Mar 23, 2017 | General
How much did you pay for your the latest iPad? Did you pay $800? Or did you pay $600? Then, you better sit down. Because Apple reveals their next move. It’s a cheap iPad: Apple sales modest, accessible iPad.
Apple expects this cheap iPad to go on sale next week. Yes, it will have a brighter screen, but that won’t be the selling point. Because you can buy this iPad for as low as $329. That’s right. Furthermore, this is the lowest price ever for an Apple tablet. Also, the iPhone SE will come in small models, like 16GB and 64GB. That’s half the sizes of current iPhone SE’s. So what will come from these iPads?
We can expect 32GB of storage. Also, expect new features like facial recognition, wireless charging, and a curvier display. It has a 10 hour battery life.They come in gold, silver, or space gray. The model is 9.7 inches. However, it will not have Apple Connector or Apple Pencil. ?Do you like making and sharing videos on Apple devices? Then you’re in luck, too. Yep, there’s a new app for that (I won’t get in trouble for using that line, will I?). They call the app Clips. Here, you can add emojis and captions to your social media posts, or even just to Apple’s exclusive messaging app.
Apple is trying to reach out to a wider audience here. I like it. I just with this cheap iPad came in Black. In our Boston computer service shop, black iPads are very popular. Quite a few customers bring them in for screen replacement. Apple knows they’re not the only candy store in town. They also know Android and other competitors offer tablets for low, low prices. But wait. This cheap iPad sounds a lot like the iPad Air 2, doesn’t it? Don’t tell anybody, but it is! They’re just bringing the price down. Oops, did I say that aloud?
Mar 22, 2017 | internet, Security
Apple is no stranger to cyber crime. Remember when cyber crooks exposed nude celebrity pictures back in 2014? But this one developing case could be even worse. Because it literally holds accounts hostage. Apple held hostage: Hackers threaten iCloud accounts.
The hacker group name is Turkish Crime Family. They demand $750,000. Also, they say they have hundreds of millions of email accounts. Furthermore, they’re demanding this money by April 7. But if they don’t get it, they’ll wipe out emails and iClouds. However, they’ll take $100,000 worth of iTunes gift cards. One hacker says he wants Apple customers to know what’s going on.
Furthermore, they sent email accounts to their website, Motherboard. The Turkish Crime Family put up a You Tube video. The video showed them browsing through iClouds. We don’t know how many email accounts they have. But Apple held hostage is real. The low number is 200 million accounts. The high number is 600 million accounts. But I don’t care how many Apple email accounts they have. One email account is one account too many. But one security expert said he doesn’t know if the threat is real. He doesn’t even know if The Turkish Crime Family is real or fake. This is a bad move on this expert’s talk.
Anybody in computer repair, anybody in IT support, and anybody in cyber security will tell you the same thing. You take every threat seriously! Especially a threat of this magnitude. There’s a lot we don’t know. We don’t know if these hackers really are from Turkey. It they are, are they working for their president Tayyip Erdogan? Remember, the people who hacked Yahoo were Russian agents! So it is possible. And what do the hackers mean, “They want their money?” What makes them think they’re entitled? And what is Apple doing about this threat? I hope they’re not waiting until something bad happens. This is a serious threat, and what is Apple doing about it?
Mar 21, 2017 | News
Are you traveling to the Middle East or North Africa in the future? Be careful. Because on some flights, they will ban any electronic device bigger than a cell phone. This mean they will have to check your laptop or tablet under the plane. You can’t carry it on with you. Travel alert: Electronics banned from certain flights.
So, according to the Dept. of Homeland Security, this law 10 foreign airlines, 10 airports, and 8 countries. All come from the Middle East and North Africa. Government officials learned of a threat weeks ago. So now, they believe this is the best action. We do know the ban includes Jordan and Saudi Arabia. But we don’t yet know the other nations by name. Also, I want to make clear what they’re banning: tablets, laptops, etc. The ban doesn’t include smartphones.
