November Meetings 2023
November 2, 2023 - Microsoft Project Silica - Hide My Email - Global WhatsApp Scam -
"The greatest deception people suffer is from their own opinions, that and clicking on Unknown Links." - Leonardo da Vinci
Club Questions
"The greatest deception people suffer is from their own opinions, that and clicking on Unknown Links." - Leonardo da Vinci
Club Questions
Microsoft Project Silica
About four years ago Microsoft offered a proof of concept on their Project Silica when they stored a full length movie on a small piece of quartz glass. Storing data on this type of glass is safer than using an SSD and has the ability to safely store the data for over 10,000 years, as opposed to SSD which is good for about 5 -10 years. This obviously has potential impact on computer and device hard drives moving into the future. To learn more about Microsoft's Project Silica, take a look at this article.
About four years ago Microsoft offered a proof of concept on their Project Silica when they stored a full length movie on a small piece of quartz glass. Storing data on this type of glass is safer than using an SSD and has the ability to safely store the data for over 10,000 years, as opposed to SSD which is good for about 5 -10 years. This obviously has potential impact on computer and device hard drives moving into the future. To learn more about Microsoft's Project Silica, take a look at this article.
Hide My Email
Do you dread signing up for a new service or logging in to a new website? No one wants more emails in their inbox or to risk their security for using a site one time. If you are an Apple user there is an easy solution to this problem, Hide My Email. This Apple service gives all iCloud+ users the opportunity to let Apple create a unique email address that redirects to the email address of your choosing. This way you are never giving these websites your actual address, keeping your privacy intact. To learn more about Hide My Email, take a look at this article.
Do you dread signing up for a new service or logging in to a new website? No one wants more emails in their inbox or to risk their security for using a site one time. If you are an Apple user there is an easy solution to this problem, Hide My Email. This Apple service gives all iCloud+ users the opportunity to let Apple create a unique email address that redirects to the email address of your choosing. This way you are never giving these websites your actual address, keeping your privacy intact. To learn more about Hide My Email, take a look at this article.
Global WhatsApp Scam
WhatsApp is a popular messaging app owned by Facebook. Recently, the app has been targeted by scammers worldwide. The scam is all about offering WhatsApp users jobs that don't exist and has so far scammed over $100 million from unsuspecting people. This is a variation on the standard phishing scam, and like most of these types of scams they generally make offers that sound too good to be true. To learn more about this scam, take a look at this article.
WhatsApp is a popular messaging app owned by Facebook. Recently, the app has been targeted by scammers worldwide. The scam is all about offering WhatsApp users jobs that don't exist and has so far scammed over $100 million from unsuspecting people. This is a variation on the standard phishing scam, and like most of these types of scams they generally make offers that sound too good to be true. To learn more about this scam, take a look at this article.
November 9, 2023 - Connecting to the Internet - Security: Apple vs. Android - Samsung Adds AI to Smartphones -
"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, lie about your age, and stop clicking on Unknown Links." - Lucille Ball
Club Questions
"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, lie about your age, and stop clicking on Unknown Links." - Lucille Ball
Club Questions
Connecting to the Internet
If you have a desktop computer, smartphone, tablet, or laptop, you’ve probably heard of internet, Ethernet, WiFi and cellular. They have one thing in common, they are all connectivity technologies. But what's the difference between them all? The Ethernet is a fancy way of saying you're using a cable to directly connect to the internet, or more precisely your Local Area Network (LAN) which is usually the cable that comes into your house. WiFi is a wireless signal that your router (if so enabled) creates, so you can connect a variety of devices (think; smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc) to the internet wirelessly. And cellular is the signal that you pay your phone provider for, it not only allows you to make phone calls (when you have enuf bars showing on your phone), but it can also connect you to the internet, altho keep in mind, when you use cellular to connect to the internet, you are using some of your allotted data to do so (unlike WiFi that is not counted against your data plan). To learn more about all the ways you can connect to the internet, take a look at this article. Or take a look at the video below.
If you have a desktop computer, smartphone, tablet, or laptop, you’ve probably heard of internet, Ethernet, WiFi and cellular. They have one thing in common, they are all connectivity technologies. But what's the difference between them all? The Ethernet is a fancy way of saying you're using a cable to directly connect to the internet, or more precisely your Local Area Network (LAN) which is usually the cable that comes into your house. WiFi is a wireless signal that your router (if so enabled) creates, so you can connect a variety of devices (think; smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc) to the internet wirelessly. And cellular is the signal that you pay your phone provider for, it not only allows you to make phone calls (when you have enuf bars showing on your phone), but it can also connect you to the internet, altho keep in mind, when you use cellular to connect to the internet, you are using some of your allotted data to do so (unlike WiFi that is not counted against your data plan). To learn more about all the ways you can connect to the internet, take a look at this article. Or take a look at the video below.
