GOOGLE OFFERS NEW WAY FOR USERS TO MANAGE ADS, PERSONAL DATA

Google is trying to make it easier for you to manage the vast pool of information that it collects about your online activities across phones, computers and other devices. Among other things, a new privacy tool will enable the more than 1 billion people who use Google’s search engine and other services to block certain ads from appearing on every device that they log into, instead of having to make a special request on each individual machine. Some users of Google’s search engine, Gmail and Chrome browser will start receiving notices about the new option beginning Tuesday, but it will take several more weeks before it’s available to everyone. Google also is introducing a “My Activity” feature that will enable users to delete records of their online search requests and videos watched on YouTube in a single location instead of having to visit different websites or apps. Google’s business has been built on its longtime practice of monitoring its users’ online behavior in an effort to learn about their interests so it can show ads most likely to appeal to them. Those customized ads shown alongside Google’s search results and the content on millions of other websites have turned Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., into one of the world’s most pro table companies. In an effort to minimize complaints about invading people’s privacy, Google has long allowed its users to impose limits on how much data is accumulated about them and how many customized ads they see. Last year, Google also opened a “My Account” hub to serve as a one-stop shop for setting privacy and security controls. If they choose, users will now be able to authorize Google to store their web browsing histories in the “My Account” center. Until now, Google had been keeping personal information in different digital dossiers that sometimes require users to take multiple steps to manage specific pieces of data. For instance, someone annoyed by a Google- generated ad on their personal computer can prevent it from appearing again by clicking on an “X’’ in the corner. Taking that step currently won’t block the same ad from appearing on the targeted person’s smartphone a few hours later. Google says that will no longer happen if users allow it to stockpile web browsing histories in the “My Account” center.

'FIFTY-YEAR MISSION' IS COMPELLING 'STAR TREK' TIME LINE

“The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years” (Thomas Dunne Books), by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman have compiled hundreds of interviews to create “The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years.” The saga of a failed TV show growing in popularity after it was canceled in 1969 is the status  of fairy tales. Conventions featuring the stars of the show were followed by movies, other TV shows, novels and fan-made films. The authors of this oral history have interviewed people directly involved with the franchise, including the actors, producers, writers and even famous fans of the series. The result is a compelling and fascinating time line. Fans of the show might worry that this book is nothing more than regurgitated material that has been revealed in earlier works. But “Fifty-Year Mission” gives everyone the freedom to express an opinion without fear of reprisal, creating an honest and eye-opening history. The layout of the book covers the first 25 years of the original series franchise, skipping the creation of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” which will be covered in the second volume, scheduled for publication in August and bringing the story up to the present. Revealing insight and honesty showcase the stories of the original series, the creation of the animated series and the feature films up to “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.” Gross and Altman do a fine job letting the people speak for themselves while also providing pertinent details to provide background.

TARZAN REVISED, NEW FILM SWINGS BEYOND TROUBLED PAST

Tarzan may be among America’s classic fictional characters, but he’s not beyond reproach. Like so many well-worn tales, Edgar Rice Burroughs’Tarzan was borne of a vastly different time more than 100 years ago, when narratives rooted in colonialism, white saviors and African stereotypes were the norm. Throughout the decades, Tarzan also became a staple of Hollywood - there have been 52 authorized lms and seven television series that have told the tales of the King of the Jungle. For a bygone era, he’s the model romantic adventurer. Today, he’s a blemish on the history of literature and film. "The Legend of Tarzan ,” out Friday, is the first big-budget studio attempt to take on the character in the modern CGI world. Not only does the Warner Bros. lm show feats of derring-do that not so long ago could only be imagined, but it also endeavors to spin a more contemporary story for today’s sensibilities. As with Hollywood’s other recent adaptations of beloved tales stories with outmoded values, the “Tarzan” film makers did the delicate dance of trying to both preserve its original spirit while also correcting or even discarding its problematic origins. Their approach was to infuse the story with historical perspective, then bake it all into an action-adventure worthy of the superhero generation. Though there are those who would sooner see Tarzan left for the ages, the character’s roots are so deep that they’ve become archetypal. “Edgar Rice Burroughs just tapped into a primal myth of humanity,” said Scott Tracy Griffin, author of “Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration” and the forthcoming “Tarzan on Film.”“He is an orphan who is stranded and must find a way to his manhood  and to reclaim his legacy.” Alexander Skarsgård, the latest leading man to do the Tarzan yodel, noted too that “people have always been very fascinated by our more animalistic side and the notion of the noble savage.”  He also acknowledged those troubling origins. “At the time it was written, the way people in Western Europe and in America viewed indigenous people was quite horrific and it was quite common. It was widespread, the notion that they were an inferior race,” Skarsgård said. “It was very obviously important to steer away from the notion of like the white man coming down to Africa to save all the black people because they can’t save themselves ... the movie is about them kicking the colonizing force out of the country.” This lm introduces Tarzan at mid-life - already married to Jane (Margot Robbie) and living in England as Lord Greystoke - long past his vine- swinging days. When he receives an invitation from King Leopold to visit the Congo and see the Belgian leader’s work there, it’s George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson) who convinces him to go and find out what’s really happening to the native people. The injection of 

