Sunday, November 22, 2020
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
PHONES SECURITY
While this won’t necessarily protect your phone against theft, it will protect what’s on it. For example, if someone tries to remotely log in to your Google account from another device, you’ll know via the 2-step message on your phone. And then you can take the appropriate action and change your password.
In 2017, the number of new mobile malware variants increased by 54%. With 5G on the rise, experts anticipate an even higher number of risks in 2020. This makes it more crucial than ever to take the necessary steps to protect your personal device from mobile threats.
Mobile websites can download malware onto our mobile devices without our permission or awareness. Phishing is a typical way attackers get us to click on links to sites containing mobile threats. For example, a hacker might set up a website that looks legitimate (e.g. like our banking site) to capture our login credentials. What can we do about web-based mobile threats? Security software on our phones can help detect malicious websites and phishing attempts. It also pays to be extra careful and attentive. For example, the IRS will never send an email requesting our tax data. (They only use the US Postal Service.) An email pointing to an IRS website is almost guaranteed to be a scam.
REFURBISHED PHONES
Where to buy refurbished If you're doing your research and are ready to buy refurbished, here are some great places to look that often have refurbished, recertified, pre-owned, or open-box phones. Gazelle refurbishes and sells phones it buys from consumers, and offers the last few years of popular devices from Samsung and Google (plus all of the latest iPhone models). This means there's a small diversity of brands, but a great selection within the most popular ones. Amazon has a "renewed" refurbished electronics section where you can find many last-generation devices at solid discounts. There's more variety of conditions, though, and it isn't always clear exactly what you're going to get when buying because the products come from a variety of companies that don't follow the same refurbishing process. Amazon Warehouse is often a better choice for discounted phones. Warehouse doesn't technically have "refurbished" phones, but instead sells opened-and-returned brand new (or gently used) products, which can be found at similar discounts to refurbs — but Warehouse has more latest-generation devices to choose from. Best Buy sells refurbished, pre-owned, and open-box phones from a variety of companies (though it's heavily weighted toward Apple) at discounts ranging from 10-30% off. Open-box deals, in particular, are great because they're typically devices that have just been purchased, opened, and returned, not even used. Because of this, you can often find the latest models of phones for sale, rather than just old models. Back Market works with phone refurbishers to form a marketplace where you can find refurbished devices of all types. Information on the refurbishing process is provided, and the listings are transparent about what damage is present if any. Also, there's free shipping and a warranty. Verizon has certified pre-owned devices, but the selection is small and isn't always the best deal. For the most part, it only sells pre-owned Samsung phones. Buying certified from the carrier gives you a bit of security, though, as Verizon will guarantee you're getting a working device and offers a 90-day warranty. T-Mobile sometimes sells certified pre-owned devices at deep discounts, but stock fluctuates regularly (sometimes to the point where there are no phones listed online) and is generally limited to Samsung and/or LG phones when available. The carrier will also offer similar support to that of a brand new device, so you do have a safety net there. AT&T technically has certified pre-owned phones, but they're only available online, and at any given time you may find just one or two low-end models. You're likely better off buying an unlocked refurbished phone elsewhere. Do your research, pick the right store, and compare prices before buying, and you're likely to come away with a good phone at a better price than you would ever find on a new-in-box phone. We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more. One-click These are the best unlocked phones on Amazon for every budget Amazon is one of the easiest places to go buy an unlocked phone and have it delivered in a flash. Here are the best unlocked Android phones it's selling at a variety of price levels. Protect the future These are the best Nokia 8.3 5G cases you can find today! The Nokia 8.3 5G has finally arrived! With a beautiful design, 5G connectivity, and some impressive specs this phone might be one of the best phones this year. But with a phone that looks this great, you'll want to keep it safe from life, so we've found the best cases. stood up Here are the best phone stands for Zoom & Google Meet in 2020 A stand can come in handy when conducting a virtual meeting over Zoom, Google Meet, or other video calling services. And the right one needs to have specific features that meet your needs. We found a few worth considering.
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
COMPUTER AND INSURANCE
Renters insurance and a computer you use for work If you use your computer for occasional freelance work, your electronics coverage limit through your renters insurance policy still covers applies. But if you use your computer exclusively for work, it would fall under another category limit for items used primarily for business purposes. Ask your insurance company what your business property limit is, and if you have one. If you don’t, or you need more coverage, you may need to purchase additional rider called a business property rider to ensure that your computer is covered. Renters insurance and a computer stolen outside of your home If your computer is stolen out of your car or out of your bag if you’re in a coffee shop, it may surprise you that your renters insurance may pay for a replacement. That’s because your personal property covers your personal belongings when they are inside or outside your home. Some policies may have coverage limits on personal property claims outside the home, so talk to your insurance company about your policy’s limits. Renters insurance and someone else’s computer Does renters insurance pay if you lose or ruin someone else’s computer? That depends, and is often up to your insurance company. If you lose or damage a computer belonging to a friend, your renters insurance liability coverage may pay for their computer, as long as your insurance company agrees that the loss was caused by your negligence.
