Jan 5, 2018 | Security
For years, Android wrestled with malware and other hacks. In fact, they wrestle with such issues today. But now, Android.Fakeapp Trojan is at it again. Android, Uber and Malware: Oh my!
This time, they fakers imitate Uber. Cyber security watchdog Symantec discovered the malware. So here is how it works. First, the malware, looking like Uber, pops up on your smartphone screen. That’s how they try to get your phone number and password. Then you press enter. But when you do that, your info goes to their server. Then the hackers have your information. They can either rip you off themselves or sell it on the dark web, maybe both.
However, they go even further. They show a real screen from the real app showing your real location. They do this because the hackers don’t want much suspicion. Experts hint that consumers are getting smarter protecting themselves. So hackers are also getting smarter. They’re using new tactics, including pieces of a legit website/app, to trick users. Uber leaders address the issue. One Uber rep says they’re putting extra security controls in. They’re also blocking unauthorized logins if you unknowingly give up your information.
I do applaud Uber for addressing this threat. For some, this may sound obvious. But in IT service, this may not be always the case. So kudos to Uber for addressing this situation right now! So what can we do? Well, just like ‘see something say something’, if something looks suspicious, cut it off immediately! In our Boston computer service shop, we tell our clients that often. And this advice saves machines and headaches. Download only from trusted sources. Do not accept duplication. Yes, it is good to change your password often. At the very least, make difficult ones that only you will know. Android, Uber and Malware isn’t a good mix. What else can we do to get malware out of the picture?
Jan 4, 2018 | Computer technology
Over the years, IT service made our lives really good. However, there are times I wonder, does it make our life too easy? I ask this because Amazon’s Alexa can now operate your microwave. Alexa and your microwave: When is enough enough?
I’m reading some reports that say, “Alexa learns to cook”. But don’t let that quote fool you. Alexa isn’t trying to be the next Rachel Ray or Julia Child. It’s just trying to see how it can work with microwaves. In fact, Amazon wants Alexa to microwave for you. They’re already teaming up with Whirlpool, bringing this voice tool to their 2017 made microwaves, . Of course, all this is according to insiders.
However, let’s just assume this is true and this is bound to happen. If so, then all you have to say is, “Alexa, defrost this steak for five minutes”. It will do it. And all you will have to say is, “Alexa, microwave this TV dinner for three minutes”, or “Alexa, heat up this coffee for one minute”. It will do it. The only thing it won’t do is put your food/drink in the microwave for you. Some things you have to do for yourself.
So this is where I draw the line. I know Amazon is trying to move Alexa to the kitchen. But doing stuff it only takes seconds for human beings to do? I’ve seen people, even those in computer repair,??embrace this thing.? For example, they’ll tell Alexa to look up their favorite song. Keep in mind the song is already on the top of their play list. If Alexa wants to be a help in the kitchen, then let it wash those stubborn pots and pans. I can microwave my food by my own doggone self. So a relationship between Alexa and? your microwave is one I think I will do without. When is enough enough?
Jan 3, 2018 | youtube
So IT support can be a peculiar thing. Just three days into the new year and You Tube is already in hot water. This is because of Logan Paul, a You Tube star with over 15 million subscribers. He also is part of Red subscription. Will he survive You Tube’s first 2018 scandal.
Paul put up a video of Japan’s ‘suicide forest‘. However, this video included a suicide victim. I like to think this was just a lapse a judgement on Paul’s part and he didn’t realize the victim was there. Also, he took the video down, but not soon enough. Yes, he took it down 24 hours after he put it up. However, 24 hours was more than enough time for six million people to watch it. You guessed it; the outrage was intense and furious.
So what about You Tube? After all, this is You Tube’s first 2018 scandal. Somehow, this gory video passed moderation. Keep in mind this moderation forbids violent and gory real-life content that intends to shock and/or disrespect. To add insult to injury, many of Paul’s fans are minors. We don’t know if You Tube will take disciplinary action against Logan Paul’s channel. However, this appears to be his first strike. If Paul, or anybody, gets three strikes in a 90 day period, then You Tube suspends their account. Logan Paul apologized profusely about this incident.