Also, this ban won’t effect American passengers, so long as they have the proper documents proving their American citizenship. However, some reports say the ban comes in the wake of foiled bombing plots on Western airlines. Authorities believe these plots came from al Queda. Hence, Royal Jordanian Airlines confirmed the ban. But other carriers drag their feet. For example, Emirates and Egypt Air claim nobody advised them about any ban.
So why do I talk about? Why issue this travel alert? At our Boston computer repair firm, we believe in keeping our readers informed of all that’s going on.If you’re traveling overseas, and certain travel restrictions come up, you need to know about it. Do you know how many people, particularly in IT support, travel to North Africa and the Middle East? Many do. And guess how many use laptops in flight (we do wonderful work in laptops fixed)? Many do. So if you’re heading that way, please take heed to this travel alert. Will this alert spread any further or wider?
Mar 20, 2017 | Security
Last week, the FBI caught the hackers who stole 500 million Yahoo emails back in 2014. But that’s Yahoo’s problem, right? Not so fast. Because a new crises reveals and involves Gmail and Yahoo emails. This is a security alert: Emails for sale by underground market.
So 20 over million Gmail and over 5 million Yahoo email accounts are for sale. An underground vendor calling himself, “”SunTzu583” listed the emails. But now, he’s promoting them to the cyber criminal world. What is his price? He offers the Gmail accounts, all 20 million of them, for only $450. That’s less thank half a Bitcoin. But if you want the 5 million Yahoo email accounts, those will only cost $250. That’s around a quarter Bitcoin.
So what exactly will a criminal get? He’ll get email addresses, and more to the point, he’ll get passwords. We can thank a Hack Read report for this security alert. Sun Tzu got the defunct emails from My Space, Adobe and Linkedin data branches. However, the vendor says not all the passwords and accounts work, so they should be careful which ones they try. Aw, a cyber crook with a heart (yes, I say that will all the sarcasm I can muster). Who ever thought?
But such cyber attacks threaten the IT support community every day. All I can do is tell you what our Boston computer service shop people tell customers. Make strong passwords. Also, don’t use the same one for every account. And change them often. Furthermore, get anti-virus protection for your system, whether it be a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. You can get such protection for free, and add layers of protection for a small fee. Also, it’s always good to read up on every security alert you can. Arm yourself with knowledge. Ignorance is not bliss. Not only that, ignorance can wipe you out! The cyber criminals are getting smarter. Shouldn’t you?
Mar 19, 2017 | General
Meet Napur Dave. On the surface, she lived the American dream. She had a ten year residency in the US. Then, she had an engineering job at Google. Dave had a nice apartment in Silicon Valley, the capital of IT support and computer repair. But recently, she ?left Silicon Valley and moved back to her native India. The Silicon Valley exodus: One India native had enough.
So, one reason is the expensive burden. Like most Google engineers, Napur Dave has a six digit income. They make on average, $93,000-$176,000 a year. That’s a great salary for most of the country. But in Silicon Valley, that doesn’t get you far. ?She called the rich Google employee, ‘just a myth’. But that wasn’t Dave’s only problem.
Her other issue was loneliness. She worked long hard hours on Google’s campus. Hence, this gave her little time for a social life, or to meet friends. Consequently, finding a mate was challenging. Because she worked at Google, some men were intimidated by her. She moved to San Francisco to improve her social prospects. But it backfired. Her commute was three hours long. So enough was enough. She moved back to India, where she continues to work for a Google firm. But most important, Dave is much happier.
Well, all that glitters isn’t gold. And Dave isn’t the only one. Several weeks ago, I talked about how even Silicon Valley leaders are leaving Silicon Valley. Some of their reasons are difference; maybe it’s because they fear an apocalypse. But people are leaving in droves. The Silicon Valley exodus is real. Not only that, the Silicon Valley exodus has no end in sight. What will it take to get people going back? Is it raises for their employees? These companies make billions a year. They can afford it. ?But yet their employees struggle for survival. Is it loneliness? Maybe these companies can invest in social functions, or cut hours, or hire more people. But if this trend continues, my fear is Silicon Valley will be a ghost town. Will it ever get better?
