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“I’ve tasted the faintest bitter edge of racism”: Ash Barty admits to being racially abused

<p dir="ltr">Ash Barty has confessed that she’s been on the receiving end of “bitter racism” after finding out about her Indigenous heritage. </p> <p dir="ltr">In her autobiography, <em>My Dream Time</em>, which will be published on November 2, Barty opens up about the moment she found out about her family’s past. </p> <p dir="ltr">The former tennis player said it was a difficult moment when her father searched for the truth and eventually told Barty and her sister which then led to “vile racism”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve seen glimpses and tasted the faintest bitter edge of racism” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’d win a Deadly Award but get vilified on line. I’d become a Tennis Australia First Nations Ambassador and then find some muppet calling my heritage into question.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The three-time Grand Slam winner said there was still a lot of work and educated needed to address the importance of Indigenous Australians. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There was no need for us to talk about that in the moment but it was certainly something that confused me a little bit as to why someone would criticise something that is so personal to me,” she told NewsCorp.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Looking back now it’s all about the education and giving people the tools to understand others and appreciate what came before us.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Barty went on to reveal that her trip to Central Australia where she worked with First Nations children was when she was convinced of a connection with them. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If anything it has just reassured to me that the path I want to go down in the future is to try and help First Nations youth around the country.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Eventually, Barty found out of her Indigenous heritage when her father Rob traced back his roots. </p> <p dir="ltr">At 13 he was told by a cousin that there was Indigenous heritage in the family but his parents denied it, claiming their connection was only to Māoris in New Zealand. </p> <p dir="ltr">Rob did not accept that and went on to trace back his family history where he found out that his great grandmother was an Indigenous Australian who married a white man. </p> <p dir="ltr">Barty’s dad sat her and her sister down when she was just seven and told them the truth. </p> <p dir="ltr">The family then went on to record their names with the Ngarigu Nation. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It was not a conversation his parents could have with him,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To his parents, Aboriginal ancestry was something to be ashamed of and not something he should be curious about.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Goodbye Internet Explorer. You won’t be missed (but your legacy will be remembered)

