden Stomach Pain
Symptom #7: Headache With Vomiting
Symptom #8: Decreased Urination
Symptom #9: Blue Lips
Symptom #10: Swollen Face
Symptom #11: Vomiting After Falling
Symptom #12: Excessive Bleeding

Read Kristyn Kusek Lewis’ complete article at http://www.parents.com/health/injuries/emergency/serious-symptoms/.

Are you ready for macOS Sierra?

Apple has released its latest operating system, macOS Sierra.

It's a free upgrade, but not all Macs can use it. The Macs that will run macOS Sierra:

• iMac – all models from late 2009, iMac 10,1 – 17,1
• MacBook – all models from late 2009, MacBook  6,1 – 9,1
• MacBook Pro – all models from 2010, MacBook Pro   7,1 – 11,5
• MacBookAir – all models from 2010, MacBook Air  3,1 – 7,2
• Mac Mini – all models from 2010, Mac Mini  4,1 – 7,1
• Mac Pro – all models from 2010, Mac Pro  5,1 – 6,1

Which means most devices made prior to 2008 won’t be able to run it.

Read the complete article, including instructions to identify which model Mac you have, at https://coolestguidesontheplanet.com/system-requirements-for-macos-sierra/.

iOS 10: All the new features, tips and guides

iOS 10 is here. Even though it looks just like iOS 9, a lot -- and we mean a lot -- of features are radically different. Messages is a lot more like Facebook Messenger, the lock screen packs a lot more info, and you can finally delete Apple's default apps.

Watch the video and read Sharon Profis’ article at https://www.cnet.com/how-to/ios-10-changes-tips-tricks-guides/.

How to get ready for an iOS 10 upgrade the right way

iOS 10 will finally roll out to all compatible devices on Tuesday, September 13, bringing awesome new features to Messages, revamped Music and Apple News apps, a redesigned lock screen interface, and more.

Before you upgrade your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, there are some steps you should take to ensure everything goes smoothly. Read Killian Bell’s article to prepare for an iOS 10 upgrade the right way at http://www.cultofmac.com/445309/get-ready-ios-10-upgrade-right-way/.

15 Things Cancer Doctors Do to Avoid Cancer

These experts definitely practice what they preach. Here's how you can make these simple changes to prevent cancer too.

Read Charlotte Hilton Andersen’s article at http://www.rd.com/health/conditions/cancer-prevention-oncologists/.

Samsung is recalling the Galaxy Note 7 worldwide over battery problem

Samsung is recalling millions of new Galaxy Note 7 smartphones worldwide after reports that the devices can catch fire while charging.

The massive recall of one of Samsung's flagship devices is an embarrassing setback for the world's biggest selling smartphone maker. The Note 7 was unveiled just a month ago, and big rival Apple is expected to show off its new smartphone next week.

Samsung said Friday it had found a problem with the battery in some of the phones and was halting sales in 10 countries, including South Korea and the U.S. It will offer customers a new product for free in the coming weeks to replace the 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7s that have been sold.

The company originally said it would take about two weeks to prepare the recall, but later announced Note 7 users in the U.S. can exchange their device for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge, starting next week. It will also refund the cost of Note 7-specific accessories.

Samsung is giving Note 7 users a $25 gift card or bill credit for the inconvenience.

Read Jethro Muillen and K. J. Kwon’s article, with video, at http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/02/technology/samsung-galaxy-note-7-recall/.

As You Fill Up for Labor Day, Watch for Credit Card Skimmers

When you’re filling up for Labor Day Weekend excursions, do yourself a big financial favor and check for credit card skimmers at the gas pump. They’re still being found in Michigan a year after the first was discovered in the Grand Rapids area, state officials said.

About 70 credit card skimmers — devices equipped with small cameras and placed inside the pump, where they take images of the consumer’s credit card information — have been removed statewide, according to Jamie Clover Adams, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, which regulates the state’s fuel pumps.

The skimmers, which can’t be seen from outside the pump, can be installed in seconds. Criminals use keys to open the pumps quickly, insert the skimmers, and then leave. The skimmers copy the consumer’s card information for criminals to make fraudulent purchases.

Local, state and federal regulators, various law enforcement agencies, and gas station owners continue to be on the lookout at gas pumps across Michigan as part of the ongoing efforts to crack down on consumer credit card information being hacked by credit card skimmers.