Security: Apple vs Android
Apple has made plenty of sly digs at Android over the years, but an internal presentation that has now surfaced sees the company proclaiming that Android is “a massive tracking device.” The presentation in question was regarding a push within Apple to start “Competing on Privacy.” The slides, made in January 2013, dove into how Apple’s competitors (Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft primarily) handled privacy matters and user data. A “privacy timeline” includes some 2000s and 2010s events that made headlines regarding privacy, such as Google’s Street View cars recording private Wi-Fi networks and Instagram’s aim to use user photos in its ads, as well as Google’s privacy policy move to combining user data across services. Apple went on to compare how its products handle privacy differently from Google and others. To learn more about how Apple has come to value privacy, take a look at this article.
Samsung Adds AI to Smartphones
With 2023 drawing to a close, all eyes are on the next generation of Android flagships that will arrive in early 2024. Samsung is betting heavy on the addition of AI to the new Galaxy series. The Galaxy S24 series is poised to take the mantle forward with its slew of upgrades over its predecessors. And Samsung is setting ambitious targets for itself, promising an AI-centric Galaxy phone experience that takes on the likes of the iPhone. To learn more about Samsung's latest and greatest smartphone, take a look at this article.
With 2023 drawing to a close, all eyes are on the next generation of Android flagships that will arrive in early 2024. Samsung is betting heavy on the addition of AI to the new Galaxy series. The Galaxy S24 series is poised to take the mantle forward with its slew of upgrades over its predecessors. And Samsung is setting ambitious targets for itself, promising an AI-centric Galaxy phone experience that takes on the likes of the iPhone. To learn more about Samsung's latest and greatest smartphone, take a look at this article.
November 16, 2023 - Google Starts Deleting Gmail Accounts - YouTube AI Chatbot - Amazon's Project Olympus -
"In cyberspace, be wise and shrewd, don't click on links, for that's how troubles are brewed. Before you tap or take a peek, remember well, it's caution you must seek!" - Dr. Seuss
Club Questions
"In cyberspace, be wise and shrewd, don't click on links, for that's how troubles are brewed. Before you tap or take a peek, remember well, it's caution you must seek!" - Dr. Seuss
Club Questions
Google Starts Deleting Gmail Accounts
Google introduced a new policy for "inactive" accounts earlier this year: to enhance security, dormant, unused accounts are slated for deletion. The search giant will commence the enforcement of this policy on December 1, 2023. If you, or someone you know, uses a Gmail account, and hasn't been active on it, your account may be deleted. To learn more about Google's new Gmail policy, take a look at this article.
Google introduced a new policy for "inactive" accounts earlier this year: to enhance security, dormant, unused accounts are slated for deletion. The search giant will commence the enforcement of this policy on December 1, 2023. If you, or someone you know, uses a Gmail account, and hasn't been active on it, your account may be deleted. To learn more about Google's new Gmail policy, take a look at this article.
YouTube AI Chatbot
Google has spent a lot of time and money with AI enhanced features for many of its online products. They are currently testing out an AI chatbot for YouTube. The new chatbot is an experimental feature, available to YouTube Premium subscribers. The idea is that this is a conversational tool that can offer more information about the video in question — answering user questions and suggesting related content. It’s also able to question you about the video, which could be pretty handy if you’re watching an educational video. To learn more about YouTube's newest feature, take a look at this article.
Google has spent a lot of time and money with AI enhanced features for many of its online products. They are currently testing out an AI chatbot for YouTube. The new chatbot is an experimental feature, available to YouTube Premium subscribers. The idea is that this is a conversational tool that can offer more information about the video in question — answering user questions and suggesting related content. It’s also able to question you about the video, which could be pretty handy if you’re watching an educational video. To learn more about YouTube's newest feature, take a look at this article.
Amazon's Project Olympus
While Amazon has not shied away from developing and adopting generative AI across its different platforms, the company is yet to unveil its own rival to ChatGPT. However, a new report suggests the company is investing millions into a new large language model (LLM). Amazon is reportedly building its own conversational LLM, code-named 'Olympus'. How this new feature will impact shopping on Amazon has yet to be determined. To learn more about Amazon's Project Olympus, take a look at this article.