<p>After 27 years, Microsoft has finally bid farewell to the web browser Internet Explorer, and will redirect Explorer users to the latest version of its Edge browser.</p> <p>As of June 15, Microsoft ended support for Explorer on several versions of Windows 10 – meaning no more productivity, reliability or security updates. Explorer will remain a working browser, but won’t be protected as new threats emerge.</p> <p>Twenty-seven years is a long time in computing. Many would say this move was long overdue. Explorer has been long outperformed by its competitors, and years of poor user experiences have made it the butt of many internet jokes.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Someone built a real tombstone of Internet Explorer in Korea. "He was a good tool to download other browsers." <a href="https://t.co/42vnkoQshd">https://t.co/42vnkoQshd</a> <a href="https://t.co/ud3SMiyLNp">pic.twitter.com/ud3SMiyLNp</a></p> <p>— Soonson Kwon (@ksoonson) <a href="https://twitter.com/ksoonson/status/1536938327395680256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>How it began</strong></p> <p>Explorer was first introduced in 1995 by the Microsoft Corporation, and came bundled with the Windows operating system.</p> <p>To its credit, Explorer introduced many Windows users to the joys of the internet for the first time. After all, it was only in 1993 that Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the web, <a href="https://thenextweb.com/news/20-years-ago-today-the-world-wide-web-opened-to-the-public" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> the first public web browser (aptly called WorldWideWeb).</p> <p>Providing Explorer as its default browser meant a large proportion of Windows’s global user base would not experience an alternative. But this came at a cost, and Microsoft eventually faced multiple <a href="https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/strategy/microsoft-antitrust-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">antitrust investigations</a> exploring its monopoly on the browser market.</p> <p>Still, even though <a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browsers/browser-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a number</a> of other browsers were around (including Netscape Navigator, which pre-dated Explorer), Explorer remained the default choice for millions of people up until around 2002, when Firefox was launched.</p> <p><strong>How it ended</strong></p> <p>Microsoft has released 11 versions of Explorer (with many minor revisions along the way). It added different functionality and components with each release. Despite this, it lost consumers’ trust due to Explorer’s “legacy architecture” which involved poor <a href="https://www.optimadesign.co.uk/blog/internet-explorer-end-of-life-or-not" target="_blank" rel="noopener">design and slowness</a>.</p> <p>It seems Microsoft got so comfortable with its monopoly that it let the quality of its product slide, just as other competitors were entering the battlefield.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">is Internet Explorer ever truly dead? <a href="https://t.co/KQGndprUxn">pic.twitter.com/KQGndprUxn</a></p> <p>— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/1536687397798350849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Even just considering its cosmetic interface (what you see and interact with when you visit a website), Explorer could not give users the authentic experience of <a href="https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-fix-internet-explorer-pages-not-displaying-correctly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">modern websites</a>.</p> <p>On the security front, Explorer exhibited its <a href="https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-26/product_id-9900/Microsoft-Internet-Explorer.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fair share of weaknesses</a>, which cyber criminals readily and successfully exploited.</p> <p>While Microsoft may have patched many of these weaknesses over different versions of the browser, the underlying architecture is <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-security-iemode-safer-than-ie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">still considered vulnerable</a> by security experts. Microsoft itself has <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-security-iemode-safer-than-ie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> this:</p> <blockquote> <p>… [Explorer] is still based on technology that’s 25 years old. It’s a legacy browser that’s architecturally outdated and unable to meet the security challenges of the modern web.</p> </blockquote> <p>These concerns have resulted in the United States <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department for Homeland Security</a> repeatedly advising internet users against <a href="https://windowsreport.com/internet-explorer-security-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">using Explorer</a>.</p> <p>Explorer’s failure to win over modern audiences is further evident through Microsoft’s ongoing attempts to push users towards Edge. Edge was first introduced in 2015, and since then Explorer has only been used as a compatibility solution.</p> <p><strong>What Explorer was up against</strong></p> <p>In terms of <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share#monthly-202206-202206-bar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">market share</a>, more than 64% of browser users currently use Chrome. Explorer has dropped to less than 1%, and even Edge only accounts for about 4% of users. What has given Chrome such a leg-up in the browser market?</p> <hr /> <p><iframe class="flourish-embed-iframe" style="width: 786.354px; height: 600px;" title="Interactive or visual content" src="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/10361649/embed" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-scripts allow-downloads allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></p> <div style="width: 100%!; margin-top: 4px!important; text-align: right!important;"><a class="flourish-credit" href="https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/10361649/?utm_source=embed&amp;utm_campaign=visualisation/10361649" target="_top"><img src="https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg" alt="Made with Flourish" /></a></div> <hr /> <p>Chrome was first introduced by Google in 2008, on the open source <a href="https://www.chromium.org/chromium-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chromium project</a>, and has since been actively developed and supported.</p> <p>Being open source means the software is publicly available, and anyone can inspect the source code that runs behind it. Individuals can even contribute to the source code, thereby enhancing the software’s productivity, reliability and security. This was never an option with Explorer.</p> <p>Moreover, Chrome is multi-platform: it can be used in other operating systems such as Linux, MacOS and on mobile devices, and was supporting a range of systems long before Edge was even released.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Explorer has <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/zune-hd-no-youtube-in-the-browser-for-you/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mainly</a> been <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-supported-operating-systems" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restricted</a> to Windows, XBox and a few versions of MacOS.</p> <p><strong>Under the hood</strong></p> <p>Microsoft’s Edge browser is using the same <a href="https://www.chromium.org/chromium-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chromium</a> open-source code that Chrome has used since its inception. This is encouraging, but it remains to be seen how Edge will compete against Chrome and other browsers to win users’ confidence.</p> <p>We won’t be surprised if Microsoft fails to nudge customers towards using Edge as their favourite browser. The latest stats suggest Edge is still far behind Chrome in terms of market share.</p> <p>Also, the fact Microsoft took seven years to retire Explorer after Edge’s initial release suggests the company hasn’t had great success in getting Edge’s uptake rolling.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469137/original/file-20220616-13070-5lnc2u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469137/original/file-20220616-13070-5lnc2u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469137/original/file-20220616-13070-5lnc2u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=250&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469137/original/file-20220616-13070-5lnc2u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=250&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469137/original/file-20220616-13070-5lnc2u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=250&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469137/original/file-20220616-13070-5lnc2u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=314&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469137/original/file-20220616-13070-5lnc2u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=314&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469137/original/file-20220616-13070-5lnc2u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=314&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A screenshot of a Microsoft web page showing Internet Explorer has been retired." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Only some Microsoft operating systems (mainly server platforms) will continue to receive security updates for Explorer under long-term support agreements.</span> <span class="attribution">Screenshot</span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>What’s next?</strong></p> <p>Web browsers play a vital role in establishing privacy and security for users. Design and convenience are important factors for users when selecting a browser. So ultimately, the browser that can most effectively balance security and ease of use will win users.</p> <p>And it’s hard to say whether Chrome’s current popularity will be sustained over time. Google will no doubt want it to continue, since web browsers are significant <a href="https://fourweekmba.com/how-does-mozilla-make-money/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revenue sources</a>.</p> <p>But Google as a corporation is becoming increasingly unpopular due to massive <a href="https://theconversation.com/google-is-leading-a-vast-covert-human-experiment-you-may-be-one-of-the-guinea-pigs-154178" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data gathering</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-google-getting-worse-increased-advertising-and-algorithm-changes-may-make-it-harder-to-find-what-youre-looking-for-166966" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intrusive advertising</a> practices. Chrome is a key component of Google’s data-gathering machine, so it’s possible users may slowly turn away.</p> <p>As for what to do about Explorer (if you’re one of the few people that still has it sitting meekly on your desktop) – simply <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/developer/browsers/installation/disable-internet-explorer-windows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uninstall</a> it to avoid security risks.</p> <p>Even if you’re not using Explorer, just having it installed <a href="https://mashable.com/article/internet-explorer-hacker-windows-pc-exploit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could present</a> a threat to your device. No one wants to be the victim of a cyber attack via a dead browser!</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">👋 Internet Explorer.</p> <p>Was one of the best subjects for memes, here's my favourite one from the collection. <a href="https://t.co/7T5u7jAB5C">pic.twitter.com/7T5u7jAB5C</a></p> <p>— Shruti Kaushik (@ShrutiKaushikIT) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShrutiKaushikIT/status/1537005145711472641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185130/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mohiuddin-ahmed-698936" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mohiuddin Ahmed</a>, Lecturer of Computing &amp; Security, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edith Cowan University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/m-imran-malik-963778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">M Imran Malik</a>, Cyber Security Researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edith Cowan University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-haskell-dowland-382903" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Haskell-Dowland</a>, Professor of Cyber Security Practice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edith Cowan University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/goodbye-internet-explorer-you-wont-be-missed-but-your-legacy-will-be-remembered-185130" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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Bono and The Edge perform in Kyiv bomb shelter