“Some steps station owners can take, and have taken, to protect their patrons from cyber-criminals are changing locks, using tamper-proof security tape, and security cameras,” Clover Adams said, adding that officials encourage station owners to increase their regular dispenser inspections.

Want to know how inspectors look for credit card skimmers? Read Beth Dalbey’s complete article, including video, at http://patch.com/michigan/shelby-utica/s/fvd9c/as-you-fill-up-for-labor-day-watch-for-credit-card-skimmers.

26 must-have apps for college life

So yay, you're in college!

Less yay: you have no idea what you're doing.

I mean, I don't care what anyone says, adulting is hard. But I believe in you, I believe you can pull this all together. You just need the right tools. Below, we've assorted the best apps for studying, money management, time management, health and exercise, job hunting and finding cheap textbooks.

(And yeah, older grown-ups use a lot of these, too.)

See all 26 apps in Carmen Triola’s article at http://mashable.com/2016/08/28/must-have-college-apps/.

5 Tips For Giving The Perfect Toast No Matter The Occasion

Not sure what to say? Keep these rules in mind and you'll nail it.

You're at an awards dinner. Or maybe it's a grand opening, or even a retirement party. You're asked to say a few words, but you aren't sure how to do it. How do you find the right level of mush—not too mushy, but just mushy enough? It's a special occasion, so you want to give your audience a warm feeling, but you don't want to get too corny and make them cringe. Here are five simple tips to bear in mind for your next toast.

1. Start with the obvious
2. Share something about yourself
3. Stick with short sentences
4. Dare to be different
5. Make sure you don't embarrass anyone

Toasts can be nerve-wracking because it's only on rare occasions that we actually have to stand up and give them. But keep these basic pointers in mind and you'll leave your listeners with something memorable—for the right reasons.

Read Anett Grant’s complete article at https://www.fastcompany.com/3063094/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/5-tips-for-giving-the-perfect-toast-no-matter-the-occasion.

Update your iPhone immediately to protect yourself against spyware

You can never have too much security.

Apple released iOS 9.3.5 with yet another "important security update for your iPhone or iPad" on Thursday. The update is available for iPhone 4S and later and iPad 2 and later and iPod touch (fifth-generation) and later.

The update is the second security patch pushed out in August. iOS 9.3.4 was released earlier this month.

According to Apple's security update page detailing changes in iOS 9.3.5, the update mainly closes up a few security holes that could be exploited by nefarious hackers and prevents them from running "arbitrary code with kernel privileges."

Sounds like the rudimentary update, but a report from The New York Times says the update patches up a serious vulnerability that a company called the NSO Group has been using to secretly track a user's data.

Data like text messages, emails, calls and contacts, audio and passwords are all at risk unless you update to iOS 9.3.5.

Apple got to work on iOS 9.3.5 after two researchers discovered the exploits 10 days ago.

"The company sells only to authorized governmental agencies, and fully complies with strict export control laws and regulations," Zamir Dahbash, an NSO Grop spokesperson, told the Times. The invisible spyware is crafted to target dissidents and journalists in places like United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Kenya, Mozambique, Yemen and Turkey.

If you're not on the latest version of iOS, now's the time to update it.

Source: Raymond Wong’s article at http://mashable.com/2016/08/25/ios-9-3-5-apple-update-prevent-hackers/

How to opt out of sharing your WhatsApp info with Facebook

Yesterday WhatsApp announced a huge change in its privacy policy that will see it begin sharing data on its users — such as their mobile phone number and last seen status on the app — with its owner company Facebook, and any other company Facebook owns.

If you're not happy about that, you have two choices. You can either stop using WhatsApp entirely — if you want to be sure that none of your WhatsApp data ends up on Facebook's servers.

Or you can exercise the partial opt out WhatsApp is offering users for a short period of time.

WhatsApp has already started pushing out the updated terms and conditions. Learn more in Natasha Lomas' article at https://techcrunch.com/gallery/how-to-opt-out-of-sharing-your-whatsapp-info-with-facebook/.

Google will soon start punishing mobile sites that show hard-to-dismiss popups

Google today announced two major changes related to its mobile search results. The one you’ll probably notice first is that Google is removing the “mobile-friendly” label that highlighted pages that were easy to read on mobile from its mobile search results pages.

