Share This! Pass This On! It's Not Going To Be Free!!
It surprises me just how many of these kinds of messages I see posted on Facebook, Instagram, Whatsap etc. Messages that really do amount to simple and basic scams.
How often have you seen a message that requires that you share the post, or like to post or forward the post so that something truly amazing will happen?
Lets analyse some of them..
"We will send out a free pair of 'x' brand trainers to everybody that clicks 'like' if we reach over 150,000 likes"
Really? You only have to click "Like" ? You don't have to provide your full name and address, or your shoe size? These trainers retail for over £50 + p&p per pair and they're willing to send out 150,000+ pairs? At a cost of over £7.5 Million ? If you really believe that - then you best click 'like' straight away!
"<Insert Random Picture of Some Poor Child in Hospital> Share this and the more people that share this, then top businesses will donate large sums of money to cure <insert awful illness name here>"
Sigh - This is sad because people tug on our heartstrings and we just feel we want to share or click like. But which businesses have been named as offering money? No names? Oh, so are they aware of this? How are they going to keep track?
"PANIC VIRUS - PANIC DON'T DIAL THIS NUMBER - PANIC DON'T BUY THIS <Insert Famous Brand of Food/Drink> - SHARE THIS WITH EVERYBODY!"
Now these are interesting because they often come with headed pictures of what looks like a letter, or an email or some authority confirming that it's true... what to do? what to do?
Well, what really IS the purpose of all these "scams" ? Mainly to get YOUR details. WHAT ? Did you just say... yep. To get YOUR information. It's a marketing scam really. Because if they can get you to click "like" or "share" or even worse, get you to TAG your friends in the posts, they get the opportunity to bypass your privacy settings and get a scam message through to your friends, and target them with additional information or scams.
So before simply clicking "like" or "share" or spreading the word and continuing the chain letter on, why not look up the information on a web site, see if it's really true or if it's just a scam, and make an informed decision before posting it on your timeline.
Friday, 14 February 2014
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Let's Talk
There was a time when your communication options amounted to telephone, fax or letter. (In fairness, there was a time when your options were papyrus and horse but moving on). We now have any number of options including mobile, text, messaging apps and social networks. Many bemoan the lack of personal communication, feeling that 'nothing beats a phone call'.
The telephone is an incredibly rude device. It's the equivalent of walking into a room and saying "talk to me now, talk to me now, talk to me now." Understandable in an emergency but fairly inexcusable otherwise. The other modern means of communication have the advantage of saying "I would like to tell you something, when you're ready."
The perception may be that a phone call will get a quicker answer and there is some truth in that, although not always. It is possible to phrase a greeting, question and sign off in three or four sentences in an email, circumventing a phone call involving a greeting, generic enquiry about life, prelude to the question, question, asking the question a different way, discovering the answer to that question is not possible straight away, an arrangement on how to find the answer, a wishing of well and saying goodbye three times. Even worse when the phonee has just come back from holiday and wants to describe it to you in detail. I'm looking at you Brian.
That is a two-way street. Personally, if I get asked a question out of the blue on the telephone, I can hear myself explaining it extremely poorly without the possibility of editing it. I can hone an email down to a work of art. It's almost Shakespearian. No really.
Of course, we are not anti-phone. This is largely about using the right tool for the right job. Still, discounting email or other electronic means of communication in the 21st century is short-sighted at best. Disagree? Let's talk about it. Text me.
The telephone is an incredibly rude device. It's the equivalent of walking into a room and saying "talk to me now, talk to me now, talk to me now." Understandable in an emergency but fairly inexcusable otherwise. The other modern means of communication have the advantage of saying "I would like to tell you something, when you're ready."
The perception may be that a phone call will get a quicker answer and there is some truth in that, although not always. It is possible to phrase a greeting, question and sign off in three or four sentences in an email, circumventing a phone call involving a greeting, generic enquiry about life, prelude to the question, question, asking the question a different way, discovering the answer to that question is not possible straight away, an arrangement on how to find the answer, a wishing of well and saying goodbye three times. Even worse when the phonee has just come back from holiday and wants to describe it to you in detail. I'm looking at you Brian.
That is a two-way street. Personally, if I get asked a question out of the blue on the telephone, I can hear myself explaining it extremely poorly without the possibility of editing it. I can hone an email down to a work of art. It's almost Shakespearian. No really.