<p dir="ltr">U2 musicians Bono and The Edge has performed a secret show in a bomb shelter in Kyiv, after being personally invited by Ukrainian president Zelenskyy. </p> <p dir="ltr">The members of the Irish rock band shared photos of their performance on Twitter, as they were joined by Ukrainian band Antytila's lead singer Tomos Topelia.</p> <p dir="ltr">From a station platform, the duo performed U2 hits such as <em>Sunday Bloody Sunday</em>, <em>Desire</em> and <em>With or Without You</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The people in Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you are fighting for all of us who love freedom,” said Bono during a break between songs. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We pray that you will enjoy some of that peace soon.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">President <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZelenskyyUa</a> invited us to perform in Kyiv as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and so that’s what we’ve come to do. -- Bono and The Edge <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandWithUkraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandWithUkraine</a></p> <p>— U2 (@U2) <a href="https://twitter.com/U2/status/1523264383065141250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The performance had an emotional impact on Ukrainians, with members of the small underground crowd taking to Twitter to express their gratitude. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person said, “Thank you Bono and Edge for the music and for making the world a better place through art, Ukraine will win this war with the world's support.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Bono and The Edge were later seen in the Ukrainian towns of Irpin and Bucha, which are the sites of alleged Russian war crimes in the first weeks of the invasion. </p> <p dir="ltr">The pair were shown greeting locals amongst the ruins of buildings, and outside St. Andrew Pervozvannoho All Saints church - where a mass grave was found in April.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Twitter</em></p>

Music

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How the edge of space became up for interpretation

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the billionaire space race continues between Richard Branson, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, many are asking questions about how far into space they actually went. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic flight on 12 July rocketed up to 86 km off the ground, while Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin flight recently reached just over 107 km. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, these figures have experts wondering if either of them truly left the planet’s atmosphere. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jonti Horner, an astronomer at the University of Southern Queensland, says the age-old questions of where the atmosphere ends and where space begins can be open to interpretation. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s one of those questions that’s a bit like saying, ‘When are you old enough to drink?’ or ‘When are you old enough to drive?’ Every country has their own version of an answer.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Where space starts and the atmosphere ends is a little bit like that, in that the atmosphere doesn’t just suddenly stop,” Horner told </span><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/exploration/where-is-the-edge-of-space/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cosmos Magazine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in a recent interview. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The higher up you go, the thinner the atmosphere gets, and it keeps getting thinner and thinner and thinner, until eventually you can’t tell that it’s there anymore.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The official final point is approximately 10,000km above the surface, leaving no surprise why some want the line drawn a little closer to the Earth’s surface. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The US military, the Federal Aviation Administration and NASA all define the edge of space as 80 km off the ground, towards the upper part of the mesosphere.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This definition is very different to The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), an international record-keeping body for aeronautics, who have adopted their own definition in the 1960s. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Called the “Kármán line”, it marks the beginning of space at 100 km above Earth’s mean sea level.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite all these varying measurements, Horner says they are equally as good and as bad as each other. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Now that we are in this era of commercial space tourism, suddenly people want to know where [the boundary] is because they want to know that what they did was really good enough.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Shutterstock</span></em></p>

Technology

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Listening to music can give you an edge to win