In the long run, though, the second change may be more wide-reaching: starting on January 10, 2017, the company will start punishing mobile pages that show intrusive interstitials when a user first opens a page and they will rank lower in its search results.

Read Frederic Lardinois’ article at https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/23/good-riddance/.

10 Tips for Your Best Stroke Recovery

Strokes occur in more than 795,000 in the United States each year, killing about 130,000. Survivors have an increased risk for long-term disability and face challenges completing daily activities.

Rehabilitation is a crucial component of care following a stroke. At top stroke centers some form of rehabilitation begins virtually immediately after a patient is admitted to the hospital — to get them on the right path to the best possible outcomes.

However, there are several things patients can do to ensure they are maximizing their recovery starting the second they suspect a stroke. Here are 10 tips:

1. Seek urgent care immediately.
2. Keep your medical information handy.
3. Choose a top care center for your rehabilitation.
4. Eat well.
5. Compliance is key.
6. Exercise, but within your limits.
7. Limit stress.
8. Stay positive.
9. Do your homework.
10. Stay vigilant.

Read details of Ira Rashbaum, MD’s tips at http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/health-answers/10-tips-for-the-best-stroke-recovery/.

Fourth grade teacher makes a back to school music video

Nothing makes going back to school less exciting than when your teacher greets you with a boring old syllabus.

That's why Dwayne Reed, a fourth grade teacher from Chicago, wrote a rap and filmed a music video to welcome back his students.

The song prepares the students for what they can expect in Mr. Reed's class throughout the year, which thankfully includes singing songs as a way to memorize information.

See the video at http://mashable.com/2016/08/23/fourth-grade-rap/.

The world's tallest and longest glass bridge opens to crowds of daredevil tourists

After several "safety tests" that involved smashing the bridge with sledgehammers and driving an SUV over it, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon bridge in China finally opened to the public over the weekend.

On Saturday, almost 8,000 tourists went down to the site for a chance to try out the world's tallest and longest glass bridge.

See Alicia Tan’s article with photos at http://mashable.com/2016/08/22/zhangjiajie-bridge-opens/#s5z8YaS_z5qX.

11 jobs the internet is destroying

IIt’s hard to think of an invention that has changed the course of human history quite like the internet has. Being able to connect people all over the world and give them access to a million books worth of information is truly amazing. But the world of modern capitalism is struggling to keep up.

For every job that’s been created by the internet (like writing cool articles for a great website that the nicest people read), there’s a job that’s killed by it. Artificial intelligence, distributed computing, and other advances are removing the human element from customer service, professional consulting, and more.

Not every profession stands the test of time. Read K. Thor Jensen’s article to learn which jobs are on the way out at http://www.geek.com/news/11-jobs-the-internet-is-destroying-1665747/.

35 Most Exotic Destinations For Your Next Vacation

We live on a beautiful planet that offers many stunning landscapes, tropical paradises, mist shrouded volcanoes and unbelievable beaches. Raising a toast to the explorer within you, here are a few exotic getaways for you to consider for your next vacation: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/35-most-exotic-destinations-for-your-next-vacation.html.

14 things you should do to get the most out of a test drive

So, you’re in the market to buy a new car.

You’ve done some online and in-real-life automobile window-shopping, and then used online sites like KBB.com to complete some preliminary research, which helped you narrow down your list to a few final makes and models for consideration.

Now comes one of the most fun steps in the car-buying process: The test-drives.

It’s exciting – and extremely important – to get behind the wheel and give prospective vehicles a try-before-you-buy experience, but your test-drives should be much more than simply driving a car around for a few minutes to see how it handles. You’ll want to take the time to really get to know the car, since, you know, it’s likely you’ll be driving it for the next few years. The test drive is crucial in helping you make sure you’re purchasing the one that best fits with your wants and needs.

Read 14 things you should keep in mind and make sure you do when you’re test-driving a new car, from before to during to after at http://mashable.com/2016/08/08/test-driving-cars-tips/#wH7CQ1fp.sqb.

11 Things Highly Organized People Do on Their Smartphone

Take advantage of these neat tips and let your phone keep your life together.

