Showing 131 - 140 of 141
What will 5G mean for you?
Life, James Hein, Published on 25/04/2018
» Is 5G going to save those people with bad internet connections? As the world moves more towards mobile platforms, users want faster and more reliable services. I know I do. 5G is being touted as the way to that future, with the promise of a high-def movie download in seconds and other benefits, like better access to the often-mentioned Internet of Things, or IoT.
It's time to update those passwords
Life, James Hein, Published on 14/03/2018
» If you've ever wondered if your login details have ever been grabbed by one of the ever increasing hack breaches then I suggest you go to Troy Hunt's "Have I Been Pawned" website at haveibeenpwned.com. You could troll through the Dark Web and look at the actual data, but this is a lot easier and safer. Once there, search for your usernames and email addresses. Yes, more than one of mine had been hacked. If you use the same username, email address and password combinations for every site you sign up on then this becomes very important. Imagine there is some site that has been hacked for which you use the same combination you do on your banking site. Now the hacker has your banking login. I keep similar combinations for those sites I don't care about if they go in as me, but stricter and individual passwords for places like banks and PayPal. If the blood just drained out of your face as you think about this, then it may be time to update a few passwords and logins.
Do you have a fear of spying?
Life, James Hein, Published on 11/10/2017
» So how safe do you feel in your home security-wise? I'm not thinking of malware but the ability for someone to snoop on you visually or through audio. There have been some concerns about devices like the Amazon Echo and similar being used to tap into what you are saying with everything recorded on servers that authorities could get from say Amazon.
Apple versus Samsung: It's a battle of the 8s
Life, James Hein, Published on 27/09/2017
» The big news from the usual sources is the new iPhone 8. After reading some of the specs and comparisons with the Samsung S8 and Note 8, I am a bit confused. Reviewers crow about facial recognition for the new iPhone, but the S8 range already has it. They go on about the edge-to-edge screen, but Samsung has had that for a few models now. In fact, almost point by point the Samsung range already has all the features of the iPhone 8 but at a lower price point, and that's before the Note 8 comes out.
Raising the bar on performance
Life, James Hein, Published on 13/09/2017
» Have you ever wondered why sometimes you have full bars on your phone and a few steps later none? Worse if you are in one room of your house it's all good but elsewhere no bars. There are many factors that can affect your reception including distance from your cell tower, the number of people using the network, what is in between cell towers and you and more.
Samsung's comeback; buyer beware
Life, James Hein, Published on 30/08/2017
» I have been using the Samsung Galaxy S8+ for some time now and so far, no complaints. If you want to use features like the Edge screen, fingerprint or retina security etc, you will need to do some setting up. The camera is excellent, as is the screen. Response is smooth and the battery life does me all day and then some depending on what I am doing. Connectivity is great and the interface is easy to use. My biggest complaint is finding the right match for a screen protector and a case due to the curved screen. Another is the difficulty in finding a way to give root access but that won't be an issue for most users. The new form factor means it fits into the hand nicely even for the larger model. So, far I have no hesitation in recommending this phone.
Even writers need to think before tweeting
Life, James Hein, Published on 16/08/2017
» Without the internet, there would only ever be part of a story. Consider the recent example of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. She watched an edited video and then took to the internet using her fame to decry the treatment of a small child by a prominent leader. Her concerns were quickly and widely spread but the unedited footage showed the opposite. Even the mother of the child finally got involved and asked the internet to please tell J.K. Rowling that she was wrong. At the time of writing Rowling had apologised to the mother but not the leader she smeared. In the current fast pace and instant Twitter-response world it is important to take a step back and do some personal investigation before reacting, often incorrectly, to a flash tweet or news story. If you see a clip try and find the full or unedited version, that extra time can save you from future embarrassment, though some personalities seem to be immune to it.
Microsoft Paint might be fading
Life, James Hein, Published on 02/08/2017
» What is the one program you can count on to be in Windows, apart from say Minesweeper? Microsoft Paint. It's the poor man's drawing tool and screen capture tool where it is as simple as Alt-Printscreen, Start-Run MSPaint, CTRL-V, Crop Marquee Select Crop, CTRL-A CTRL-C, Switch to email and CTRL–V to get something from your screen into an email (or anything else).
Zuckerberg gets all warm and messianic
Life, James Hein, Published on 19/07/2017
» I rarely post on my Facebook page, and never about what I am eating. Its primary use, for me, is to reconnect with old friends or communicate with current friends overseas. Mark Zuckerberg has other aims, claiming that Facebook is the "new church" and that his social network can fulfil the role that religion once did in giving people a sense of community and belonging to "something bigger than ourselves". With 2 billion users, 100 million of whom Zuckerberg considers "meaningful", that is a lot of influence he wields. A vice-president of Facebook recently visited Pakistan to assure its leadership that Facebook would be removing anything criticising Islam, but nothing criticising Buddhism, Christianity, Hindus, etc. This should give some indication of where Facebook's "community" may be heading.
Samsung looks to rebound
Life, James Hein, Published on 12/04/2017
» The Samsung Galaxy S8 will be in stores towards the end of April. Samsung had to get this one right after the Note 7 but they have ended up mostly doing an Apple. One obvious conclusion for the release of a 5.8 and 6.2-inch models so close together in screen size is because of the iPhone regular and S versions; it looks like Samsung thought they needed two models as well. There has been no upgrade in battery size nor camera capabilities between the S7 and S8. Then there are the prices, the most expensive Samsungs ever. Add all of this up and it detracts from what is still a rather nice phone.