While Amazon has not shied away from developing and adopting generative AI across its different platforms, the company is yet to unveil its own rival to ChatGPT. However, a new report suggests the company is investing millions into a new large language model (LLM). Amazon is reportedly building its own conversational LLM, code-named 'Olympus'. How this new feature will impact shopping on Amazon has yet to be determined. To learn more about Amazon's Project Olympus, take a look at this article.
November 23, 2023 - It's Thanksgiving, Take the Day Off! - Some Black Friday Tips -
"Grateful to be gobbling, not wobbling on Thanksgiving, and even tho it's a holiday, Don't Click on Unknown Links!" - A Thanksgiving Turkey
Club Questions
"Grateful to be gobbling, not wobbling on Thanksgiving, and even tho it's a holiday, Don't Click on Unknown Links!" - A Thanksgiving Turkey
Club Questions
Happy Thanksgiving
Some Black Friday Tips
Once you've eaten your turkey, you might decide to take advantage of some of the Black Friday deals online. Beware because scammers work year round, but they tend to turn up their efforts during the high-spending holiday season to exploit the spirit of giving. These holiday shopping scams range far and wide. As retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart roll out deals over the holidays, fraudsters create elaborate websites to trick you into spending money on products you'll never receive. You may receive text messages or emails claiming you're eligible for a refund for an item you never purchased, just so thieves can get your credit card information. You might even be enticed into donating to a charity that provides homes for abandoned puppies -- only to find out it doesn't actually exist. To find out more about this year's scams and how to avoid them, take a look at this article.
November 30, 2023 - New Threat to Mac Computers - AI Predicts the Weather - What to do if You Lose Your Phone -
"Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that thou shalt not click on unknown links." - Abraham Lincoln
Club Questions
"Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that thou shalt not click on unknown links." - Abraham Lincoln
Club Questions
New Threat to Mac Computers
If you're a Mac computer user, and use either Safari or Google Chrome as your browser, pay attention. A powerful new malware launched in early 2023 called Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS) targets Apple users and has become a growing threat. Now, with the latest iteration of the malware, malicious parties are planting AMOS inside fake Safari and Chrome browser updates for Mac. To learn more about how to protect your Mac computer, take a look at this article.
If you're a Mac computer user, and use either Safari or Google Chrome as your browser, pay attention. A powerful new malware launched in early 2023 called Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS) targets Apple users and has become a growing threat. Now, with the latest iteration of the malware, malicious parties are planting AMOS inside fake Safari and Chrome browser updates for Mac. To learn more about how to protect your Mac computer, take a look at this article.
AI Predicts the Weather
A new AI model from Google DeepMind is the world’s most accurate 10-day global weather forecasting system, according to the London-based lab. Named GraphCast, the model promises medium-range weather forecasts of “unprecedented accuracy.” In a study published recently, by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), GraphCast was shown to be more precise and faster than the industry gold standard for weather simulation, the High-Resolution Forecast (HRES). To learn more about how the weather forecast just got a whole lot better, take a look at this article.
A new AI model from Google DeepMind is the world’s most accurate 10-day global weather forecasting system, according to the London-based lab. Named GraphCast, the model promises medium-range weather forecasts of “unprecedented accuracy.” In a study published recently, by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), GraphCast was shown to be more precise and faster than the industry gold standard for weather simulation, the High-Resolution Forecast (HRES). To learn more about how the weather forecast just got a whole lot better, take a look at this article.
What to do if You Lose Your Phone
Your smart phone is the key to your digital life, but do you know what to do if you actually lose it? Preparing yourself for the worst is easier than you might think — and it’s never been more important. Our phones have become our main — in some cases, only — gateway to so many things. If you lock yourself out of your house, you can call a locksmith to get back in, even if it’s the middle of the night on a holiday. But if you lose your phone, you may lose your keys to a whole lot more, and it may take a while, if ever, to get that access back. To learn more about how to prepare properly for that worst case scenario, take a look at this article.
Your smart phone is the key to your digital life, but do you know what to do if you actually lose it? Preparing yourself for the worst is easier than you might think — and it’s never been more important. Our phones have become our main — in some cases, only — gateway to so many things. If you lock yourself out of your house, you can call a locksmith to get back in, even if it’s the middle of the night on a holiday. But if you lose your phone, you may lose your keys to a whole lot more, and it may take a while, if ever, to get that access back. To learn more about how to prepare properly for that worst case scenario, take a look at this article.
