Next week, the Mobile World Congress will take place in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. So what does this have to do with US, or Boston computer repair? Rumors have it HMD Global, Nokia’s parent company, plans to release the Nokia 3310. But should they? The Nokia 3310: Good idea or just nostalgia?
Hence, for those too young to remember, let me explain this phone. Nokia released it in fall 2000, before the smartphone era. They shaped it like a candy bar. Furthermore, it was one of the first phones without an outer antenna; it had an inner one. Also, it came with features like a calculator and reminders feature. But all of this was revolutionary for the year 2000. And it sold. Eventually, it went on to sell 125 million copies. The Nokia 3310 is still one of the most successful cell phones of all time.
Now, there are reports that Nokia 3310 is up for relaunch. And the interest is there. Questions flood in about what this new phone will be like. From what I hear, there are no plans to modernize this cell phone into a 2010s smartphone. But there will be some changes. They say the new Nokia 3310 will be thinner, lighter, and have better buttons. It will come in different colors. It will cost 59 Euros, or $63 dollars.
So on one hand, they will add no modern technology. On the other hand, there is a lot of excitement about Nokia 3310. People love nostalgia, even when it comes to cell phones. I know people who still have flip phones. They have one out of rebellion. They don’t like the complicated smartphone technology and they refuse to get one. So there is a market out there. That being said, these are just a handful of people who feel that way. The majority of people do want the latest 2010s smartphone technology. Why do you think people line up for hours every time a new smartphone debuts? But about this Nokia 3310: Good idea or just nostalgia?
Back in September 2016, Apple’s iPhone 7 made history. Consequently, that was the first smartphone not to have a headphone jack. Some paid little attention. But for others, this was a huge annoyance. So Pioneer is doing something about it. Let me introduce you to the smart headphone: the earphone comeback.
Hence, Pioneer comes up with Rayz Plus earphone. The smart headphone comes with it’s own jack. First, they connect through a Lightning connector. Then, there is a small adapter and lightning port at the end of the cable. You plug this in a charging cable. Then voila! You got the smart headphone. It also boasts, automatic restart, smart noise cancellation, and smart button.
So the smart headphone sound like a gem, doesn’t it? Not so fast. Critics point out some issues. Some say this will eat up smartphone battery life, especially if you don’t have the proper equipment. And that could be a problem. Poor battery life is an annoyance to any smartphone user. And to run to the charger every hour…this isn’t good. If this headphone is going to sale over 100 units, they need to assure, and deliver, that it won’t hurt a smartphone battery life.
Now, there’s the issue of price. These are earbuds, not the bulky earphones some are used to. These smart headphones range from $100-$150, depending on what model you get and where you get it from. One big selling point is noise cancellation. In our Boston area computer service shop, some of us use them quiet a bit. And of course, they can a personal haven. So it sounds like we’re ?heading for the post headphone jack era. Will Rayz Plus earphone lead this?new tech fad? Or will people continue to miss their headphone jack? Change is hard; old habits are hard, even in computer technology and computer repair. Will Rayz Plus lead the way in a new era or will people want their headphone jacks back?
About a month ago, I talked about phish scammers targeting Google emails. But recently, police officers across the country warn us of another scheme. They give us this alert: Phish scammers target cell phones.
So this is how they do it. The phish scammers call cell phones. Then, they ask the person, “Can you hear me?” The person says ‘yes’. Then the scammers record the ‘yes’. Furthermore, they use that unintentional ‘yes’ to authorize charges you really didn’t agree to. In this day and age, you need more than a recorded yes to make purchases. That should be the case, at least. But they can use the world ‘yes’ to get fake permission on charges.
But keep in mind some of these phish scammers already have credit and debit card numbers. In fact, there’s no telling what info they might have. So they can use a combination of a fake yes and stolen info to get goods on your dollar. That’s the danger police fear. In fact, that’s the danger computer repair experts and security experts fear. So what do we do about it?
Don’t answer any ‘unknown telephone calls’. Just let it go to voicemail. And if they don’t leave you a voicemail, you know how suspicious the call was. In fact, don’t answer any call unless you know the number. In the 1980s, there was little way to know who is calling. But nowadays, just about everyone has caller ID, no matter how old your cell phone is. Put it to good use. Check your bank statements and other documents…often! And if you do find something wrong, contact your financial institution and/or law enforcement immediately! Here in our Boston computer service shop, we tell customers this face to face. And of course, if they get pushy for that yes, then it’s okay to hang up. What tips do you have to keep the good guys safe?
Technology can be efficient and life saving. It can also be scary. ?Ever get a message and your phone just freezes? So there’s a message that’s doing just that. It contains a combination of three emojis. It’s the smartphone freezing emoji: consumer alert!