<p><strong>More than just easy listening</strong></p> <p>Millions of joggers habitually cope with the physical discomfort of running using the distractive effects of music, in particular by synchronising their stride rate to the tempo of the music.</p> <p>Swimmers now embrace the tedium of endless laps by tuning in to their favourite tracks, thanks to tiny MP3 players that clip onto goggles and deliver music through the cheekbone direct into the inner ear.</p> <p>For athletes to be headphone-clad has been de rigeur for many years but it now appears to be almost compulsory.</p> <p>After music devotee Michael Phelps swam to an all-time record of eight Olympic gold medals in 2008, one of his first tasks when arriving home was to personally thank rap artist Lil’ Wayne for the inspiration he had provided in Beijing.<span class="attribution"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" class="license"></a></span></p> <p>But is the ubiquitous use of music by athletes and exercisers justified or simply hype? Well, decades of research on the use of music in sport and exercise has confirmed some powerful effects and surprising benefits.</p> <p><strong>Music and performance</strong></p> <p>The first published <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23267224.1911.10651270#.VDuQUfmSyyc">study</a> on the subject, in 1911, showed that cyclists in a six-day race in New York produced faster lap times when a brass band was playing.</p> <p>Although it was impossible to separate the effects of the music from the increased crowd noise that it generated, this humble observation paved the way for the many scientific studies that have followed.</p> <p>A recent meta-analysis of more than 100 empirical investigations of music in sport and exercise conducted over the past century has confirmed that music produces significant beneficial effects on psychological responses, perceived exertion, physical performance, and even physiological functioning.</p> <p>Although it should be no surprise that music influences psychological responses, – especially our moods, emotions and feelings – the ways that athletes use music to manipulate their pre-competition mindset are occasionally surprising.</p> <p>Olympic rowing champion, James Cracknell, listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Get On Top to inspire him to the ultimate effort is logical enough.</p> <p>But what music would you recommend to an Olympic super-heavyweight boxer before his gold medal bout? Tina Turner’s Simply The Best or Survivor’s Eye Of The Tiger would be popular choices. But how about Japanese classical music?</p> <p>When you’re a technical boxer trying to generate the qualities of speed, lightness, precision and relaxation to outbox a brawling opponent then his choice of music starts to make sense. It certainly worked for Great Britain’s Audley Harrison, a former student of mine, at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.</p> <p><strong>The rhythm of exercise</strong></p> <p>Music has the capacity to reduce perceived exertion by about 10% when used during physical activity, which explains the enduring popularity of exercise-to-music classes.</p> <p>The stimulative and motivational properties of up-tempo music, with lyrics that encourage effort (Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run, Britney Spears’ Stronger) and associations of glory or success (M People’s Search For The Hero, Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive) typically help exercisers to work harder for longer by masking the objective level of effort. In turn, this produces a performance benefit that some elite performers have been able to exploit.</p> <p>Ethiopian superstar runner, Haile Gebrselassie, the double Olympic 10,000m gold medallist and multiple world champion, has broken several world records while running in time to the high-tempo song Scatman, the rhythm and tempo of which he describes as “<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2013/may/10/haile-gebrselassie-interview">perfect for running</a>”.</p> <p>A 2012 <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21803652">study</a> conducted with elite triathletes at the Queensland Academy of Sport showed that treadmill running to exhaustion was increased by a staggering 18% when participants ran in time to music that included everything from Oasis and UB40 to Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, compared to completing the same task without music.</p> <p>Such clear performance benefits have caused music to be labelled a “<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/raiseyourgame/sites/motivation/psychedup/pages/costas_karageorghis.shtml">legal drug</a>” by some commentators.</p> <p>Perhaps for this reason, many sports prohibit listening to music while performing. The New York Marathon famously tried to “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/sports/01iht-run.1.8142612.html">strongly discourage</a>” competitors from using personal listening devices in 2007, ostensibly for safety reasons.</p> <p>The outcry and outright defiance from a large proportion of recreational runners who used their iPods regardless, caused race organisers to subsequently restrict the ban to elite runners, many of whom prefer to focus attention on sensory feedback from their own bodies rather than, as they see it, the distracting effects of music.</p> <p><strong>Sing when you’re winning</strong></p> <p>Of course nothing can prevent athletes from creating their own musical rhythm during a race, like six-time marathon kayak world champion, Anna Hemmings, who gained an edge by singing R. Kelly’s The World’s Greatest to herself, but only during the world championships so as not to dilute its impact.</p> <p>Other <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21803652;%20http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22828457">recent studies</a> have demonstrated greater physiological efficiency when exercising to music, notably the completion of identical workloads using significantly less oxygen consumption than without music. This indicates that music effects are far more than just a psychological phenomenon.</p> <p>Whether the physiological benefits are explained by greater biomechanical efficiency derived from a metronome effect, improved blood flow derived from a generalised relaxation response, or some other mechanism that is not yet well understood, there is little doubt about the wide-ranging potential benefits of listening to music.</p> <p>There’s no shortage of ways to use music to your advantage and many different musical genres have been shown to boost athletic performance, although preferably not something that leaves the Wallabies giggling before taking on the All Blacks in Brisbane tomorrow evening.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/32822/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-terry-140674">Peter Terry</a>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-win-let-music-give-you-the-edge-32822">original article</a>.</em></p>

Music

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Skype users warned after Microsoft could be “listening” to calls

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new investigation done by tech website </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Motherboard</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has revealed that Microsoft workers could be “listening in” on your Skype conversations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It has been revealed that some employees occasionally have to review real video chat that has been processed by translation software in order to check the quality of translations, according to </span><em><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/9680295/microsoft-caught-secretly-listening-to-skype-calls/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sun</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Microsoft spokesperson told Motherboard that Microsoft collects voice data to improve features on Skype.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They said: “We also put in place several procedures designed to prioritise users’ privacy before sharing this data with our vendors, including de-identifying data, requiring non-disclosure agreements with vendors and their employees, and requiring that vendors meet the high privacy standards set out in European law.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paul Bischoff, a privacy advocate from Comparitech.com, told </span><em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/security/microsoft-could-be-listening-to-some-skype-calls/news-story/d92ee2c5f713af3a7252be645004a365"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">: “Microsoft clearly states that recordings and transcriptions are analysed to verify accuracy and make corrections.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The fact that humans are performing that analysis might make users uneasy, but I don’t think there’s much risk to end users.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That is, unless a contractor steals recordings and gives them to a Vice reporter. Microsoft ought to take steps to ensure this can’t happen in the future.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I recommend users refrain from revealing any identifying information while using Skype Translation and Cortana. Unless you identify yourself in the recording, there’s almost no way for a human analyst to figure out who you are.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Skype is an online video chat and voice call service that also provides an instant messaging platform.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Javvad Malik, a security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, said: “This latest revelation goes to show more needs to be done to ensure consumer data is being protected when customers use such services.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In this instance, there needs to be a clear level of transparency and honesty about the entire call-recording process to give people a true understanding of what they are signing up for.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There is a fine line between invading someone’s privacy and collecting data for business purposes; a line that if crossed, can lead to serious breaches of data privacy.”</span></p>

Technology

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"Oh well”: Bill Gates' candid response on mistake that cost him $573 billion

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bill Gates shared at an event hosted by a venture capital firm the single biggest mistake that cost Microsoft a shocking $573 billion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He revealed that the greatest lapse in judgement from Microsoft was that they allowed Google to develop the Android OS instead of it being developed by Microsoft.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The greatest mistake ever is the whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is, [meaning] Android is the standard non-Apple phone form platform. That was a natural thing for Microsoft to win,” he said in a conversation with Eventbrite cofounder Julia Hartz, reported TechCrunch.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Microsoft quickly jumped on the bandwagon and developed Windows-powered phone in 2010, but they struggled to compete with Apple and Android and were phased out in 2017.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The failure was contributed to attracting and retaining apps on the platform.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It really is winner take all,” he said. “If you’re there with half as many apps or 90% as many apps, you’re on your way to complete doom. There’s room for exactly one non-Apple operating system, and what’s that worth? $A573 billion,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He reflected on how big Microsoft would’ve been if they had developed Android first.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are a leading company. If we got that one right, we would be ‘the’ company. But oh well,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also said he’s come a long way from the man he used to be, which is the man who “didn’t believe in weekends”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Once I got into my 30s, I could hardly even imagine how I had done that,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Now I take lots of vacation - my 20-year-old self is so disgusted with my current self.”</span></p>

