Google's fixed those annoying Gmail errors

UPDATE: May 6, 2019, 5:26 p.m. PDT: According to Google, Gmail is no longer partially busted. 

"The problem with Gmail should be resolved," reads an update posted to the Gmail status page. "We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support. Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better." 

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Original story:

Go ahead, ignore all those high-priority emails. You have a legit excuse: Gmail is acting up. 

The Google-provided email service has been a bit finicky, with reports of unspecified service disruptions affecting users in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. Google confirmed that all is not well in email land with a Monday afternoon post to its apps status page.  Read more...

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Instagram to demote posts based on fact-checking like Facebook

Days after Facebook and Instagram banned a litany of prominent far-right voices, it looks like the latter of the two apps is stepping up its anti-fake news efforts.

Instagram will start using a similar fact-checking process as Facebook to demote posts that spread bad information, rather than remove them entirely. The news came courtesy of the journalism nonprofit Poynter, which has fact-checking efforts of its own. 

It sounds essentially the same as what Facebook has been doing since shortly after the 2016 presidential election. Any post that could be hazardously false will be sent to the same place as their Facebook counterparts, with fact-checkers deciding whether or not to reduce their reach or not. Read more...

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15 perfect graduation cap designs for fans of 'The Office'

If you're reading this article let me be the first to say congratulations — not only on your impending graduation, but on having excellent taste in television shows. 

You are graduating. That means you're like, really smart now. And any really smart fan of The Office would want to finish off the school year in style — by decorating their graduation cap with references to the beloved employees of Dunder Mifflin.

From Michael Scott and Kelly Kapoor quotes, to Scott's Tots and bankruptcy jokes, the NBC comedy is full of potential graduation cap ideas. 

Here are 15 Office-themed graduation caps to use as inspiration so you won't have to aimlessly wander a craft store waiting for genius to strike. Read more...

More about Television, Culture, Graduation, The Office, and Graduation Cap

from Mashable http://bit.ly/2WuHhhZ

Twitter finally lets you add reaction GIFs to retweets

Hey, would you look at that. A change to Twitter that won't immediately be universally reviled.

The social media platform announced Monday that, starting immediately on mobile, users can add GIFs to retweets. That's right, you no longer have to just slap a downward pointing finger emoji on your retweets and call it a day. 

"Starting today, you can do something new with your Retweets – add a GIF," Twitter explained in an email to reporters. "Now, the same photos, videos, and GIFs that you add to a Tweet can be added to a Retweet, making it easier to share what’s on your mind and join the conversation when you can’t find the right words."  Read more...

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from Mashable http://bit.ly/2DUFQ5e

How to stop robocalls and spammers — Clarification Please

Are you tired of getting calls every single day from robots, spammers, and scammers? So is everyone else. Here's what you can do to put a stop to the endless robocall epidemic. Read more...

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from Mashable http://bit.ly/2WrDulP

You'll never, ever see any of these species

Extinction is coming.

Though, in large part, it already has. On Monday, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) published an exhaustive report on the planet's accelerating extinction rate. The report — compiled over three years by 145 scientific authors with input from over 300 more — found that the modern extinction rate is the highest it's been in human history, and is "tens to hundreds of times" higher than the normal rate of extinction over the last 10 million years. 

The toll from destroyed wilderness, exploiting critters for their horns and furs, accelerated climate change, and widespread pollution is easily apparent. Each year, scientists announce species that are gone forever. For an idea of just how grim Earth's modern day human-caused extinction crisis already is, the report provided some historical perspective:  Read more...

More about Science, Animals, Conservation, Extinction, and Science

from Mashable http://bit.ly/2DSqzBX

Get a lifetime subscription to this VPN for just $29

Don’t have a VPN? Here's your cue: get one now before it’s too late. 

Sorry not sorry for waxing dramatic, but if you’ve seen shows like Black Mirror and Mr. Robot, then you’re aware of the possibility that society is morphing into a tech dystopia in which it’s always open season on your digital privacy. Oh, and there’s the fact that two-thirds of all hotels leak your personal deets. And the ongoing drama that is the life of Mark Zuckerberg — you know, the guy responsible for the biggest data breaches to make headlines the past few years?