1. They master their to-do list
2. They grocery shop as they go
3. They pay without plastic
4. They make multitasking look easy
5. They download key documents anytime, anywhere
6. They protect their passwords
7. They organize receipts—easily
8. They sync their calendars
9. They keep the whole family on top of things
10. They keep it simple
11. They stick to time limits

Learn the details in Abbey Schubert’s article at http://www.rd.com/advice/work-career/get-organized-smartphone/.

Kroger has a new plan that should terrify Walmart and Target

Kroger is going after Target and Walmart by expanding a new type of store featuring home goods, clothing, and kitchen appliances.

The store, called Kroger Marketplace, features nearly everything you would find in a Target or Walmart store, but with a greater focus on groceries, alcohol, and prepared foods.

The company says Marketplace is one of its "primary growth formats of the future" — in other words, it's expanding rapidly.

Kroger has nearly 3,000 stores, more than 120 of which are Marketplace stores.

We went to three Marketplace stores in the Richmond, Virginia, area to check them out. Check out Haley Peterson's article for photos and details at http://www.businessinsider.com/kroger-has-a-plan-to-to-take-down-walmart-2016-8/.

Facebook’s next big platform: Your camera

Facebook can’t build everything. For a decade, its strategy has been to provide the canvas, then let developers paint it however they want. That’s because there’ll always be another game. Another app. Another… selfie filter?

The hot trend in consumer social networking has progressed from text update sharing to gaming to one-off utilities to basic photo sharing to now, when content creativity apps have taken the spotlight. People are tired of sharing the same old picture of their face, food or sunset; they want tools that help them make and share something unique.

Hence, the rise of Dubsmash and Musical.ly for lipsyncing, Periscope and Facebook Live for broadcasting, Prisma and Artisto for reimagining images and Boomerang and Phhhoto for generating GIFs.

Read about Facebook's move into the realm of rainbow puke in Josh Constine's article at https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/12/the-creativity-ecosystem/.

Oreo's latest flavor sounds a little fishy

Combining two of your favorite childhood sweets sounds like a confectionary dream.

However, Nabisco's newest venture is a bit surprising: the Swedish Fish Oreo.

Read Sophie Hirsh's article at http://mashable.com/2016/08/10/new-oreo-flavor-swedish-fish/#VIkY89jJ.qqw.

S'mores cookies are the Girl Scouts' newest treat

Just when you thought Thin Mints and Tagalongs were as good as it got, Girl Scouts of the USA is raising the bar.

Today, which happens to be national S'mores Day, the organization had announced two new s'mores-inspired cookies to its 2017 cookie lineup.

There is a chocolate-coated graham cracker cookie double dipped in a crème icing and a graham sandwich cookie with chocolate and marshmallowy goodness filling. Both are, true to form, called "Girl Scout S’mores."

Read Sarah Spigelman Richter's article at http://mashable.com/2016/08/10/girl-scouts-cookies-smores/#yQXBH.Li58q3.

Your guide to the potentially awesome Perseid meteor shower this week

One of the best meteor showers of the year will grace skies around the world this week, culminating in a potential "outburst" of shooting stars during the overnight hours between August 11 to August 12.

The Perseid meteor shower is bound to impress people lucky enough to watch the meteor display from very dark skies this year.

The shower peaks in the early morning on Friday.

Your best chance to see the peaking of the Perseids will be to head outside and get somewhere dark by around 3 a.m. local time on August 12.

Get more info and viewing tips at Miriam Kramer's article: http://mashable.com/2016/08/07/complete-guide-perseid-meteor-shower/#7Nw6xF3q.Zqs.

We compare Snapchat Stories to Instagram Stories

Instagram caught many by surprise this week when it revealed it was launching a new feature called Instagram Stories, which looked almost exactly like the Snapchat feature of the same name.

While close observers likely weren't surprised that Instagram was putting its own spin on the feature (Facebook has been trying to clone Snapchat for years), many were shocked at just how blatant the move seemed to be. More shocking still, Instagram didn't even try to hide where its "inspiration" came from.

Now that some of the dust has settled and we've had some time to really try out Instagram Stories for ourselves, we thought we'd put the two side by side to see how they stack up.

Read Karissa Bell's article at http://mashable.com/2016/08/05/snapchat-stories-compared-instagram/#XxyeNnvc5mqQ.

China built an elevated bus that travels above car traffic

China's Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) is not only a real thing, but had its first road test today in Qinhuangdao City.