Of course, we are not anti-phone. This is largely about using the right tool for the right job. Still, discounting email or other electronic means of communication in the 21st century is short-sighted at best. Disagree? Let's talk about it. Text me.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
"I am invincible!"
We often hear an all too common expression "I have an apple.. ergo, I am immune to viruses"
It often makes me want to grab their face and slap them a few times in the hope of waking them up a little.
I am sorry to burst your bubble, but an apple is just another computer. It runs the same way as a PC. It has a processor, memory, hard drives, graphics chips.. it's the same. It has an operating system which is one huge program that allows other programs to run on it.
And there, my friends, is the whole issue that tends to be ignored.
Anything can be hacked today. Anything. We've heard of big companies being attacked by hackers and they've been running their own bespoke operating systems. Corporations are starting to get more concerned because of cyber terrorists that could essentially hack into pretty much anything that affects our day to day living.
So why don't Apples get viruses? *slap* They do. The fact is that they are equally as vulnerable as a Windows or Linux machine in getting a virus. The reason they don't get as many is because, like it or not, Microsoft still have about a 90% hold on the market. And thus because of this, hackers who want to have the biggest impact will have a go at the biggest market share.
Sadly, because Apples are becoming more and more popular, hackers are turning their attention toward these devices and writing some nasty code. Soon, there will be more viruses spreading around.
However, now is the time to wake up and realise that your system is not impervious to being hacked. All the time you have your head buried in the sand, your system could be getting data taken off it, or information ruined.
Get yourself protected. Do it now. Have a firewall set up on your router and have a highly rated anti virus running.
It often makes me want to grab their face and slap them a few times in the hope of waking them up a little.
I am sorry to burst your bubble, but an apple is just another computer. It runs the same way as a PC. It has a processor, memory, hard drives, graphics chips.. it's the same. It has an operating system which is one huge program that allows other programs to run on it.
And there, my friends, is the whole issue that tends to be ignored.
Anything can be hacked today. Anything. We've heard of big companies being attacked by hackers and they've been running their own bespoke operating systems. Corporations are starting to get more concerned because of cyber terrorists that could essentially hack into pretty much anything that affects our day to day living.
So why don't Apples get viruses? *slap* They do. The fact is that they are equally as vulnerable as a Windows or Linux machine in getting a virus. The reason they don't get as many is because, like it or not, Microsoft still have about a 90% hold on the market. And thus because of this, hackers who want to have the biggest impact will have a go at the biggest market share.
Sadly, because Apples are becoming more and more popular, hackers are turning their attention toward these devices and writing some nasty code. Soon, there will be more viruses spreading around.
However, now is the time to wake up and realise that your system is not impervious to being hacked. All the time you have your head buried in the sand, your system could be getting data taken off it, or information ruined.
Get yourself protected. Do it now. Have a firewall set up on your router and have a highly rated anti virus running.
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
How To Not Get Cut By The Cutting Edge
By virtue of the industry we work in, we're quite keen to keep ourselves up-to-date. That obviously means ensuring our operating systems, anti-virus and other software are the latest versions. Updating will often add new features and fix problems, whether obvious or behind the scenes. Generally, it's a good idea, although not without exception.
Most modern phones also run operating systems, likely iOS or Android. One of our programmers recently updated his phone to the latest Android version, only to find it slow to a crawl and become dangerously close to unusable. A little research established he was not alone and it took about a month for a fix to be issued. The problem traced back to the phone manufacturer rather than Google but it was a frustrating few weeks.
So regular updating is valuable, but it's often worth not being in the very first wave of up-takers. Waiting for any early reports of problems may save you a lot of difficulties in the long run.
Most modern phones also run operating systems, likely iOS or Android. One of our programmers recently updated his phone to the latest Android version, only to find it slow to a crawl and become dangerously close to unusable. A little research established he was not alone and it took about a month for a fix to be issued. The problem traced back to the phone manufacturer rather than Google but it was a frustrating few weeks.
So regular updating is valuable, but it's often worth not being in the very first wave of up-takers. Waiting for any early reports of problems may save you a lot of difficulties in the long run.
Monday, 23 December 2013
Time To Move On
Search the Internet for "spare parts for a model T ford" and you won't find Ford Motor Company at the top of any listings.