Right now, one of the highest regarded VPNs on the market, VPN Unlimited, is running a crazy 48-hour price drop on its lifetime subscription, bringing the price down to just $29. It's always a good time to get a VPN, but there is truly no better time than in the next 48 hours. Read more...

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from Mashable http://bit.ly/2WuH7Hp

Microsoft Surface, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Lenovo ThinkPad, and more on sale this week

Shopping for your non-tech-savvy parents can be a pretty tall order to fulfill. You don’t want to get anything too complicated, but you also don’t want to get something so basic that they can’t do much with it. It also depends on their skill level — do they barely know how to send an email? Or are they literal PowerPoint pros who only need help in a few other areas? 

SEE ALSO: 8 of the best laptop backpacks, based on customer reviews

With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, it’s time to get a move on with your gift purchases — and a new laptop or tablet may be the perfect way to thank mom for all the love and support.  Read more...

More about Tablets, Lenovo, Laptops, Microsoft Surface, and Mashable Shopping

from Mashable http://bit.ly/2DTdEzA

Justin Bieber teams up with YouTube for secret project

Robert Kyncl, YouTube's chief business officer, has announced Justin Bieber is teaming up with the streaming platform for a secret project. Read more...

More about Entertainment, Music, Youtube, Mashable Video, and Streaming

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7 best places to get your drama fix on the internet

At heart, all of us live for drama. 

Who doesn't love to watch a thread descend into a dumpster fire? There's so much joy in watching a tweet get brutally ratio'd, or reading a chaotic series of screenshots. At the end of the day, an episode of Gossip Girl can only go so far, and it's just never as satisfying as the wild hellscape of internet conflict.

If you have time to kill and plenty of WiFi, here are six places to get your fix for messy, messy drama. 

1r/relationships

Reddit's main subreddit for relationship advice is a gold mine for messy drama of failed romances and broken familial bonds. The Twitter account @redditships curates the most cursed posts from the subreddit, from a significantly older girlfriend complaining about her teenage boyfriend's masturbation contests to someone trying to convince their partner that the Cheesecake Factory is good. While the posts themselves are certainly bonkers, the real drama comes from the comments — in the most controversial posts, you're sure to find the spiciest call outs for terrible partners.  Read more...

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from Mashable http://bit.ly/2DTdEj4

Android Auto's new look is darker, packs more onto car screen

When you sync your Android smartphone to your car's infotainment system in a few months, expect a darker look.

Android Auto, the in-car display connected to your smartphone, is getting a makeover this summer. Android Auto works in more than 500 car models across 50 different brands, like Toyota, which finally added Android Auto compatibility earlier this year. For iPhone users, CarPlay is Apple's version for in-car infotainment features.

SEE ALSO: Polestar 2's Google car dashboard will soon open to Android app developers

The new interface is pretty similar to what you've seen for the past few years on your car dash, but a new navigation bar on the bottom includes directions, other apps, and quick access to your phone. Now you can be in Google Maps and control your Spotify playlist on the same screen or even take a call from the nav bar. Read more...

More about Google, Android Auto, Infotainment, Google Io 2019, and Tech

from Mashable http://bit.ly/2WszQrF

Best 4K TV deals this week: Samsung, Insignia, Sony, and more

Personal anecdote time: I finally watched Game of Thrones on a 4K TV and it changed my life.

I saw Brienne's tears in crystal-clear UHD and the contrast was so lifelike that I felt like I could reach out and strangle Jaime Lannister.

I've obviously watched stuff on a 4K TV before, but never realized how shitty it was to go home to 1080p. Last week, I finally bought a 2160p TV for myself and was able to really pay attention to the qualityThe cinematographer is right: The show isn't too dark, you just need a better TV.

SEE ALSO: How buying a TV made me feel less alone

If you haven't experienced 4K at home yet, this is your sign to do it. (If you're already on the 4K hype train, there's no reason why every room in the house doesn't need one.) A ton of TVs are on sale this week at Amazon, Walmart, PCMag, and Dell, including this 55-inch one from Insignia that has Fire TV built in and is (somehow) only $349.99.  Read more...

More about 4k Tv, Vizio, Home Tech, Smart Tvs, and Mashable Shopping

from Mashable http://bit.ly/2DTlCJc