The whole thing is powered by electricity, is about 72 feet long and 25 feet wide (so it can span multiple lanes of traffic) and can carry 300 passengers (but future versions could probably be coupled together to carry even more). And, when it’s actually launched and operating, it should hit max speeds of around 40 miles per hour, making it a pretty speedy mode of public transportation.

Read the complete article and see a few videos at https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/02/china-has-actually-built-that-elevated-bus-that-travels-above-car-traffic/.

3 simple ways to avoid making big mistakes as a teen using social media

Social media may connect and empower a teenager, but it can also become a permanent record of a young person's disgraceful behavior.

Karlie Hay, the newly crowned Miss Teen USA, learned this lesson the hard way. Soon after Hay claimed her mantle on Saturday, it became apparent that the 18-year-old Texan used a racial slur on Twitter four times in 2013 and 2014.

Even teens who may never imagine themselves as a public figure or a flashpoint in a debate about race and culture, for example, can benefit from the following tips:

1. Consider social media a permanent record of your behavior.
2. Remember that you're bound to make mistakes.
3. Don't underestimate who you'll become.

Read Rebecca Ruiz's article at http://mashable.com/2016/08/01/social-media-miss-teen-usa/#yQXBH.Li58q3.

Spiral-Cut Pool Noodle Hacks

Have some extra pool noodles around? This video is chock-full of great pool noodle tricks, including a way to spiral-cut them into padding you can wrap around almost anything.

See the video at http://lifehacker.com/spiral-cut-pool-noodles-make-great-all-purpose-cushions-1784487295.

10 reasons to reject Microsoft's free Windows 10 upgrade

An offer you can refuse

The clock is ticking, folks. If you want to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, you only have until July 29, 2016 to do so. And most people should! Windows 10 is the best Windows yet, chock full of handy new features, sleek under-the-hood improvements, and headache-killing extras.

But it’s not for everybody. There are some very real, very valid reasons not to upgrade to Windows 10.

If you’re on the fence about whether to accept or reject Microsoft’s freebie, read on for some concrete justifications for staying put.

Read Brad Chocos' article for some concrete justifications for staying put at http://www.pcworld.com/article/3092365/windows/10-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-upgrade-to-windows-10.html.

Pokemon Go: Gyms, candy, pokeballs and everything else you need to know

Learn about this phenomenon in cnet's complete beginner's guide to Nintendo's wildly popular new game at http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-play-pokemon-go/?ftag=CAD-04-10aac3a&bhid=22046997431376544675551393481245.

Doug Helps You Clear Up Space On Your Phone

Gadget reviewer Doug Aamoth haphazardly refers to himself as “a poor man’s Ty Pennington” while alienating most of TechCrunch’s audience and staff. He then shows you how to free up space on your phone with Google Photos, which you should be using to automatically back up your pictures even if you’ve got plenty of available storage.

See the video at https://techcrunch.com/video/doug-helps-you-clear-up-space-on-your-phone/57883d145095492f06beb75e/.

Hate traffic? An Indian city is getting futuristic pod taxis to beat traffic blues.

Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi and home to India headquarters of Google, Microsoft and Apple, is about to get driverless electric pods to alleviate the traffic woes faced by thousands of people who commute to their offices daily.

The pilot project is expected to connect the Delhi border to the interiors of Gurgaon, with 16 stations spread over a distance of 13 km. The driverless electric pods will be suspended from overhead rails, and run at regular intervals.

The average speed of the pods is 60 km per hour and they can be used to transport between five to six commuters in each ride. The pilot project is expected to carry 30,000 passengers a day and will cost approximately Rs 8.5 billion ($126 million), which is lesser than what it would take to build a metro network over the same distance.

The Indian government is currently processing the bids that it has received from global companies for the project and is expected to make a final announcement by next month. It hopes that the project will reduce traffic on the National Highway-8, which connects Delhi to Gurgaon and the city's international airport.

Read Sonam Joshi's article at http://mashable.com/2016/07/13/gurgaon-pod-taxis/#WDmjSpY1eqqX.

Pokémon GO shouldn’t have full access to your Gmail, Docs, and Google account – but it does

When you use Google to sign into Pokémon GO, as so many of you have already, the popular game for some reason grants itself (for some users, anyway) the highest possible level of access to your Google account, meaning it can read your email, location history, pretty much everything. Why does it need this, and why aren’t users told?