Mar 18, 2017 | Computer technology
Ever hear of DARPA? It’s the US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. Hence, they have wild ideas about computer technology and IT support. So one idea is making computers more human. DARPA’s Mission: Make computers think like humans.
They want to make computers learn like humans. Hence, make computers learn slowly and constantly over time. But there’s a problem with that. Computers can think only what human builders program then to think. However, DARPA’s mission has the answer. Or they think they do. They want computers to think biologically. That means they start off knowing very little, but learn and mature more over time. This is similar to animals and humans.
Furthermore, they have a name for it. They have a program they call Lifelong Learning Machine (L2M). It’s an AI (artificial intelligence) system that learns from experience. This way, there will be no need for reprogramming. Also, you don’t have to worry about data loss. The DARPA mission believes this will help all things technology: self-driving cars, cyber security, gaming, and more. They’re also coming up with new computer models. These models will better adapt to L2M. They’re not the only ones. Google is also building machine-learning models. Could this be the next tech trend?
In a way, computers and machines do mature over time. In my life, we went from floppy disk to Facebook. We went from Commodore 64 to MacBook. We progressed from recording music on the radio to downloading music to your smartphone. But all of these depended on the human mind to get to that. If DARPA’s mission comes true, computer technology will evolve on it’s own. Yes, some good will come of that. But would there be any more computer repair, or any need to have laptops fixed? And what about the jobs that would be on the line? Is making computers think like humans a good idea? Or are we creating a monster?
Mar 17, 2017 | Computer technology
I’ve talked a lot about the self-driving car. Many IT support industries back it. Also, many more car industries build it. But before you rush to buy it, there’s something you should know. Look at the self driving car’s progress: average at best.
So, here is the self driving car’s progress. Uber’s car had tests on March 8. They put 43 cars on the road. But they only went 0.8 miles. So basically, they can’t even go one mile without human intervention. There are many reasons for this intervention. It could be anything from system control to bad weather. However, this is a drop. In February 2016, they made it to the one mile mark. In January, it was 0.9 miles.
Then again, there are some bright spots. For harmful events, cars went longer without intervention. For instance, on February 8, 2017, Uber cars went 40 miles without a potential harmful incident. But on March 8, they went 200 miles without one. Harmful events mean that without intervention, the car could hit a person or cause major damage. Not only that, but overall miles are dropping. Let me explain. They calculate miles that these cars total every week. Those miles are slipping. But there’s more good news. Uber drivers operate these self-driving cars. Their bad experiences are decreasing.
In Pittsburgh, and other cities, Uber conducts an experiment. They use the self driving car for regular pick up routines. So far, from what I read, it’s going pretty good. Consequently, they have their limitations. But there is a point here. The self driving car’s progress is progressing…somewhat. However, don’t expect to take it easy in the driver’s seat while the robot car does the work. We’re just not on that level…yet. First, let’s try going a mile without human intervention. Also, let’s try to go longer without risk of a major accident. I will admit, the process is exciting, and this will be the next big thing in IT service. Mark my word. How long do you think it will be?
Mar 16, 2017 | News, Security
Now we know who hacked Yahoo in 2014. The hackers compromised over 500 million emails. It’s the biggest cyber attack in IT service history. ?So the company has never been the same. But it isn’t a stoner geek living in mom’s basement. Consequently, it has international ties. Yahoo breach: From Russia, without love.
The US Justice Department charged two Russian intelligence agents with the cyber attack. They also charged one Canadian. The Russian suspects are?Dmitry Dokuchaev and Igor Sushchin. The Canadian suspect is?Karim Baratov. The two Russian defendants also paid off two others to get personal information. That’s why they hacked in the Yahoo accounts. They especially targeted journalists and judges. The third paid defendant,?Alexsey Belan, has a history of cyber crime. In fact, he’s on the FBI’s ‘Cyber Most Wanted’ list.
But wait. There’s more. We hear nothing from?the Russian embassy in the US. We also hear nothing Moscow. Yahoo councilman Chris Masden issued a statement about the Yahoo breach. Masden believes the Russian government sponsored the cyber attacks. The Yahoo hack is allegedly the largest in history. In fact, Yahoo leaders couldn’t even grasp how big the attack was. Attorney General Jess Sessions himself made the announcement. The Yahoo breach even hit their deal with Verizon. It drove the price down by $350 million.