Money & Banking

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Bill Gates gets candid about rival Steve Jobs: He “cast spells on people”

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Microsoft founder Bill Gates, his rival Apple CEO Steve Jobs “cast spells on people” to keep Apple profitable during the dark days of the company.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both men are known for creating an intense workplace culture and being tough leaders. Gates realised that Jobs’ leadership style was a good example of “don’t do this at home”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gates spoke to </span><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/tech/bill-gates-on-steve-jobs/index.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fareed Zakaria from </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNN</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about his relationship with Jobs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I have yet to meet any person who in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent and having a sense of design, of 'this is good, this is not good.' So he brought some incredibly positive things along with that toughness."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gates reflected on Jobs and the way he “cast spells on people”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Steve is really a singular case where the company was on a path to die and it goes and becomes the most valuable company in the world with some products that are really quite amazing. There aren't going to be many stories like that."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gates also admitted that his intense workplace culture went “too far”, especially in the early days of the company.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We had, to some degree, a self-selected set of people who were mostly males, I'll admit, and yes, we were pretty tough on each other," Gates said. "We counted on each other to work very long hours and I always wanted to set the best example of that. I think that intensity, even though a little bit it went too far, was great for my 20s, 30s, 40s."</span></p>

Technology

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These are the world's most valuable brands in 2019

<p>Apple has topped <em>Forbes</em>’ list of the world’s most valuable brands for the ninth year in a row.</p> <p>The world’s 100 most valuable brands in 2019 are worth a cumulative US$2.33 trillion (AU$3.34 trillion / NZ$3.52 trillion), increasing by 8 per cent from the previous year according to the magazine’s annual list released in late May.</p> <p>Tech giants dominated the list, led by Apple with a brand value of US$205.5 billion, up 12 per cent over the past year. The company – which was noted for its unique ability to move its customer base from one product category to another – has become the first to cross the $200 billion threshold.</p> <p>Google came in second with US$167.7 billion in brand value, followed by Microsoft (US$123.5 billion) and Amazon (US$97 billion). Facebook rounded up the top five with a value of US$88.9 billion, down 6 per cent over the past 12 months.</p> <p>Brands from 16 countries made the 2019 list. US companies comprised the majority with 56 brands among the top 100, as well as 80 per cent of the top 10. Other prolific countries included Germany with 11 brands, France with seven and Japan with six.</p> <p>No New Zealand companies made the final cut.</p> <p><strong>World’s most valuable brands:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Apple (US$205.5 billion)</li> <li>Google (US$167.7 billion)</li> <li>Microsoft (US$125.3 billion)</li> <li>Amazon (US$97 billion)</li> <li>Facebook (US$88.9 billion)</li> <li>Coca-Cola (US$59.2 billion)</li> <li>Samsung (US$53.1 billion)</li> <li>Disney (US$52.2 billion)</li> <li>Toyota (US$44.6 billion)</li> <li>McDonald’s (US$43.8 billion)</li> </ol> <p>Find the full list <span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/#tab:rank">here</a></span>.</p>

Retirement Income

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8 classic movie car chases that still have you on the edge of your seat

<p>These high-octane flicks certainly aren't what you'd call cerebral, but they boast the best car chases in film history.</p> <p><strong>1. Bullitt</strong></p> <p>1968’s<em> Bullitt </em>makes just about everyone’s list of great car chases. This titular cop was destined to be actor Steve McQueen’s most iconic role, and the heart-stopping chase through the busy streets of San Francisco remains one of the most amazing pieces of vehicular choreography ever captured on film.</p> <p><strong>2. Smokey and the Bandit</strong></p> <p>This is the film that made the Pontiac TransAm famous and influenced a generation of drivers worldwide. Who could forget those classic chases in the iconic TransAm and the fun of watching Burt Reynolds outrun the clueless cops?</p> <p><strong>3. Mad Max</strong></p> <p>This frightening yet fun look at a dystopian future has some of the most amazing car chases and explosions you’ll find on Blu-Ray. It’s also notable for the fact that it features a very young Mel Gibson, who has only 16 lines of dialogue throughout the entire movie, including (twice!), “I only came for the gasoline.”</p> <p><strong>4. Ronin</strong></p> <p>This classic film finds star Robert DeNiro and company speeding through the busy streets of Paris at speeds approaching 100 mph. Throw in top-notch performances from the cast, a compelling storyline, and plenty of great shots of the City of Light, and you’ve got the perfect flick for a (not-so-quiet) night in.</p> <p><strong>5. The French Connection</strong></p> <p><em>The French Connection</em> is one of the most iconic movies of its time, renowned for its great performances (Gene Hackman won an Academy Award for Best Actor) and incredible storytelling. What many film buffs forget, however, is that this classic flick also includes one of the most incredible car chases ever put to film. Audiences seeing the film for the first time gasped when they saw that Pontiac TransAm go under the elevated train tracks—a stunt that impresses to this day.</p> <p><strong>6. Gone in 60 Seconds</strong></p> <p>Modern audiences may be more familiar with the remake starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie, but classic car fans tend to prefer the 1974 version. The thrilling chase through the streets of Long Beach is one of the most exciting in film history.</p> <p><strong>7. To Live and Die in LA</strong></p> <p>Los Angeles is known for its incredible car culture, so it is only fitting this iconic movie makes the list. Not only does the movie include a classic car chase but it provides some of the most remarkable cityscapes ever caught on film.</p> <p><strong>8. The Blues Brothers</strong></p> <p>You might not equate a film about Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s <em>Blues Brothers</em> with car chases, but there are plenty to go around in this iconic movie. The scene at the mall is a fan favourite even decades after the film’s 1980 release.</p> <p><em>This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/entertainment/8-classic-movie-car-chases-still-have-you-edge-your-seat">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Movies