Consequently, this bug is especially bad for Apple phones. I’m talking about those with iOS 10 systems or higher. In fact, there are no cases of this thing hitting iOS systems lower than 10. ?One needs a text message. Furthermore, that message contains a white flag, zero, and rainbow emoji. When someone sends this combo in a message, it freezes, even crashes, the recipient’s smartphone.
But wait, there’s another reason for this crash. Apple is trying make a rainbow flag emoji. But it isn’t working. In fact, all this does is freezes the smartphone. Let’s say someone really wants to send the smartphone freezing emoji. They would use the notes app to do so. The freeze lasts only a few minutes. It wouldn’t black out, but the iPhone just would do nothing for several minutes. But it’s not just Apple phones. This smartphone freezing emoji bug hits Android devices, too. It’s just not as often.
We can thank You Tube channels Everything Apple Pro?for breaking this warning. Apple is usually good with fixing this thing. But some people will keep doing this again and again just to spite. If they do, then you might consider removing them from your smartphone altogether. And of course, our computer repair experts are good at anything smartphone. This includes everything from zapping phone bugs to screen replacements. I’m glad Apple has an easy fix for this. But what they should do is fix their flag situation. If they want rainbow flag emojis, then they need to do a better job. What if these freezes get more severe? Are these nuisances worth it, for an emoji?
Android founder Andy Rubin left Google two years ago. But that doesn’t mean he is totally out of the smartphone business. In fact, he put together a team to create what could be the next big tech thing: The AI Smartphone. Yes the AI smartphone: Andy Rubin’s hail mary.
Over the months, Rubin assembled a team of 40 people. Some come from Android/Google, but others come from Apple. He named the new company Essential and serves as the CEO. Their main product is a potential AI smartphone. We don’t know if Android or another company will run the software. Though the AI smartphone is in the beginning phase, it should have top notch hardware and software features.
But the big feature will be artificial intelligence. Rubin believes AI will be the next big trend in IT support and service. Some in Silicon Valley raised over $300 million to support the AI movement. And some of these support Rubin’s new smartphone. The screen should be at least 5.5 inches. Also, they’re testing pressure levels and industrial designs. Engineers build connectors that charge the battery and improve the phone’s quality. Furthermore, they’re working on a sphere camera. Here, the user can take 360 degree photographs.
However, for much of the project, Rubin remains silent. He really stays quiet on the AI part. Keep in mind it’s still early. Well, not that early. Rubin wants to release this AI smartphone in summer 2017. It should cost around $650. That’s the price of an iPhone 7. But Rubin is right about one thing: AI technology is getting popular. Last summer, thousands of Boston computer repair and techie fans attended an AI festival. They had so many AI gadgets there. So the market is definitely there. Rubin selected 40 of the brightest minds in tech to fulfill this purpose. So the human power is there. But is the market there? Would you ?buy a AI based smartphone?
One of the most pressing issues facing the IT service and computer repair industries is hacking. It can happen to anybody, and I mean anybody. But what about when hackers get hacked? Yes, that can happen also. When hackers get hacked: Doesn’t feel so good?
Here’s the story. So there is this tech media group they call Motherboard. They got nearly 1TB worth of data from Cellebrite. But who is Cellebrite? They’re an Israeli tech company. Furthermore, here’s the irony. They take data from cell phones. This is what they built Cellbrite to do. They took the data from Cellebrite’s website. But wait…there’s more.
They took Cellebrite’s customer databases, usernames, and passwords. They also got the part of the site that accesses new software. Cellebrite uses a laptop style device they call?Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED). So what this does is take data from phones. It does this without the phone users’ knowledge. Also, they can take text messages, emails, and phone numbers. Do you understand how private and intimate these items are to the smartphone user? Cellebrite told customers to change their passwords ASAP. Furthermore, they assure customers they’re working with authorities to fix the problem. But guess who some of Cellbrite’s biggest customers are?
If you guessed governments, you guess right. Then if you guessed the US federal and state governments, you’re right again. But that’s not all. According to data Motherboard hacked, foreign governments use Cellbrite. ?These governments include Russia, Turkey, and UAE. These three countries don’t have the best reputations for freedom or privacy rights. Government surveillance is still a hot button issue. In our Boston computer servicing shop, we talk about it all the time. And the general feeling is…people are sick of it. It is at the point people don’t know who to trust. And now a hacking company that enables this suffers the same fate. Personally, I think this is karma. In fact, I try not to laugh at Cellbrite as I write this. When hackers get hacked…it doesn’t feel so good, does it?