This was discovered right after launch, when RedOwl’s Adam Reeve decided to check whether the app had pulled a fast one when he logged into it with Google. And it’s a good thing he did!

Are you at risk? Read Devin Coldewey's article at https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/11/pokemon-go-shouldnt-have-full-access-to-your-gmail-docs-and-google-account-but-it-does/.

Your router isn't as fast as you think it is. Here's why.

Let's cut to the chase: Wired network connections will always be faster, more secure and more reliable than wireless.

If you want top speeds in your home, you'll want to save room in your remodeling budget for running gigabit Ethernet network cables (CAT5e -- or better yet, CAT6) to every room in your home. Ethernet is the only connection standard where the real-world speeds are very close to, or in some cases match, the lofty theoretical speeds.

Of course, wired networking has several drawbacks. Wires are a pain to install, they're unsightly -- and it's just not fun to be tethered. And, of course, not every device is even compatible with wired Ethernet. For your tablet and smartphone, your streaming stick and even many newer printers, you will have to use Wi-Fi. But that's when you may find yourself poking along at slower speeds than you'd like.

So, why the slowdown? You need to be aware of the huge gap among these three different attributes: real-world speed, ceiling speed and the advertised speed.

Read Dong Ngo's article and watch his video at http://www.cnet.com/how-to/your-router-isnt-as-fast-as-you-think-it-is-heres-why/.

Oops! Wearables can leak your PINs and passwords

The security nightmare posed by the Internet of Things isn’t just related to the lack of expertise in the types of companies adding connectivity to gizmos and gadgets.

It’s the sensitivity of the connected sensors, strewn hither and thither, opening up potential attack vectors for determined hackers. Hence the need for really robust security thinking to lock down the risks.

To wit: wearables.

Collaborative research conducted by a team from the department of electrical and computing engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology and Binghamton University in New York State, has demonstrated how a wearable device such as a smartwatch could end up compromising a user’s PIN number thanks to the motion sensing data it generates.

Read Natasha Lomas' article at https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/08/oops-wearables-can-leak-your-pins-and-passwords/.

Apple makes it insanely simple for iPhone owners to become organ donors

As part of Apple’s ongoing mission to be a "force for good” in the world, the company is encouraging iPhone users to register as organ donors, courtesy of an upcoming software update for its Health app.

The update will give users an easy sign-up button, which Tim Cook says he hopes will help ease the longstanding shortage of donor shortage. Cook says that the problem became apparent to him when Steve Jobs had to endure an “excruciating” wait for a liver transplant back in 2009. During that time, Cook even offered to donate his own liver to his boss, only for Jobs to turn it down.

The software update to allow Apple users to easily enroll in a national donor registry will arrive with iOS 10 when it arrives this fall.

Read Luke Dormehl's article at http://www.cultofmac.com/436589/apple-makes-it-insanely-simple-for-iphone-owners-to-become-organ-donors/.

BEWARE: ATM skimmer caught in the wild by a real security engineer

Whoda thunk it? Tourist/cybersecurity expert Benjamin Tedesco was hanging out in Vienna when he walked up to an ATM. Because he trusts no one he decided to give the reader a little tug and came away with a working skimmer designed to look exactly like the card slot on the original machine.

“It pays to be paranoid,” he said — and he’s right.

Tedesco pulled off the skimmer and took some pictures of it and will try to reverse engineer it when he heads back home (presumably with the credit card data still on it). Some Reddit users have spotted the pinhole camera that the hackers used to grab PIN codes, as well, a feature that lets full cards be stolen in seconds.

Again: Any time you use an ATM, please check it. There are triggers in place that are supposed to prevent the installation of tools like these, but sometimes they don’t work and hackers are getting craftier. Always tug, rub and pull ATMs in the wild — even if it feels weird.

Read John Biggs' article and see the video at https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/24/atm-skimmer-caught-in-the-wild-by-a-real-security-engineer/.

Facebook puts friends above publishers in “News Feed Values” and ranking change

After the conservative trends fiasco, Facebook is pushing itself to a new standard of transparency. The company is publishing a formal “News Feed Values” document that details how it decides what shows up in your feed — a common question amongst users.