But I think this is You Tube’s fault just as much as Paul’s, maybe even a little bit more. This proves waiting 24 hours to delete a gory video is 23 hours too late. Also, consider how popular You Tube is getting. In my computer service shop, and in other places, many say they’re canceling cable. They’re replacing it with You Tube’s new 35.00 a month service. With this, one can watch their favorite shows and sports live, just like on cable TV. Furthermore, You Tube already has over a billion users, watching billions of hours a day. This is a recipe for the wild, wild west of social media. You Tube promises AI moderation; goodness knows they need them all.? What can be done to prevent the next You Tube scandal?
Jan 2, 2018 | News
Iran is enduring the most intense protests since 2009. So far, over twenty are dead, scores injured, hundreds arrested. Also, they have no end in sight. But what does this have to do with IT support or social media? Iran bans social media: due to protests.
Telegram and Instagram are the biggest casualties of freedom at the moment.? Iran blocked them. Furthermore, on Iran TV, they announced they’re blocking these sites. They say they’re doing so because they want to maintain peace. They believe leaving social media sites open will only fuel dissent and chaos.
However, a senior member of the Iranian government used Telegram to state his regime’s case. He stated Telegram would encourage hatred. This official even hinted the ban could be permanent. For example, he says certain tweets tell people to use weapons against police. This could affect over 800,000 Instagram and Telegram accounts. Also, Telegram is very popular in Iran right now. There are over 25 million active users in Iran. That’s over a third of Iran’s population. Also, Iran is notorious for media censorship. So when people get hold of Telegram, it could be the only voice they have. They can tell the world what really goes on in Iran.
I think there’s another reason Iran bans social media. Because they don’t want other influence coming into this country. President Trump sent a tweet. He praised the protesters. He also called Iranian leaders brutal and corrupt. They can’t have that, can they? Online freedom crusader Edward Snowden also tweeted in favor of the protesters. He said they can’t keep an independent service from being blocked in dictatorships. I’d like to join in applauding the protesters. No matter how much regimes try to stifle the truth, it will come out. IT service will help see to that. So will the heart and will people struggling for freedom. When will they ever learn?
Dec 31, 2017 | Smartphone
So, another year is ending and a new one is about to begin. You know what that means. I’m not talking about the parties, but the resolutions that come after. And IT support wants to help. Here are smartphone apps and New Years resolutions.
Well then, what are the three biggest New Years resolutions? They are: lose weight, quit smoking, and be a better person. There are apps for that. So let’s look at the 8 Fit app. Yes, it’s another fitness app, but I see some originality here. Not only does it have food monitoring, but it has yoga and tabata workouts. It’s even adding workouts for certain body parts, like arms and legs. It also offers diet/food plans for all foodies, whether you’re a vegan or carnivore.? This app costs $5 a month.
You want to quit smoking? Then try Cessation Nation. This free app offers a community of those fighting the cigarette. Encourage yourself by tracking on the money you save and health improvements, then give yourself reward badges. And when temptation comes back, this app gives you distractions and accountability to keep you on the straight and narrow.
You want to be a better person in general? Share the Meal can help. It helps hungry children in poverty. And it doesn’t take much. In fact, only 50 cents a day and/or $15 dollars a month can do the trick. With that amount, you do your part to feed hungry children in war torn Syria or hurricane torn Haiti, or other parts of the world. However, did you know 1 in 7 Americans go to bed hungry nightly? The Feeding America app helps you donate to that cause.
Smartphone Apps and New Years resolutions, whatever the resolution is, apps can help. If your resolution is to have those laptops fixed, then you know where you can reach us. We at Geek Choice wish you all a safe and prosperous 2018. And if you are celebrating tonight, be careful out there and do it responsibly. What are your New Years resolutions?