Williams - a real-life historian and Civil War veteran who exposed atrocities of the Congo - into the Tarzan mythology helped director David Yates ground it in a historical context. It also helped them turn away from some of the story’s less palatable elements. “It wasn’t difficult to jettison those very old- fashioned aspects of the story because it doesn’t belong to our century,”Yates said. Jackson sees this Tarzan as purely naturalistic; a character whose unique worldview transcends political mores. “Even though the enslavement is there and you see it and he’s there to right that injustice,” he said. “He’s part of a world where he is integrated into that society and he understands his place in it ... It’s a story of somebody who’s environmentally correct and humanly correct with that particular world. Tarzan has been around so long that adjusting to the times has been as integral to his longevity as hanging vines. “Producers have been able to tap into whatever is going on in society and put Tarzan into that,” said Griffin. In the 1950s, there was a clear Western inspiration in the films, which gave way to a James Bond sensibility in the 1960s, he said. Even Disney had a take, although that 1999 animated lm just sidestepped native populations altogether. “The Legend of Tarzan” is certainly something new, and perhaps the most aggressive effort to right the wrongs, while still keeping Tarzan in the zeitgeist. Yet there are those who believe Tarzan should be left in the past. “In some ways it would be like trying to remake ‘Gone With the Wind’ now,” said Todd Boyd, professor of Cinema and Media Studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. “It’s just a very old set of images rooted in an old history that I think is really hard to redeem ... You can certainly dress it up with technology now. You can also cast it in such a way that it’s more diverse. But I just think that some things are perhaps beyond redemption.” 

FACEBOOK TESTS NEW FEATURED EVENT LIST IN 10 US CITIES

Some Facebook users looking for something to do in real life can now get suggestions from the social network. The company says a team is putting together lists of things to do in 10 U.S. cities with the goal of helping users stay in the know about what’s happening where they live. The events will include several categories, like family, educational, community and entertainment. For now, the lists are only available on iOS in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. 

BE WIRELESS - APPLE IS DRAGGING US INTO THE WIRELESS WORLD

Since its humble beginnings, Apple has always worked to reinvent the wheel when it comes to its product range, and most of the time its efforts are well received. However, amid rumors that the rm is planning to ditch the iPhone’s headphone jack, more than 300,000 people have rallied together against the move, claiming that the need for a headphone jack is still there. Apple is obviously ready to untangle us from those pesky cables and take us into the future, but are we ready for the wireless world? Since the release of AirPort back in 1999, which brought wireless networking to the home, Apple has been scissor happy when it comes to cutting away the wires from our favourite products. Back in 2004, the iMac G5 came packaged with the Apple Wireless Mouse and the Apple Wireless Keyboard, two short-lived accessories which reduced the clutter of the desktop. Although the wireless mouse and keyboard were welcome developments in the home computing market, many complained about poor ergonomics and bad battery life. The mouse and keyboard were later replaced by the magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard respectively, and the rest is history. Who really uses a wired mouse or keyboard in 2016!? However, this stepped up a notch with the introduction of MobileMe and iTunes Over the Air, which allowed users to sync their iTunes to their iPhones without the need for a USB cable. This move was clearly the beginning of something bigger for Apple, who in 2011 announced the launch of iCloud, an over- the-cloud service which hundreds of millions of us rely upon daily to store photos, chat with friends, print from the cloud and manage our online space. Apple has recently increased its wireless offerings, with its latest hardware incarnation coming in the form of the Apple Watch. With it, the Apple Magnetic Charging Cable was born, allowing users to charge their wearable devices without the need of plugging in a cable. It was the first time the technology rm has directly offered wireless charging on any of its devices, despite mass public interest in such a service. The Apple Watch brings many useful wireless features with it, too, such as pairing it with your iPhone to check the battery, answer phone calls, write text messages and now with the new watchOS, control your home, call SOS and use Apple Pay without even touching your phone. It’s not just the Watch that’s gone wire-free, though. Earlier this year, Apple announced Apple Home, a new core app as part of its iOS 10 operating system. The new app o ers a way for users to interact with their home – for example they can control their lighting, heating, security and other features using third-party hardware and linking it to their iDevice. Upon release in September, users will be able to program their smart home accessories to work automatically and create ‘Scenes’ to change the mood of their home with a simple tap. The service will even allow users to integrate their outdoor security camera to work like FaceTime, allowing them to see who’s at their front door and decide to let them in or not, without the need to leave the sofa. With the launch of the new Apple TV in 2015, there’s more emphasis than ever on wireless controls. The new Apple TV remote includes a touch surface but now comes with Siri integration so you don’t need to lift anger to get to the show you want to watch. The Siri experience is also being introduced into Apple CarPlay and the macOS, too, o offering a deeper level of integration across devices and making it more convenient than ever to access the content you want.