Those core values are that friends and family come first, that the feed should inform and entertain, that Facebook is a platform for all ideas, that authentic communication beats spam, that you have the controls to hide or highlight what you want, and that Facebook will keep iterating to improve the experience.

Facebook is also making a feed ranking change today that literally puts its primary value that “Friends and family come first” into practice. The News Feed will now show posts from friends higher up in the feed than posts from Pages like news outlets. Pages should expect a decline in reach and referral traffic, especially if they rely on clicks directly to their posts rather than re-shares by their followers.

While the News Feed is ranked by a computer algorithm, Facebook’s Adam Mosseri explains “News Feed is a system that’s designed and built by people, those people have values, and those values are reflected in how we make decisions on a regular basis.” By publicly solidifying those values, users may gain faith that Facebook doesn’t have ulterior motives when deciding the best content to show them.

Read Josh Constine's article at https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/29/facebook-news-feed-change/.

Dear millennials: Instagram doesn't owe you anything

Opinion

It's time to stop freaking out about your Instagram feed.

Yes, Instagram has started rolling out its new algorithmic-based feed, which may make posts appear "out of order." Yes, it's a big change and yes, people are freaking out about it.

But they shouldn't. Complaining on social media about an Instagram update is about as pointless as expecting your iPhone battery to last all day.

Read Karissa Bell's opinion at http://mashable.com/2016/06/03/stop-freaking-out-about-instagram-already/#jpZWiDVH.Oqx

Instagram now has more than a half a billion users

Instagram has reached a new milestone.

The photo sharing app now counts more than 500 million monthly active users, up from 400 million in September, Instagram announced Tuesday.

Of those, more than 300 million people use the app every day, according to a statement from the company.

Read Karissa Bell's article at http://mashable.com/2016/06/21/instagram-500-million-users/#iEcSjP8y55qX

Hover Camera is a personal drone for selfie lovers

If you’re done with selfie sticks and are looking for what comes next in the narcissistic world of self-photography, look no further than Hover Camera, a new “personal” drone that gives you a different — more aerial — view of you and your life.

Hover Camera is a tiny foldable drone that hovers around you, controlled by a compatible smartphone app, snapping 4k video and photos via a 13-megapixel camera. It is seriously portable, and made of carbon fiber so durable, too. Most impressive for those with young kids or pets around, its wings are enclosed and out of reach of hands, which probably makes it one of the safest drones around.

The device has been developed by U.S.-Chinese company Zero Zero Robotics for the past two years and is intended to go on sale over the next few months. There’s no confirmed price for Hover Camera right now, but Zero Zero Robotics CEO and founder Mengqiu Wang told us that the final cost will be sub-$600. The plan is to make it available in China and the U.S. first, before later going in sale in Europe and other parts of the world.

Read Jon Russell's article and see a short video at https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/27/hover-camera-is-a-personal-drone-for-selfie-lovers/.

Seven tips on keeping your phone safe while traveling

You may not think of it this way, but the phone in your pocket is really an extension of you -- it contains everything from personal photos and videos to critical contact information.

It's also valuable data that cyber criminals can exploit. This means you need to make sure your phone is protected. While your device can be compromised anywhere, you may expose yourself to additional risks while on a trip.

"When you're traveling, you may do some things differently than you'd do at home," said Michael Kaiser, executive director for the National Cyber Security Alliance or NCSA, a nonprofit public-private partnership that promotes safe and secure use of the internet.

For instance, Kaiser said you might be tempted to use an unprotected Wi-Fi network to save on roaming charges if you're traveling abroad. And you may not consider the risks of sharing your location via apps or pictures you post on social media.

"You might not want to share with the world that you're in Hawaii for the next two weeks and no one is at your house," he said.

You are in luck, NCSA has put together tons of tips that can help you be more secure online. Here's a summary of the tips most relevant to mobile devices to help ensure you don't become a victim of cybercrime while on vacation.

1. Clean up your device
2. Turn on password or biometric protection
3. Turn off location tracking on apps and manage privacy settings
4. Backup your data
5. Beware of public Wi-Fi hotspots
6. Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you're not using it
7. Turn on "find my phone" and remote wiping

Read Maggie Reardon's complete article at http://www.cnet.com/news/seven-tips-on-keeping-your-phone-safe-while-traveling/.