The internet: all fun and games and virtual reality porn and ignored Candy Crush requests, until someone steals your identity.

The rise of social media means people are making more personal information public than they ever have before. Even if you think you’re only sharing funny memes and artful wardrobe flatlays, more serious details can easily be unearthed by a devious digital scammer.

Limit Your Exposure

The best way to keep your private information private is to… keep it private. Imagine what you’d tell a kid who is just starting to find his way online. Don’t put your phone number, address, or birthday on any social media profile. Don’t mention where you work or go to school. Don’t accept friends or followers you don’t know in real life. Don’t announce that you’re backpacking through Peru for a month, so your apartment is empty and waiting to be raided. Even posts you “like” can offer clues to your location or identity. Be selective in what you share, and whenever possible, lock down your privacy settings so your info is not publicly available.

Strengthen Your Passwords

The importance of creating strong passwords is hardly new advice, but it remains essential and too often ignored. The ideal password goes beyond a few letters and numbers (because you are using both letters and numbers, right?). Throw in symbols. Use uppercase in random spots. Deliberately misspell words. Swap numbers for letters. The best passwords are random strings of characters and never used twice. If that’s too difficult to remember, use a password manager like LastPass to keep track of your login information.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Wherever possible, use two-factor authentication. Hackers and their computer algorithms become better at uncovering passwords all the time, so the more layers of security you can add, the better. Two-factor authentication requires you to enter not only your password, but also a second form of ID verification (like a randomly generated pin number texted to your phone) in order to access your profile. It will feel tedious, but the extra hurdle makes it much harder to be hacked.

Set Up Login Notifications

Some services provide this automatically, others require it to be enabled. Always set up login notifications if they are available. You will receive an email or a text message any time an unrecognised IP address attempts to log into your account. Think of it as the internet version of your bank’s fraud detection programme. You may not be able to prevent a breach with login notifications, but knowing quickly can help you minimise the damage.

Trick The Security Questions

Honesty goes out the window when it comes to security questions. Treat them like your passwords – deliberately misspell, replace letters with numbers, mash phrases together to form a single word. You can also give the wrong answer entirely, as long as your memory is good. From now on, your mother’s maiden name is “ZiggyStardust.”

Stick With HTTPS

One letter could mean the difference between staying safe and being hacked. Check for the S in ‘https://’ – it stands for “secure.” A suite of the most vital online services (Google, Facebook) only allow you to connect via an HTTPS connection, meaning any data exchanged between you and the service is encrypted. Do not share sensitive information or make online payments without that S. Pro tip: public wi-fi hotspots often lack it.

Monitor Your Bank Account

Conduct regular checkups of your bank account, credit card statements, and credit report. You’ll want to know as soon as possible if any unfamiliar transactions have been made, or if accounts have been opened under your name without your knowledge. If you see any potential signs of fraudulent activity, don’t hesitate to start making phone calls immediately.

Encrypt When You Can

Encryption is a powerful tool for keeping valuable data safe – whether you’re transmitting it over the Web, backing it up on a server, or simply carrying it through airport security on a laptop. Encrypting your data makes it unreadable to anyone but you and its intended receipient. You’ll need a password – a strong one – to encrypt the file and decrypt it later when you want to view it again. No password, no access. Research encryption to learn where it can be used (probably more often than you think) and what software already has the functionality built in.

Secure Your Wireless Network

That wi-fi network you cleverly named ‘It Burns When IP’? Make sure it’s secure and not just witty. Using a password reduces the likelihood of fraud and identity theft. An open network allows anyone in range – including a scammer – to connect to your router. A skilled cyber criminal can glean access to sensitive information and build a detailed profile of you based on your browsing history.

Understand Phishing

The bad news: phishing scams use a variety of methods to pose as a trustworthy entity in order to obtain your personal information. The other bad news: there are tons of different kinds, and they get more sophisticated all the time. The good news: vigilence can keep you safe. Educate yourself about common phishing scams and learn to recognise deceitful emails and websites. Never open attachments or links from a sender you don’t know (better yet, don’t open the email at all). Be wary of requests for info like credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and social security numbers. If in doubt, call the institution to confirm validity.