Search again for parts for a Ford Capri and you're likely to have the same problem. Why? Because times move on and companies have to devote their time and attention to new opportunities and stop spending time and resources on old products.
The same process applies in the computer industry. Back in 2001 Microsoft launched Windows XP and it bought a fresh change to how things were looking back then. A couple of years later, Microsoft launched Office 2003 and now both XP and Office 2003 are going to be shelved when it comes to "updates".
Support for older programs requires a team of developers to upgrade the software, ensuring that it contains the latest bug fixes and security patches. However, when you consider that this software is over 10 years old, you can understand why Microsoft and other software developers want to turn their attention and teams to keeping the up to date software protected and supported.
What does this mean for you? If you have XP or Office 2003 you need to be aware that your software will no longer receive updates around April 2014. You can still use the software, but as new security breaches are discovered, you won't get new protection from Microsoft.
"Why Move on ? I like XP!"
Good for you. If you're happy to take the time protecting your system and it runs well for you, great. We're not demanding that you change, but certainly would recommend that you consider upgrading as you'll have all the benefits of the new software along with the countless security and bug fixes over the years.
As anybody that owns a classic car will tell you, there's a certain pride and joy in running an older vehicle, but you have to be prepared to put the time and effort into keeping it running.
And as anybody that buys a brand new car will tell you, there's a certain amount of excitement discovering what all the buttons do.
Search again for parts for a Ford Capri and you're likely to have the same problem. Why? Because times move on and companies have to devote their time and attention to new opportunities and stop spending time and resources on old products.
The same process applies in the computer industry. Back in 2001 Microsoft launched Windows XP and it bought a fresh change to how things were looking back then. A couple of years later, Microsoft launched Office 2003 and now both XP and Office 2003 are going to be shelved when it comes to "updates".
Support for older programs requires a team of developers to upgrade the software, ensuring that it contains the latest bug fixes and security patches. However, when you consider that this software is over 10 years old, you can understand why Microsoft and other software developers want to turn their attention and teams to keeping the up to date software protected and supported.
What does this mean for you? If you have XP or Office 2003 you need to be aware that your software will no longer receive updates around April 2014. You can still use the software, but as new security breaches are discovered, you won't get new protection from Microsoft.
"Why Move on ? I like XP!"
Good for you. If you're happy to take the time protecting your system and it runs well for you, great. We're not demanding that you change, but certainly would recommend that you consider upgrading as you'll have all the benefits of the new software along with the countless security and bug fixes over the years.
As anybody that owns a classic car will tell you, there's a certain pride and joy in running an older vehicle, but you have to be prepared to put the time and effort into keeping it running.
And as anybody that buys a brand new car will tell you, there's a certain amount of excitement discovering what all the buttons do.
Monday, 11 November 2013
The Advantages Of Disloyalty
For any of you with an iDevice (and we're guessing that's a lot) you will probably be familiar with iMessage, the built in messaging app that comes with nearly all Apple products. Fairly solid service. However, somewhat like a spoilt child (or a multi-national, billion dollar enterprise) iMessage will not play nicely with any other messaging service or operating system. So if you have a friend who dares not to possess a Cupertino necessity, you may have to text them (remember texts) or, deep breath, talk to them.
There are, of course, perfectly viable alternatives. WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, Kik, MessageMe, Line, Voxer, BBM - take your pick, all of which have the major advantage of being cross-platform. Android, iOS, Windows, Blackberry, even Nokia (I never thought I'd say 'even Nokia'), you can communicate regardless of the device. Let's do that exercise again. Take a photograph on your iPhone, share it via Photo Stream and your iPad will be delighted. If your Windows Phone owning friend wants a copy though, they are out of luck. Be disloyal and auto-upload to Dropbox however and go share-crazy.
Another approach is one that many of us here at Estuary favour. One of us has an iPad as their tablet of choice and an Android device as their phone. On the odd occasion when a must-have app is only released on one platform, we're covered. We have recently written some apps and are ready to test them on both major platforms. The same principle applies to desktop computers. Microsoft Windows will run on an Apple Mac much easier than OSX, Apple's operating system, will run on a PC. So owning a Mac, although an expensive proposition, allows you to get the best (relatively speaking) of both worlds.
There are no perfect answers when it comes to owning tech and the product simply does not exist that will single-handedly do everything you want it to all the time. Still, some judicious purchasing will cover a lot of eventualities.