Dec 30, 2017 | News, Smartphone
So Apple finds itself in hot water. Because they have to apologize, in letter, for their battery issues. Apparently, they were not truthful enough about poor performance with older iPhones. Apple’s battery controversy: What will change?
So here’s one change. They admitted changes with old batteries slowed down iPhone speed. Then, they’re offering new batteries. If you have an older iPhone hit with a bad older battery, then Apple will replace it for $29. Though they did apologize for being forthright, IT support insiders saw this coming for years. Many of them screamed about older iPhones slowing down. But now, Apple has to learn the hard way.
In the apology letter, Apple says blames updates to a new operating system. They also blame bugs in iOS 11. Furthermore, Apple believes these issues led to the aging battery situation, which led to the slowdowns. Then, they went on to blame chemical ageing of batteries in certain iPhone brands, like older versions of iPhone 6 and 6S. But whatever the reasons, they’re trying to make it right. Yes, they’re reducing their battery price. However, the $29 deal is only for iPhone 6 users and will last between January-December 2018. They will also offer software updates that teaches Apple users about battery health.
Apple’s battery controversy isn’t just about batteries. It’s about trust. Some Apple consumers lost trust because of this. And once you lose trust, it’s hard to get it back. I don’t care how big of a company you are. In our computer service shop, we already heard several complaints about Apple’s battery controversy. Some vow never to use them again. I also now there are others who are strictly loyal to Apple, no matter what. But I hope they learned a lesson from this. Tell your consumers the truth, the whole truth, and only the truth. Don’t give them stuff they want to hear. What will change after this?
Dec 29, 2017 | Security
So yesterday, I reported Amazon is having the best year of it’s life. But it’s too bad not everyone can say that. Because government spy agencies are losing recruits: Good or bad thing?
Let’s start with our own NSA. In 2017, they experienced talent, morale and recruitment slumps. In fact, one former NSA manager said morale is at an all-time low. Then, another former official said a budget crunch interferes with recruiting and promotion. Not only are they losing recruits, but even senior NSA veteran spies are leaving. Some blame the political and social turmoil surrounding Trump’s presidency. Others blame NSA Director Michael S. Rogers’ leadership. However, nobody sees an end to this dilemma.
But our NSA isn’t the only ones having problems. Because spy agencies are losing recruits in Britain. Apparently, Parliament is competing with private tech and IT support companies for recruits. And they seem to be losing. They’re trying everything to win people over. So they’re trying pay raises and other ‘cushion y’ packages. But even they admit it’s hard to compete against private companies who offer them several times as much. This is a problem because cyber crime in Britain increases at an alarming rate. Remember Wannacry?
So I ask is this a good or bad thing? It can be bad because whether we like spy agencies or not, we need them. We need them because there are terrorists, thieves, sex predators, and other sociopaths who use the web for our destruction. I know. In our computer service shop, we see the damage hackers do to good peoples’ computer systems.? We need these government agencies at full capacity to fight these evils. But look at the elephant in the room. Why are so few recruits wanting to work for these agencies? I think it’s a backlash due to the NSA surveillance scandal of 2013 and the Russian hacking scandal of 2016-17. These incidents gave government intelligence agencies black eyes.? Who wants to be associated with that? Not too many people. So what can be done to get recruits back?
Dec 28, 2017 | General
Another holiday shopping season is history now. So obviously, all things IT service and IT support dominated the Christmas lists. But which gift did people want more. And the best selling holiday item goes to…(According to Amazon, at least).
So yes, according to Amazon, the Echo Dot is Amazon’s best selling device. In fact, it’s the best selling device of all Amazon areas. Echo Dot and her cousins, spot and buttons, sold out quick. It seems like the faster people pre-ordered, the faster they sold. But that’s not all. Because the Alexa app soared in both Apple and Google Play stores.