Update Your Tech

Keep your devices up to date. Hackers can more easily exploit known vulnerabilities in the older versions of software, so update whenever you’re prompted to do so. Using the latest editions of your computer or phone operating system, browser, and apps guarantees that you have the most current security measures in place.

The post What Men Need To Know About Protecting Their Online Identity appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

You’ve cleaned up the pantry. You got clear on your goals. You’re educated on the sneaky, science-backed tricks for keeping your appetite in check. You’ve sworn to stop skipping meals. You’re fully committed to being a lean, mean, fat-shedding machine.

Whether you’re looking for a total body transformation or just slightly lower digits on the scale, losing weight is a challenge. It feels like there’s a new fad diet every month, and with so many opinions from alleged “experts”, it’s easy to be paralysed by choice. You know you need to eat better, but it’s unclear what “better” actually is.

Nutritionists recommend focusing on quality, nutrient-dense foods – foods with benefits that equal, or outweigh, their caloric impact. What you’re looking for is fibre, a nutrient that is filling, maintains blood glucose levels, and promotes gastrointestinal health. Aim to stock your kitchen with vegetables, fruits, and nuts. These plant-based foods are rich in fibre and naturally high in protein, which together pack a serious punch that keeps you fuller for longer and keeps your metabolism fit.

Quinoa

This powerful little grain is trendy for a reason. It’s a complete protein and high in fibre, as well as rich in eight essential amino acids and a laundry list of vitamins. It also scores low on the glycemic index, meaning it won’t cause a blood sugar spike.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are flavorful, rich in fibre, and meaty enough to replace actual meat in many dishes if you’re vegetarian or vegan. Research has found that subbing mushrooms for meat for one meal a day can lead to significant weight loss. It’s easier on your wallet, too.

Berries

Fruit gets a bad rap as a weight loss food due to its natural sugar, but berries can be an effective way to curb your sugar cravings without totally destroying your diet. They’re relatively low in calories, are packed with nutrients, and add a welcome dose of flavour to blah meals.

Spinach

Your mother was right about leafy greens. They’re crucial to a healthy diet and versatile to cook with. Spinach is extremely low in calories (meaning you can fill up on fistfuls without altering the scale) and packed with all kinds of nutrients.

Dark Chocolate

Chocolate can be an energising caffeine replacement and possibly make you smarter. According to a 2012 study, it may even be a weight loss aid. The research revealed a link between consuming dark chocolate twice a week and lower BMI – but it must be dark chocolate, and it still must be eaten in moderation.

Carrots

The humble carrot is easy to overlook, but letting it rot in your veggie drawer is a mistake. Carrots are an easy and hearty snack that can be used to replace other fast, but unhealthful, bites. Added bonus: the high fibre content comes with a serious shot of beta-carotene.

Beans

A 2011 study found that eating black beans can “contribute to the improvement of insulin resistance” and “prevent lifestyle-related disease.” Many kinds of beans are loaded with fibre, protein, iron, and zinc, and because they’re a complex carb, they keep you full longer.

Edamame

Believe it or not, edamame is a complete protein that contains all the amino acids of meat as well as healthy fat. A single cup contains 17g of protein, 8g of fibre, and only 189 calories, so you can keep your belly full while still successfully battling the bulge.

Nuts

Nuts are a great quick-grab snack and many varieties are high in healthy fat and fiber. However, they’re also very caloric, so it’s important to consume in moderation. Brazil nuts are a popular choice for the diet conscious, but be careful not to overeat.

Kale

The kale hype just won’t die. Like spinach, kale is ultra low on calories and fat, but brimming with potassium, vitamin K, fibre, and iron. The nutrients help regulate your digestive system while the low scores on fat and calories mean you can wolf it down with no effect on your waistline.

The post The Best Foods To Eat When You're Trying To Lose Weight appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

For some, the dream is a picket fence and 2.5 kids. For others, it’s a sprawling mansion on a private island. And for an increasingly less rare breed, the dream comes in a miniscule-but-mighty package. Tiny houses are officially a trend.