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Edge of the world: The Tassie escape you need to add to your bucket list

<p>Dominated by ‘the Nut’, a volcanic plug on the edge of town, Stanley is impossible to miss on a journey to Tasmania’s north-west. The Nut rises 152 metres with almost vertical cliffs on three sides plunging into Bass Strait, and at its base is the historic village just begging to be explored.</p> <p>George Bass and Matthew Flinders discovered the unique formation in 1798, naming it ‘Circular Head’; the region’s municipality is still called this. It was settled from 1826 after the Van Diemen’s Land Company was granted land in the north-west, including the Stanley area, and employees from England arrived in the region.</p> <p>The township was named in 1842 after Lord Stanley – who went on to serve three terms as the British prime minister – and the village eventually became a thriving and bustling centre built around farming. These days, tourism and fishing are its major drawcards, with people flocking to see the incredible views both of and from the Nut. Surrounded by beautiful coastline, and with heritage buildings and terraced streets, this ‘edge of the world’ town with its mix of natural and historical wonder is certainly worth a visit.</p> <p>“This beautiful historical fishing village is a place everyone should see. A lazy little town set under the Nut, this place has so much history, it will take you back to the early settler days. Gorgeous beaches to boot, and lots of restaurants to tickle your tastebuds.”<strong> - Jenny Barnes, Launceston, Tasmania</strong></p> <p><strong>What to do:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Climb the Nut or if, the challenge is too great, take the chairlift for incredible views over the north-west coastline and Stanley.</li> <li>Explore the historical township, which has a number of heritage buildings that have not changed over the years, including the Van Diemen’s Land Company store.</li> <li>Join a penguin tour or hop aboard a seal cruise to encounter some of the region’s local residents.</li> </ul> <p>“You can see why Stanley is often referred to as ‘the edge of the world’, perched as it is next to the Nut, a little piece of land that drops off into Bass Strait. Our first port of call, like most travellers I would say, was a chairlift ride to the top of the Nut. We were lucky enough to be joined by a fifth-generation local man, Graham, who runs a B&amp;B in town. To meet someone with such a long family history in Australia is quite rare, but it’s a common occurrence in Stanley. Home to some of the freshest air in the world, the breeze from the top of the Nut certainly blows out any cobwebs, and the views of the beaches on all sides are breathtaking.</p> <p>The town itself is charming, with its lovingly restored buildings that house cafes, art and craft shops, and B&amp;Bs. Many of the original English settler buildings have been preserved, and a drive around town is fascinating. There’s Highfield, a historic house built in 1841 that’s regarded as the birthplace of the European settlement of Tasmania’s northwest, and you can even see the former home of Joseph Lyons, Australia’s tenth prime minister, who took office in 1923. But it’s not just the town and the Nut that are beautiful. We took a scenic helicopter flight out to the nearby Tarkine wilderness area, a huge expanse of cool temperate rainforest that contains Aboriginal archaeological sites – it really is a stunning place.”<strong> - Jen and Clint</strong></p> <p><img width="142" height="174" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7817348/australia-s-ultimate-bucket-list_142x174.jpg" alt="Australia -s -ultimate -bucket -list" style="float: right;"/></p> <p><em>This is an edited extract from </em>Australia’s Ultimate Bucket List<em> by Jennifer Adams &amp; Clint Bizzell published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $29.99 and is available in stores nationally.</em></p>

Cruising

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"People screaming" – plane scarily hangs on edge of cliff

<p>A plane with 162 passengers on board has skidded off a runway just metres away from toppling over a cliff into the sea as it landed at an airport in northern Turkey.</p> <p>The Pegasus Airlines flight took off smoothly from Turkish capital Ankara but as it landed in Trabzont the plane skidded off the runway.</p> <p>No one was injured or killed in the landing.</p> <p>Dramatic images from CNN Turk broadcaster show the plane precariously hanging off a cliff several metres from the Black Sea.</p> <p><img width="476" height="263" src="https://s.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/6SYfKoB5XHd.xCQ5yaC2JA--~D/cm90YXRlPWF1dG87dz05NjA7YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVv/https://s.yimg.com/cv/ae/default/180114/turkeyplane2.jpg" class="article-figure-image" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Pegasus Airlines confirmed in a statement on Sunday there were no injuries and the 162 passengers as well as two pilots and four cabin crew were evacuated safely.</p> <p>An investigation is under way to find the cause of the incident, the Trabzon governor’s office said.</p> <p><img width="482" height="266" src="https://s.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/tMQUCPX36rGaKDr.fQWLXQ--~D/cm90YXRlPWF1dG87dz05NjA7YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVv/https://s.yimg.com/cv/ae/default/180114/turkeyplane3.jpg" class="article-figure-image" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Fatma Gordu, one of the passengers on board, described the panic on-board during the landing.</p> <p> “We tilted to the side, the front was down while the plane’s rear was up. There was panic; people shouting, screaming,” she told state-run news agency Anadolu.</p> <p>“When they told us to leave from the rear exit, everyone tried to push ahead of everyone else. It was a terrible situation.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Pegasus Airlines skidded out of the runway at Trabzon Airport. New photos in daylight shows Boeing 737 next to the sea. Photos from different Turkish media. <a href="https://t.co/KB4hAZiIE9">pic.twitter.com/KB4hAZiIE9</a></p> — Turkish Air News (@AnalystTK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnalystTK/status/952450620627222528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>She said the passengers could smell fuel and feared that a fire would break out.</p> <p>“That is why we were scared,” she said, adding that there were pregnant women and children on board.</p> <p>The airport was temporarily shut before reopening on Sunday.</p> <p> </p>