Done. (How bracket-tastic was that post?!)
There are, of course, perfectly viable alternatives. WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, Kik, MessageMe, Line, Voxer, BBM - take your pick, all of which have the major advantage of being cross-platform. Android, iOS, Windows, Blackberry, even Nokia (I never thought I'd say 'even Nokia'), you can communicate regardless of the device. Let's do that exercise again. Take a photograph on your iPhone, share it via Photo Stream and your iPad will be delighted. If your Windows Phone owning friend wants a copy though, they are out of luck. Be disloyal and auto-upload to Dropbox however and go share-crazy.
Another approach is one that many of us here at Estuary favour. One of us has an iPad as their tablet of choice and an Android device as their phone. On the odd occasion when a must-have app is only released on one platform, we're covered. We have recently written some apps and are ready to test them on both major platforms. The same principle applies to desktop computers. Microsoft Windows will run on an Apple Mac much easier than OSX, Apple's operating system, will run on a PC. So owning a Mac, although an expensive proposition, allows you to get the best (relatively speaking) of both worlds.
There are no perfect answers when it comes to owning tech and the product simply does not exist that will single-handedly do everything you want it to all the time. Still, some judicious purchasing will cover a lot of eventualities.
Done. (How bracket-tastic was that post?!)
Monday, 4 November 2013
I'm Over Here (Which Means I'm Not Over There)
Today, more than ever, people interact with social networking by means of their mobile devices, bringing images and unique interactive data to the masses.
We've often seen images of our friends on Facebook, or Twitter, or Instagram etc, with a location tag linked to the image. Gradually our photo's on our devices get organised to location, so we can quickly find images we took when were were on our holiday in some sunny or fun location.
However, with this exciting and interesting addition, comes a word of caution - particularly if our privacy settings are not closed down enough.
With today's technology and search engine power, it is not too difficult for a criminal to build up a picture of your movements if your location services are switched on to public access. They'll be able to see and work out where you are by following your twitter account, your Facebook account or your Instagram account and know when you are at various locations. And of course, while you are in a new location... you are NOT at home.
It might be easy to conclude that nobody knows where you live, but with a few deductions, a few checks on the names of the friends you have, or the school you attended or place you work, your address details could easily be discovered. We'll let your over imaginative thoughts conclude what could happen if a criminal knew where you lived and when you were not at home.
So what can we do about it?
Let's not be party poopers and suggest that we don't take photo's of our holidays (although the thought of going through hundreds of "and this is another picture of that sandwich we ate in France" photo's does make us consider this). No realistically it would be a far better idea to ensure that our location services are restricted to friends and family and make sure that those we have listed amongst friends and family are just that. Friends and family.
Technology will always have it's place in society, it's made enough of an impact to never go out of fashion in today's life, but its also open to abuse. And abused it is. It's used to advance everything, including crime. So by doing our part, we can reduce the risk of it happening to us.
We've often seen images of our friends on Facebook, or Twitter, or Instagram etc, with a location tag linked to the image. Gradually our photo's on our devices get organised to location, so we can quickly find images we took when were were on our holiday in some sunny or fun location.
However, with this exciting and interesting addition, comes a word of caution - particularly if our privacy settings are not closed down enough.
With today's technology and search engine power, it is not too difficult for a criminal to build up a picture of your movements if your location services are switched on to public access. They'll be able to see and work out where you are by following your twitter account, your Facebook account or your Instagram account and know when you are at various locations. And of course, while you are in a new location... you are NOT at home.
It might be easy to conclude that nobody knows where you live, but with a few deductions, a few checks on the names of the friends you have, or the school you attended or place you work, your address details could easily be discovered. We'll let your over imaginative thoughts conclude what could happen if a criminal knew where you lived and when you were not at home.
So what can we do about it?
Let's not be party poopers and suggest that we don't take photo's of our holidays (although the thought of going through hundreds of "and this is another picture of that sandwich we ate in France" photo's does make us consider this). No realistically it would be a far better idea to ensure that our location services are restricted to friends and family and make sure that those we have listed amongst friends and family are just that. Friends and family.
Technology will always have it's place in society, it's made enough of an impact to never go out of fashion in today's life, but its also open to abuse. And abused it is. It's used to advance everything, including crime. So by doing our part, we can reduce the risk of it happening to us.
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