WIRELESS HEADPHONES

Since its acquisition of Beats back in 2014 for an eye-watering $3billion, Apple has placed emphasis on Music, as demonstrated by the launched of its Apple Music streaming service back in 2015. Despite facing strong competition from the likes of Spotify and Google Play, Apple has managed to convert 13 million users into paying subscribers, and recently announced plans to overhaul the service as part of iOS 10. In September, the service will be given an overhaul including a newly-designed Apple Music app, larger artwork displays and lyrics for every song on the streaming service, giving users a more convenient way to access and enjoy the music they love. It’s clear that Apple isn’t alone in thinking wireless is the way forward for music and phone calls – indeed, several audio manufacturers have been producing wireless headsets for decades to much success. Apple’s Beats has been producing wireless headphones for several years, and the Beats Solo 2 Wireless range is regarded as one of the best pairs of wireless headphones in terms of sound quality. Despite being criticized for a bass-heavy sound in the past, its later offerings o er a more balanced sound and is making stead in the marketplace.Other manufacturers, such as Bose, Jabra, Sennheiser and Sony have all continued to see a growth in sales of their headphones as more emphasis is placed on sound quality in our ever-increasing tech-savvy market. The industry is not set to slow down, either, with experts predicting that the earphone and headphone market will top $17.55 billion by 2022, with wireless headphones playing their own role in the marketplace.

THE AIRPOD RUMUOR

Since the release of the iPhone 5 back in 2012, Apple’s Made for iPhone program has allowed manufacturers to create Lightning Adaptor headphones for their smartphones. Although some companies stuck to the audio jack, Audeze and Phillips are amongst those who currently o er Lightning Adaptor headphones, as well as Apple’s own Beats range. Therefore, it’s little wonder that with speculation over the new iPhone 7, which is expected in September, fans and experts alike are speculating over what Apple could do to improve their already impressive smartphone offering. Apple is famously known for killing old technology – the floppy drive, CD drive, USB-A – and replacing it with their own – like the Lightning Adaptor, Thunderbolt, so waving o the 3.5mm audio jack isn’t unfeasible. If Apple does decide to remove the audio jack, they’ll be able to shave o 1mm from the width of their flagship smartphone. While this doesn’t sound much, it’s valuable space which could be used for extra battery power, a rumored second back camera or a thinner overall casing. Wireless headphones are a convenient option for workouts, home entertainment and on- the-go use, but many fans of the Cupertino brand have criticized them over their rumored decision, as it will render any current earphones useless. Of course, if Apple does decide to kill on  the jack, they’ll likely o er adaptors and alternative ways of using headphones, but it’s an inconvenience many fans just don’t want to face. Despite 300,000 people signing a petition against the decision, recent blueprint leaks suggest the rm at de nitely going ahead with an audio-jack-free iPhone 7 design. In the world of Apple, however, nothing can be taken as truth until we hear it directly from Tim Cook himself at the next product unveiling event in September. Until then, though, it may be worth making good use out of your EarPods... you probably won’t need them for very much longer! 