Monday, November 16, 2020
COMPUTER VIRUS
A more damaging virus can wreak havoc on an extremely large computer system within a matter of minutes or hours, causing it to crash and thereby destroy valuable data. A virus may simply cause a harmless joke or cryptic message to appear on a computer user’s video monitor each time he turns on his computer. A virus is usually designed to execute when it is loaded into a computer’s memory. The infection can then transfer itself to files and code on other computers through magnetic disks or other memory-storage devices, computer networks, or online systems. Upon execution, the virus instructs its host program to copy the viral code into, or “infect,” any number of other programs and files stored in the computer. In most cases, the corrupted programs continue to perform their intended functions but surreptitiously execute the virus’s instructions as well. The replicating viruses often multiply until they destroy data or render other program codes meaningless. A virus consists of a set of instructions that attaches itself to other computer programs, usually in the computer’s operating system, and becomes part of them.
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Communication technology
Pierluigi Coppola, Fulvio Silvestri, in Autonomous Vehicles and Future Mobility, 20195 Conclusions and perspectivesThe application of telecommunication technologies in vehicles, the widespread digitalization of the infrastructure, and the rapid diffusion of smartphones are key enablers for the advent of new ways of offering transport services and meeting new mobility needs that have been growing rapidly throughout the world.Future mobility scenarios concern both transport demand and supply; they require envisioning, on the one hand, the evolution of technological development of vehicles (electrification, connectivity, and automation), and on the other hand, the behavioral changes of travelers.It is likely that major changes will be induced by the introduction of in-vehicle connectivity and automation functions. These features will allow new modes of transport and mobility solutions customized to individuals’ needs that are multimodal, seamless (door-to-door), and easy to access on demand (via smartphones). Therefore we foresee the entry of new operators into the mobility market who will focus their business on automated mobility service on-demand (AMoD). However, it is equally predictable that current operators will gradually convert their fleets, exploring ways to integrate Innovative Mobility Services (IMS) with traditional services. In fact, the introduction of new mobility services in cities, if correctly planned and integrated in PT networks, could lead to great benefits in terms of environmental, social, and economic sustainability, thanks to a more rational and conscientious use of resources. For example, self-driving vehicles could primarily be used as feeders and shuttles for mass rapid transit systems (Yap et al., 2016) or, furthermore, be used as micro-transit, in order to extend PT lines in those areas where they do not operate now due to low demand density.From a system perspective, the co-modality and the interoperability of the various transport services is desirable and likely to happen. However, there is room for a further more innovative paradigm shift in the way transport services will be offered. This is the case, for instance, of the MaaS concept, which is based on the integration of mobility services currently offered by a vast number of different operators into a single service “aggregator.”On the demand side, a behavioral change is also expected. The high connectivity features could be used to enhance user experience by means of Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS). However, the major breakthrough may come from a change in the consumer’s approach to transport modes from an ownership-based model to a consumption-based one. In the past, drivers have been the owners of their vehicles, sustaining investment costs amortized throughout the life cycle of vehicles. In the future travelers may be attracted to adopt mobility solutions for their trips that do not require vehicle ownership but are based on their temporary use, possibly shared with the rest of the community (i.e., shared mobility).In the long term, a widespread adoption of IMS and CAVs will make investing in ITS more important than investing in road capacity expansion, and CAVs themselves will promote shared urban mobility forms (CAR, 2017). Fig. 5 gives a synoptic description of a possible timing for when technologies for connectivity and automation will reach maturity. Although from 2019 conditional automation functions will be available in most of the new vehicles sold, it will be necessary to wait few more years before SAE Level 4 (time t1 in Fig. 5) and SAE Level 5 cars (time t3 in Fig. 5) could be circulating on public roads. When high automation is standardized, V2V, V2I, and V2P technologies should also be available (time t2). V2N, however, could be reached in the same period in which 5G connectivity will complete its development cycle (time t4).Fig. 5. . Timeline of the maturity of vehicle technologies and mobility services.Uncertainty about the future introduction of CAVs depends on supply-side, demand-side, and governance factors (Nikitas et al., 2017; Smith et al., 2018). Supply-side factors are related to technological development and its cost, including the performances of vehicles in promiscuous traffic situations, ability of vehicle sensors to respond to unexpected situations, technological level of connectivity required, maintenance needs, and obsolescence of control system. Demand-side factors concern user acceptance (Payre et al., 2014), attitudes, and behavioral factors (Trommer et al., 2016; Piao et al., 2016), such as desire to drive or to cede control, interactions with vulnerable road users, safety, security, and privacy. Deployment will depend also on users’ willingness to pay for automated transports (Litman, 2018). Governance factors are related to national regulation, such as permission to validate on public roads, license to operate in mixed traffic, data protection regulation, and cybersecurity standards. In a few years the commercial release could take place, but only in those countries that have in the meantime legislated to allow circulation of CAVs in mixed or reserved lanes. Additional time is necessary before they reach large market penetration.