So I will say this. Nothing about cyber crime surprises me anymore. ?For instance, it wouldn’t surprise me if this cyber attack reaches all the way to the Kremlin. In fact, it looks like the indicted men are just fall guys for a bigger cover-up. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy for these arrests. Often time, cyber criminals don’t even get caught. So they just keep on and on. But here is what worries me. If the Russian government is behind this, then they can just replace these for suspects like that. And many cyber crooks would be eager to take their place. That’s the real fear. So what can the good guys do about that?
Mar 15, 2017 | Software
Do you remember what Microsoft did a few years ago? They shut down Windows XP support. Most took heed. But some didn’t, and suffered for it. So we tell you now: Vista support ends April 2017: Please take heed!
Microsoft will end support for Windows Vista on April 11, 2017. So that’s less than a month from now. However, let’s say you insists on using Vista after this date. Then you will open yourself up to many security threads, from malware to spyware to ID theft. Also, keep in they don’t support IE 9 either. A Microsoft spokesperson said most apps and devices don’t work with Vista. That’s one reason why it’s shutting down.
But it seems like most Microsoft users cut ties with Vista already. Microsoft charts say less than 1%, 0.78%, even use Vista anymore. However, that still adds up to thousands of Vista users. Microsoft released Vista in 2007. It’s had nothing but problems and complaints ever since. It had buggy features and became the laughing stock of the computer repair industry. If fact, more people clung to XP because of it. Windows 7 and 8 didn’t do much to help the case. In fact, Windows 10 was the software that eventually got people off Widows XP.
So let me say it again: Vista support ends April 2017. Look to your neighbor and say Vista support ends April 2017. I was here when Windows XP ended. And in our Boston computer service shop, quite a few customers got upset when their computers messed up. They told us they used XP. A tech would say, “Well, don’t you know Microsoft quit supporting XP.” To which the customer replied, “Nobody told me!” Every news media outlet, every computer store, every Microsoft outlet, and others, told them Widows XP was coming to an end. It sounds to me they were either living in caves or time machines. Or, they just didn’t want to listen. Don’t end up like them. Vista support ends April 2017: Please take heed, won’t you?
Mar 14, 2017 | Smartphone
You spend hundreds on an iPhone or other Apple device. What is something goes wrong? But instead of running to the Apple Store, you fix it yourself. That’s awesome, isn’t it? But Apple doesn’t think so. The right to repair: techs love it, Apple hates it.
So New York mom Jessa Jones found herself in this situation. She fixed an iPhone with her bare hands. Then she became an independent technician in phone repair and screen replacement. ?However, Jones didn’t know about Apple’s strict laws against these kinds of repair. These laws forbid technicians using parts outside of Apple facilities and those Apple don’t approve. Also, these ‘renegade techs’ are messing up Apple’s dependence on Chinese parts. If you ask me, that’s a good thing.
Consequently, the state of New York has a bill in the works. They call it the Fair Repair Act. This gives people the right to repair. It also cuts down on people throwing away phones because of minor, but expensive repairs. The average smartphone life span is 18-24 months. But after that, most of them end up in landfills. If this bill gave techs the right to repair, more people would keep their phones longer. Furthermore, it would cut down on e-waste.
Even a third grader can figure this out. Apple doesn’t want this to interfere with their money. Also, Apple doesn’t want people to get hip to people fixing their own phones. Not only that, Jessa Jones is holding workshops, and teaching others how to fix their phones. The right to repair techs grow into a grassroots community. In the Boston computer repair community, we know of a few. ?It’s a threat. Come on, Apple! You’re a multi-billion dollar corporation. Surely you can, I hate to use the phrase, ‘share the wealth’. Also, maybe this get us off Chinese dependence. Hence, maybe this right to repair movement will open more American jobs. So I give props to these right to repair activists. Instead of stopping these guys, shouldn’t Apple learn something from them?