Amazon’s Fire TV stick was also an Amazon best seller. Their sales doubled. When I say doubled, I mean double by the millions. Let’s toot Amazon’s horn even more. Their Prime got four million more new members, yet another record. We can thank their free trial for that one. And we all know about their purchase of Whole Foods. Apparently, that came up too. According to them, they sold millions of pounds of deserts. Who knows?? Maybe Whole Foods sold that much desert last year. But if you hear Amazon spokespersons, they probably couldn’t do it without Amazon. We will never know.
And the best selling holiday item goes to… Amazon products. But it’s not just Amazon’s victory. Statistics say consumer confidence is the best it’s been in a long time. People are spending and traveling more. This helps Amazon’s banner year. In fact, Jeff Bezos was nominated as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. So yes, in my eyes, they get this award. Between you and me, I rather it be them then a certain iPhone that requires facial recognition. Who else had a good holiday shopping season? Which tech fad had the best year? And what will 2018 hold for Amazon?
Dec 23, 2017 | Security
Back in 2013, Edward Snowden turned the IT support world, especially the surveillance world, upside down. That’s because he revealed the NSA spied on law abiding Americans. He also believed top tech companies helped in this spying. But that was almost five years ago, and he’s still making news. This is Edward Snowden’s app and his fight.
They call Edward Snowden’s app Haven. He and other privacy crusaders, like The Guardian Project, released the new app this week. It’s strictly for Android smartphones…for now at least. This app tracks changes to your surroundings. And I’m not just talking about the other side of the country and/or world. It can even track if the other side of the room is different.
Furthermore, it can serve as a motion tracker and if someone is spying on your phone. Some already praise Haven because this helps protect their sensitive information. One co-builder said it helps fight the ‘evil maid’. That’s where a hacker goes behind your back and physically breaks into your machine to compromise your info. The Haven app would detect the culprit’s face, voice, movements, even breathing patterns. Of course, Haven will let you know if and when anything suspicious is happening to your phone.
I’m already reading reports that Haven is working. Parents are more at ease. Also in Columbia, it’s literally saving lives. I say this because it’s alerting people when someone is trying to break into their info. In some cases, if not caught, these break ins can lead to assassination attempts. Yes, Snowden has been out of the news for a while. But this proves that he hasn’t stopped fighting. It also proves he still a crusader for our online safety and privacy, no matter who’s trying to compromise it. Here in our computer service shop, we fix hacked machines often. This especially goes for laptops fixed. And the hackers’ tricks are getting smarter. My only hope is that all smartphones companies make Haven accessible. Isn’t that only fair, and safe?
Dec 22, 2017 | General
Days ago, I talked about how fake Russian accounts are reaching a lot of people. In fact, they reached 150 million in just the last several months. Did you like a Russian troll account today?
I ask because now, you can find out. So Facebook is quietly telling people how to see if they liked a fake account from Russia. It could be from accident or deliberate. Nobody is here to judge, but you might want to know the truth. You also might want to know what might be getting into with these fake accounts. Therefore, Facebook makes it easy for you.
First, they give a specific page for this issue. Here is that page. Then, it gives you the pages Russia’s Internet Research Agency gave us all. Of course, they personalize this all to your personal Facebook page. However, it will give you the addresses you may have liked, followed, or commented on. They state their pledge to take down such accounts. However, if the page is empty, you liked no Russian troll accounts. It only shows which accounts you and you alone contacted. These accounts affected somewhere between 146-150 million accounts. So chances are they probably got you as well.
But I see another pattern here. You see, those in computer repair no how to keep a watchful eye on all things. They mentioned the 2016 election. I also saw an example of the potential fake Russian sites. Most of them are sites political and social conservatives would follow. I’m talking about sites like Being Patriotic and Secured Borders. Yeah, just interesting. Yes, they listed some liberal leading sites, but not nearly as many as right leaning sites. Then I think, Facebook, as well as the vast majority in IT service, were die hard Hilary Clinton supporters. So I look at this. Is Facebook trying to keep us safe from trolls? Or are they still politically bitter and making a politically motivated move? Did you like a Russian troll account today?
