Showing 1 - 10 of 13
Protect yourself when online
Life, James Hein, Published on 03/08/2022
» A friend of mine, let's call him Dave, wrote to me recently about identity theft. He told me that all of his identifying information like phone numbers, email addresses, old passwords and his usual security questions, were all available on the dark web. He also had a number of notifications of personal information breaches that resulted in fraudulent charges, the need to replace credit cards and attempts to set up fake bank accounts in his name. The latter is used if a hacker is planning to get into your other accounts so they can transfer funds to themselves under your name.
Always check your sources
Life, James Hein, Published on 15/09/2021
» At the dawning of the internet age the aim was to provide a platform to share information, initially between higher education facilities. It was a golden age of what was essentially a library of information shared across the United States and later the world. The early fact checkers were academics interested in facts, data and a robust discussion.
What does 2019 have in store?
Life, James Hein, Published on 02/01/2019
» We've made it to 2019. There are a lot of buzzwords being touted for this year; top of the list are artificial intelligence, Blockchain and, once again, the internet of things (IoT). Yes, it's that time of year where I don my pointy hat of stars and guess what the year ahead might bring.
Liberal fascism is destroying social media
Life, James Hein, Published on 29/08/2018
» In general I try to keep out of politics but the issue of what is currently occurring on the most popular social media platforms is a critical one to consider, for everyone. I've briefly touched on this subject in an earlier article.
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.
Apple struggles to make a connection
Life, James Hein, Published on 22/03/2017
» There is a rumour that Apple could be replacing its Lightning Port on the 10th-anniversary iPhone with the popular USB-C alternative. I don't believe it. USB-C is too popular, and Apple has a habit of going its own way with connectors and other items. Apple has long been anti-standards when it comes to their devices, and, while it would be a good thing, they have invested too much in their proprietary Lightning connectors to let them go. So even if they did adopt USB-C it would be an Apple-only version, requiring Apple-specific cables and chargers. Sure, Apple could come up with a Lightning-to-USB cable of some kind, but that would be too easy.
The year Samsung outsmarted Apple
Life, James Hein, Published on 31/12/2014
» It is that time of year where I look back and see how many of the predictions I made at the start of the year happened.
Just who is accessing your data?
Life, James Hein, Published on 15/10/2014
» According to a recent Department of Finance announcement in Australia, agencies must now adopt cloud technologies. In the announcement, the word "must" is in italics because there are some qualifications like "where it is fit for purpose, provides adequate protection of data and delivers value for money".
Good old E-merica
Life, James Hein, Published on 03/09/2014
» One of the first things you notice when looking at anything computer-related in the US is that it is probably less expensive there than where you come from. The second thing you notice is that you can order nearly anything — and if you pay a little extra, can have one delivered in a couple of days, even faster if you pay a little more. All of those "we can't ship this product to your address" messages also vanish. The world of online ordering becomes completely open to you.
Don't bank on security of websites
Life, James Hein, Published on 22/01/2014
» In more hacking news this week, the names, home and email addresses, phone numbers and other personal information of around 70 million Target shoppers were grabbed in yet another a database raid that included 40 million credit card details. One of the reasons I use PayPal is because I only have to give my credit card details to one provider. I try to minimise who gets access to my credit card and banking details and PayPal is one way to do that.