These itty bitty homes don’t exist just to populate Pinterest boards. They’re part of a growing movement that promotes freedom, minimalism, and sustainable living. Many are built on wheels, allowing you to move wherever and whenever your roving heart desires. Owners find tiny house living encourages a more modest but fuller lifestyle, one in which they feel more connected to nature and unfettered from the pressures of society. A tiny home means less clutter, less wastefulness, fewer expenses (included the dreaded mortgage), and no compulsion to keep up with the Joneses.

Don’t dismiss these for the human equivalent of a doll house. Tiny homes are shockingly well-equipped despite their diminutive size. Designers have discovered innovative ways to ensure tiny house dwellers have everything they need, so while space may be compromised, style and substance are not.

The post Inside 10 Tiny Houses With Surprisingly Big Style appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

This story was originally published on Gizmodo

Featuring sneakers in movies is a fun way to blend fiction and reality and adds another layer of geekery to any film (what are those?). But the best movie sneakers either give them a personality of their own, like the Nike Mags in Back to the Future or the Reebok Alien Stompers in Aliens. Or they’re just damn cool like the Space Jam Jordan XIs in Space Jam.

Everybody’s gotta wear shoes, so you might as well wear something nice and comfy. I mean, even Batman wore sneakers (Nike Air Trainer IIIs and Jordan VIs) with his Batsuit during the Tim Burton-era of Batman.Check out all the coolest sneakers that popped up in movies with this video by Candice Drouet.

The post Here Are All The Coolest Sneakers From Movies appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Strap yourself in. The boys are back and it’s sure to be a bumpy ride. Top Gear fans can finally get an eyeful of the first hijinks-filled trailer for The Grand Tour.

Messers Clarkson, May, and Hammond decamped to Amazon following Clarkson’s unceremonious ousting from the BBC in 2015. He’s taken a glass half full approach to the fracas, calling it “a fantastic thing to happen” earlier this year. With the new Amazon show set to debut in a little over a month, it’s time to get a peek at what car culture’s most famous trio have been up to.

Unsurprisingly, The Grand Tour doesn’t appear to be a radical departure from Top Gear. You’ll see the same beloved banter and the unmistakable chemistry that made the first show a hit. There’s petrol-fueled shenanigans aplenty and, of course, an army of exotic and enviable autos. But The Grand Tour sees the emphasis shift slightly, as the name suggests, to put greater focus on the gang’s round-the-world adventures. Fans of travel shows may also find something to love about The Grand Tour, even if they don’t know their Mercedes from their McLarens.

The action packed trailer drops a cornucopia of tantalising tidbits about what’s in store. There’s broken bones, desert ruins, drifting, camels, jet skis, a helicopter, a tank, and all the screeching rubber your ears could want.

The post Feast Your Eyes On The First Trailer For 'The Grand Tour' appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

For decades now our abodes have been steadily shrinking, especially in Sydney where space is sparse and people are prolific. But there are some simple ways to transform a cramped apartment into a liveable home with maximum usable space.

Storage

Making the most of every nook and cranny becomes a lot simpler with smart storage. Eliminate clutter with multifunctional furniture featuring hidden storage, store unused items under the bed in lidded tubs and consider curtains to hide open shelving.

Up, Up & Away

Forget floors and focus on walls to create more useable space. This could include anything from a vertical garden and floor-to-ceiling shelving to hanging bikes and sports equipment.

Divide Rooms

For anyone living in a studio apartment, this one’s for you! Section off your home with functional pieces of furniture like bookshelves or modern room dividers for maximum effect. This sectioning will encourage less clutter for a more organised and useful home.

Rid Crap You Don’t Use

In other words: declutter, bitches! The less stuff you have the bigger your home will feel, so rid your apartment of that old guitar that has remained silent since high school or toss that dodgy chest of drawers that haven’t opened properly in years. Don’t forget to purge your closet and mindfully dispose of old electronics and chargers.

When decluttering, always apply the ‘one year’ rule. I.e. if you haven’t used or worn an item for more than 12 months, get it out of the house (or sell it online) pronto.