Travel Trouble

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The simple way to create tables in Microsoft Word

<p><em><strong>Lisa Du is director of <a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ReadyTechGo</span></a>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology.</strong></em></p> <p>Last week’s article featuring <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/technology/2017/04/microsoft-word-tips/" target="_blank">Microsoft Word tips</a></strong></span> proved to be a hit, so we thought we'd get back to basics, and show you another great tip.</p> <p>We love getting tips emailed through from our readers, and this week’s tip was sent through from our reader David Jones. He writes:</p> <p>I get annoyed when I get a listing of items (say an Agenda) with a number lines and spaced items using the TAB key, or worse a series spaces like this:</p> <p>Accounts:              David’s account   $5000.00</p> <p>Donation                                              $450.00</p> <p>Peter’s                   $600.00</p> <p>We hear you David! We feel the same.</p> <p>When you use the tab key and the spacebar key on the keyboard to create spaces, your information will look different when viewed on another device.</p> <p>The formatting does not stay, and your information looks very messy.</p> <p><strong>Align your text with tables</strong></p> <p>To keep your information neat and tidy, use tables. Tables in Microsoft Word is an organisational tool that lets you present your information in an easy to read format.</p> <p>The same thing can be easily shown using “Tables”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="498" height="180" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/35654/in-text-one_498x180.jpg" alt="In Text One (1)"/></p> <ul> <li>You can align text right in the money column</li> <li>Align the names left in the mid column</li> <li>Use tabs</li> <li>If preferred remove the table lines altogether:</li> </ul> <p>A. Accounts        David’s account                 $5000.00</p> <p>B. Donation                                                     $450.00</p> <p>                                Peter’s                              $600.00  </p> <p><strong>Why use tables?</strong></p> <p>For printing, the table options above will always print as you see it.</p> <p>But try to print the spaces and tabs option without using table format, none are likely to align the way you see it.</p> <p>Tables are a great way to present numbers, but also a great way to present text and graphics.</p> <p>You can make your table look good by changing the colours of the borders, and even shading different parts of the table.</p> <p><strong>How to insert a table</strong></p> <p>1. In Microsoft Word, click Insert from the top menu, and choose Table...</p> <p>2. Choose the number of column and rows required</p> <p>3. Click OK</p> <p>A table is inserted into word, and you can use click on the table lines to resize each column</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="499" height="403" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/35655/in-text-two_499x403.jpg" alt="In Text Two (1)"/></p> <p>Do you have any tech tips to share with us? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Technology

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Back to basics: 3 Microsoft Word tips

<p><em><strong>Lisa Du is director of <a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ReadyTechGo</span></a>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology.</strong></em></p> <p>Microsoft Word is a great program that is used daily by many users. We have plucked three tips from our bag of goodies and present them to you below! We know (and hope) that these time-saving tricks will put a little smile on your face when you test them out (it did for me). Maybe you can reply and tell us a few tips of your own! We always love passing on tips from our readers.</p> <p>Use these tips however you like... for efficiency or productivity, for fun or to just plain show off to your friends and family. Ok smarty pants here we go!</p> <p><strong>Tip number 1</strong></p> <p>To select an entire paragraph, make three rapid left mouse clicks anywhere in the paragraph. Voila! (combine this with a tip from a few weeks ago, and you can then hold down the SHIFT key and press the F3 key). Your whole paragraph will change to upper case letters.</p> <p><strong>Tip number 2</strong></p> <p>To select a whole sentence, click anywhere in a sentence while holding the Ctrl key down. Too easy!</p> <p><strong>Tip number 3</strong></p> <p>A tip from one of our keen readers Ian Adair. Ian's tip is another way to change the case while using Microsoft Outlook or Word. Ian even sent us image snippets for this 1 step tip (Thanks Ian)!.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="114" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/35394/in-text-one_500x114.jpg" alt="In -text -one (6)"/></p> <p>1. If using Microsoft Outlook, once you have typed your sentence click on the "Aa" icon (see image below)</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="495" height="120" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/35395/in-text-two_495x120.jpg" alt="In -text -two (6)"/></p> <p>2. If using Microsoft Word, once you have typed your sentence click on the "Aa" icon (see image below)</p> <p>Go on… give it a try!</p> <p>Do you have any tips to share? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Technology

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3 great tips for Microsoft Edge