'AVATAR' MOBILE GAME LANDING AHEAD OF FILM SEQUELS

Before moviegoers return to Pandora, they’ll be able visit the exotic alien world from “Avatar” on their smartphones. Lightstorm Entertainment and 20th Century Fox have enlisted game studio Kabam to develop an “Avatar” mobile game for release ahead of the next four lm sequels. “The idea is to extend the world beyond the big screen and create an experience that will be true to what James Cameron did in making the most technologically advanced lm of its time,” said Kabam COO Kent Wakeford. “That’s what we want to do with this game.” The multiplayer strategy game is set for release in 2018 before the second “Avatar” lm hits theaters. Wakeford said Kabam plans to update the game as “Avatar” sequels unfurl every other year through 2023. Kabam previously released mobile games based on such franchises as “Star Wars,” Marvel and “Fast & Furious.”Wakeford said the budget to produce the “Avatar” game will be substantially more than $14 million, the average cost of Kabam’s previous titles. The original 2009 lm centered on the conflict between the human-led Resources Development Administration and the blue- skinned alien race Na’vi of Pandora. The lm sequels will explore Pandora’s other environments and cultures. “For us, to be able to come out ahead of the movie and start to introduce a whole new set of characters and experiences when the movie releases and then again and again and again as the new films roll out, it’ll allow us to create a really engaging game,” said Wakeford. The game won’t only rely on the first movie for inspiration. For the past year, the developers at Kabam have been collaborating with artists and others working on the next “Avatar” installments at Lightstorm. “There might be a creature or RDA aircraft that was not in the first movie that we designed for the sequels that’s part of the texture of the films,” said “Avatar” producer and Lightstorm COO Jon Landau. “If it doesn’t reveal a story point from the films, why not share that with Kabam and allow them to use it in that space?” The four sequels are slated to be simultaneously filmed. Landau said screenwriters are close to finishing their scripts and filming with the principal cast, which includes Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, is set to begin in early 2017. Landau said the mobile game’s plot will be separate from the“Avatar” films and will allow players to align together and make decisions that will a direct the narrative. “I think science action can be a great metaphor for the world in which we live,”said Landau.“As people play this game, I want them to have choices, just like they have in life. The choices you make in a game create different experiences for you - some for the better, some for the worse. It’s about engaging people in this world but never losing sight of the ethos of‘Avatar.’” A series of“Avatar”games, including mobile editions and a console game developed by Ubisoft Entertainment, were released alongside the first “Avatar”movie and received a mixed reaction from critics and fans. Landau said the partnership with Kabam doesn’t mean Lightstorm has ruled out developing another console game. While lmmaker James Cameron’s sci- saga remains the biggest blockbuster of all time with $2.8 billion at the worldwide box office, “Avatar” has mostly been away from cultural consciousness except for a touring exhibit and Cirque du Soleil show. Walt Disney World is set to open an “Avatar”- themed land in 2017, while Dark Horse Comics is working on an“Avatar”series.

Online:

http://www.kabam.com 

http://www.avatarmovie.com

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch 1.6GHz Mid 2016

The Air gets an upgrade... but only the RAM $999 (128Gb); $1199 (256Gb) Manufacturer Apple, apple.com Features 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD 6000 graphics, 8GB RAM.

We’ve been saying for a while that we think the MacBook Air’s clock is ticking, and Apple’s tiny update to the line this year hasn’t exactly changed our minds. While the super-thin MacBook got faster new-generation Intel processors, the 13-inch MacBook Air got... some more RAM. And that’s it. Still it’s better than the 11-inch Air, which received no changes at all. So the 13-inch Air has the same 1.6GHz fth-gen Intel dual-core processor as last year, with Intel integrated graphics, but it’s now backed up by 8GB of RAM. This is what we recommend for most people as a minimum these days anyway, so it’s good that Apple’s caught up there – though the 11-inch Air is still stuck with 4GB as standard. There are two versions of the 13-inch model in Apple’s line-up, but the only difference is storage capacity: 128GB or 256GB. That storage is still monstrously fast, though, capable of read speeds up to 1.4GB/s. It’s truly pro-level. The unchanged processor and graphics performance from last year (which was only a small improvement from the 2014 model) is not so much pro level, but it’s still a fairly capable machine – it has no problem with light photo and video editing, and very light gaming. There’s also been no change in the screen, though, which is a 1440x900 non-Retina display. We can live with non-Retina displays (if we really have to), but the screen also lacks brightness, vibrancy, and visibility compared to all the other MacBook models.