Don’t Indulge Guests

We all want our friends and family to feel comfortable and welcome when they visit, but a spare room, or even a spare bed, isn’t a possibility when you live in a small apartment.

Instead, furnish your lounge room with a foldout couch or futon or keep an inflatable mattress stored away for less fussy guests (i.e. mates full of booze who can’t drive home).

The same rule applies to the dining table. Choose an extendable style so you can keep things tight when guests have gone home.

TIP: While walls are a great source of extra space, be careful not to overdo it, as cluttered walls will make a room feel smaller and more claustrophobic.

Mirrors

Mirrors are magicians at making small rooms appear larger. Strategically place mirrors opposite windows or create a feature wall of mirrors for full effect. We also love oversized mirrors placed against a wall or at the end of a hallway.

Less Is More

Small apartments and small furniture may seem like a perfect match but the opposite is actually true. Decorating with more compact furniture can lead to a home filled with multiple small items that seemingly take up minimal space while skimping on functionality.

A better course of action is to invest in a few large pieces of furniture to open up the space and encourage a more liveable home. For example, a large couch is preferable to three or four smaller sofas.

Leave Space Around Furniture

Take a look around your house and count how many pieces of furniture are pushed up against walls. A lot, right? You might be surprised to learn that this is counterintuitive to creating a liveable small apartment. Both angling furniture and leaving a few inches between furniture and the walls will facilitate the illusion of more room and make your tiny home feel like a palatial castle (not quite, but it will give the apartment a more spacious and roomy ambiance).

Colour Considerations

A fresh lick of paint can make all the difference when it comes to reinventing a small apartment. Avoid dark colours that will make the space feel smaller and more enclosed. Stick with light, solid hues and add colour with art or photographs mounted on the walls. Another great way to open up a small room is to paint the ceiling in a contrasting – or bright – colour. This will effectively elongate the room and give it depth by drawing the eyes towards the ceiling.

The post Smart Ways To Make A Small Apartment Bigger appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The title for the world’s best bar is a highly coveted affair and often tightly contested. Finding fifty or the world’s best? Definitely not an easy feat which also comes with a free trip to the the hospital for alcohol poisoning.

Luckily the good folk over at Drinks International have done the hard yards and compiled their annual list of the world’s top drinking holes with surprising results. Two of Sydney’s finest small bars, The Baxter Inn and Bulletin Place, made the cut amongst some heavy hitters reigning from New York, London, Asia and Europe.

The list was however dominated by the Brits and New Yorkers in the top ten spots with bars coming from either London or New York, bar the ninth spot which was snapped up by Athens’ The Clumsies.

Taking out the top spot is New York’s The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog located in the city’s bustling financial district.

Pack your bags and your drinking hats. The list you seek is here:

1. THE DEAD RABBIT GROCERY & GROG, NEW YORK

2. AMERICAN BAR AT THE SAVOY, LONDON

3. DANDELYAN, LONDON

4. CONNAUGHT BAR AT THE CONNAUGHT, LONDON

5. ATTABOY, NEW YORK

6. THE GIBSON, LONDON

7. EMPLOYEES ONLY, NEW YORK

8. NOMAD BAR AT THE NOMAD HOTEL, NEW YORK

9. THE CLUMSIES, ATHENS

10. HAPPINESS FORGETS, LONDON

11. MANHATTAN AT THE REGENT, SINGAPORE

12. THE BAXTER INN, SYDNEY

13. LICORERIA LIMANTOUR, MEXICO CITY

14. 28 HONG KONG STREET, SINGAPORE

15. SPEAK LOW, SHANGHAI

16. THE BROKEN SHAKER, MIAMI

17. CANDELARIA, PARIS

18. TALES & SPIRITS, AMSTERDAM

19. NIGHTJAR, LONDON

20. MAISON PREMIERE, NEW YORK

21. OPERATION DAGGER, SINGAPORE

22. BLACK PEARL, MELBOURNE

23. HIGH FIVE, TOKYO

24. LITTLE RED DOOR, PARIS

25. LINJE TIO, STOCKHOLM

26. CENTRAL STATION, BEIRUT

27. LOBSTER BAR AND GRILL AT SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, HONG KONG

28. MACE, NEW YORK

29. SMUGGLER’S COVE, SAN FRANCISCO

30. BAR TERMINI, LONDON

31. LA FACTORIA, OLD SAN JUAN

32. ORIOLE, LONDON

33. THE JERRY THOMAS PROJECT, ROME

34. DANTE, NEW YORK

35. TRICK DOG, SAN FRANCISCO

36. ABV, SAN FRANCISCO

37. THE WALKER INN, LOS ANGELES

38. NOTTINGHAM FOREST, MILAN

39. AVIARY, CHICAGO

40. BABA AU RUM, ATHENS

41. QUINARY, HONG KONG

42. HIMKOK, OSLO

43. LOST & FOUND, NICOSIA

44. RUBY, COPENHAGEN

45. PDT, NEW YORK

46. BULLETIN PLACE, SYDNEY

47. BRAMBLE, EDINBURGH

48. CALLOOH CALLAY, LONDON

49. FLORERÍA ATLÁNTICO, BUENOS AIRES

The post 50 Of The World's Best Bars Unveiled By Drinks International appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Think back to the modern era of cars and you’ll recall that there’s not been a year without a concept car to wow the crowds.

Whether it’s rolled out from a factory in Italy, England, Japan or America, concept cars have long been the testing bed for cutting-edge technology and design. It’s also this very reason that a lot of these insane concept machines never actually make it onto public roads short of spawning one or two examples.

With that said, these cars are a true one-of-a-kind, looking and boasting features like nothing else before it. Want to know more? You’re in luck. These are eight of the most insane concept vehicles ever conceived in modern motoring. There’s a lot more where that came from but for now we don’t want to overwhelm you.

The post Insane Concept Cars That Never Made It To Production appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Brace yourselves, Mercedes AMG drivers. No really, brace yourself because Drift Mode has been green lit for the Silver Arrows’ latest range of performance cars.

For those not yet in the know, Drift Mode is an AWD feature which can be activated by a button in cars such as the new Ford Focus RS to allow for easier power slides. It works by tweaking the front suspension to a softer setting before sending more torque to the rear wheels (Hint: it doesn’t make you a professional racer).

The driver-focused feature is intended for fun on the track, but that hasn’t stopped overly exuberant drivers from testing it out on public roads to devastating results.

Regardless, it seems Mercedes-Benz’s performance arm wants in on the drifting action which enthusiastic drivers the world over have been raving on about. In an interview with Autocar from the recent Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz specifically singled out their new drift system which will make its debut in the upcoming E63 AMG. The article reported:

The fully variable set-up, which is capable of apportioning up to 100 per cent of drive to the back wheels, has been developed to provide a distinctive rear-wheel drive bias in a move Moers hints will see the new E63 continue to offer power oversteer traits despite the move to four-wheel drive across the model range.

“It is four-wheel drive and we’re going to have a Drift Mode,” Moers revealed to Autocar at the unveiling of the new Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster and GT C Roadster at the Paris motor show.

The 50-year-old AMG chairman confirmed a program included in the E63’s standard electronic stability control system, which provides added torque to the rearward bias of drive to create a slide, will be called Drift Mode.

As most have already indicated, this seems to be an odd move since Mercedes-Benz specifically switched to a complicated all-wheel-drive system from its traditional rear-wheel-drive layout so that it could provide better handling and traction on power. Now it’s trying to re-capture the appeal of a rear-drive vehicle in an all-wheel-drive vehicle.

Confusing? Indeed, but necessary if the AMG name is to keep up with the demands of today’s driving enthusiasts who are continually demanding versatility in their sports cars. The new setup could even work in favour of AMG drivers with a best-of-both-worlds approach providing both traction when its necessary and letting it all hang loose when it’s not.

The post Mercedes-Benz Is Introducing Drift Mode Into Their AMG Cars appeared first on DMARGE Australia.