<p><em><strong>Lisa Du is director of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank">ReadyTechGo</a></span>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology.</strong></em></p> <p>Microsoft Edge is an internet browser that is included in Windows 10, replacing Internet Explorer as the default web browser. Microsoft Edge gives you new ways to find information, read and write on the internet, and get help from personal assistant, Cortana.</p> <p>Windows 10 certainly has a lot of us baffled so we were absolutely delighted when one of our readers Ian Adair sent through some of his favourite tricks that are available in Microsoft Edge. </p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ian’s top tips for using Microsoft Edge:</span></strong></p> <p><strong>1. Strip the junk from articles with reading mode</strong></p> <p>My pet hate is when I'm trying to read a news article, and giant banner ads push the text down, or videos pop up on the page. Take all this junk away by enabling Reader Mode. My personal favourite!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="218" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33499/1_500x218.jpg" alt="1 (159)"/></p> <p><strong>2. Make a web note</strong></p> <p>Microsoft Edge is the only browser that lets you take notes, write, doodle and highlight directly on pages that you reading. For example, you could make a note on recipes, or doodle a moustache on celebrities!</p> <p>Click on the Make a web note icon in Microsoft Edge, and use the Pen to write with your touchscreen or mouse, Highlight, or Type a note and then Share it.  </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="321" height="189" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33500/2.png" alt="2 (158)"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="360" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33501/image-3_500x360.jpg" alt="Image 3 (4)"/></p> <p><strong>3. Save your web note to the reading list</strong></p> <p>Click on the floppy disk icon to save your Web Note into the Reading List.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="393" height="202" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33502/image-4.png" alt="Image 4 (2)"/></p> <p>To open your Reading list again, click on The Hub, and then click Reading List.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="342" height="182" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33503/image-5.png" alt="Image 5 (1)"/></p> <p><em>For more tech tips, visit <a href="/%20https:/readytechgo.com.au/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ReadyTechGo</span></strong></a></em>.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2017/01/how-to-take-a-screenshot/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to take a screenshot</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2016/12/internet-tips-to-make-your-life-better/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">4 internet tips to make your life better</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2016/12/what-to-do-to-when-you-lose-unsaved-documents/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">What to do to when you lose unsaved documents</span></strong></em></a></p>

Technology

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Tourists hang off the edge of 91-metre waterfall

<p>If you ever find yourself near Victoria Falls in Zambia and you’re feeling a little adventurous, it might be worth your while visiting the famous Devil’s Pool.</p> <p>The main feature of Devil’s Pool is an angled rock which lets tourists get right up to the edge of the waterfall in relative safety and take amazing photographs. </p> <p>The attraction of Devil’s Pool is seems to be in a similar same vain to Sydney’s Wedding Cake Rock or <a href="/news/news/2016/01/rouge-wave-at-sydney-figure-eight-pools/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Figure Eight Pools</span></strong></a> in the sense that it attracts a range of tourists looking to take great photos despite the dangers.</p> <p>As we see in the video above, Victoria Falls’ Devil’s Pool is a little bit safer as an angled rock and guide helps prevent tourists from slipping the 91-metre drop.</p> <p>It’s a certainly a beautiful part of the world, but we’re not too sure if you’d see us taking a photo from that vantage point!</p> <p><em>Video credit: YouTube / quang long</em></p> <p><em><strong>Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Tailor your cover to your needs and save money by not paying for things you don’t need. <a href="https://elevate.agatravelinsurance.com.au/oversixty?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_content=link1&amp;utm_campaign=travel-insurance" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Click here to read more about Over60 Travel Insurance</span></a>.</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>For more information about Over60 Travel Insurance, call 1800 622 966.</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/02/a-look-inside-first-class-cabins/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Inside 8 first class cabins that will amaze you</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/02/most-photographed-locations-in-london/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>London’s 8 most photographed locations</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/02/holiday-ideas-for-animal-lovers/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 holiday ideas every animal lover needs to experience</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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Microsoft is going to stop updating Internet Explorer

<p>Are you using an old version of Internet Explorer? Now is the time to upgrade or switch to another browser because Microsoft is phasing out support for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 on January 12.</p> <p>The shift will basically mean the end of security updates and technical help for versions of Internet Explorer other than 11, the latest iteration.</p> <p>That could leave users clinging to the old versions more vulnerable to cyberattacks against their computers because problems with the software that are discovered down the line won't be fixed.</p> <p>"Regular security updates help protect computers from malicious attacks, so upgrading and staying current is important," Microsoft says on a web page about the change.</p> <p>Internet Explorer 11 offers "improved security, increased performance, better backward compatibility" and support for modern web standards, it added.</p> <p>There are a few exceptions: For example, Microsoft will continue to provide support for Internet Explorer 9 on its older Windows Vista after the deadline because it's the latest compatible version for that operating system. But for the most part, users of old browsers will be on their own.</p> <p>This change shouldn't be a surprise: Microsoft first announced the cutoff was coming back in August 2014.</p> <p>Still, the shift will have a major impact on Internet users: By some estimates that means hundreds of millions of users will need to upgrade or be left at greater digital risk.</p> <p>Microsoft is offering help for enterprise customers - organisations with more than 500 employees - looking to upgrade browsers before the cutoff.</p> <p>And that might be needed in some cases: Big companies and governments can be slow to move to the latest software because making those changes can be complicated to roll out across their organisations.</p> <p>But most everyday users still running versions Internet Explorer 8, 9, and 10 can expect to get a final "End-of-Life" software update on the 12th that will include a prompt to upgrade their browser.</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Lucian Milasan / Shutterstock</em></p> <p>Written by Andrea Peterson. First appeared on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a></strong></span>. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/01/clever-dog-performs-a-handstand/"><strong>Watch gorgeous toy poodle perform a perfect handstand</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/01/alarm-clock-rug/"><strong>You won’t believe this new rug that’s an alarm clock</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/01/make-your-smartphone-battery-last-longer/"><strong>How to make your smartphone battery last longer</strong></a></em></span></p>

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