Why Encrypting Your Data Won’t Protect You From Ransomware

No one wants to be a victim to cybercriminals. It’s why we’re so keen on encryption — indeed, the vast majority of people use encryption to some extent because locking your smartphone scrambles all your personal information. That’s exactly what encryption is: making your data unreadable without a special encryption key (i.e. a password). It’s the ultimate defense against cybercriminals, right? Unfortunately, no. There are far too many myths about encryption that you simply shouldn’t believe. For instance, it won’t protect you from ransomware. Here’s why. What Is Ransomware? Let’s start by running through exactly what ransomware is. That’ll expose...

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6 Deals You Can Get Right Now on Amazon [US/CA]

Today, you can save big on an outdoor blower, headphones, a Gorrillpod, a laptop, and much more. Check them out. US Deals GreenWorks G-MAX 40V 115MPH – 430 CFM Cordless Blower ($76.71, 55% Off) GreenWorks BA40L210 G-MAX 40V 115MPH - 430 CFM Cordless Brushless Blower, 2Ah Battery and Charger Included GreenWorks BA40L210 G-MAX 40V 115MPH - 430 CFM Cordless Brushless Blower, 2Ah Battery and Charger Included Jet fan design delivers 115 MPH and 430 CFM Buy Now At Amazon $76.71 If you’re looking for a rechargeable blower, this is the cheapest this GreenWorks model has ever been available for. Up...

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How to Restore Past Versions of Pages, Word, and Other Mac Documents

When you discover that you overwrote an important document, your first reaction is likely panic. But if you’re on a Mac, there are a few options you have for getting your earlier edits back. We’ll look at a few of them here, and then share a few suggestions for avoiding the problem in the first place. Let’s start with the easiest one. iWork: Revert to an Older Version If you’re still using Microsoft Office on your Mac, it might be time to switch to iWork. It has a number of advantages, but the most notable one for the current discussion is built-in versioning....

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Who Owns Your Data When You Are Dead?

When a 15-year-old German girl died, hit by a subway train, it was a tragedy. Her distraught parents turned to her online accounts for answers: was this an awful accident or was it a premeditated action? What was going on in her online life, and how was it affecting her every day? Those parents still do not know. The data and critically, the passwords, were the private property of the young girl. Not her parents. The ownership of data at the moment of death is a modern question. Whose hands does it fall into? Who has rights, and who can stake a...

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Everything You Need to Know About the NotPetya Ransomware

A nasty form of ransomware dubbed NotPetya is currently spreading around the world. The first reports emerged from Russia and the Ukraine, but NotPetya has now reached the U.S, the UK, Denmark, Poland, Italy, Germany, and France. In other words, it’s pretty much everywhere. Ransomware is a growing threat. Just a couple of months ago a strain called WannaCry crippled the British National Health Service for several days. And now NotPetya is infecting computers with relative impunity. So here’s everything you need to know about the NotPetya ransomware. All of Your Questions, Answered What Is Ransomware? For the uninitiated amongst...

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Take VR to the Next Level With These 3D Printable Accessories

Immersion is the key to the best virtual reality experiences, so anything you can add that edges it closer to realism will make your experience exponentially better. I’ve talked before about using VR to take your Elite Dangerous experience to the next level, but today I wanted to take a look specifically at 3D printables. While we’re at it, we’re also going to see which accessories can help you store and organise all those VR bits and bobs, since you’ve already spent ludicrous amounts of money on the headset itself. Note: I’ve used an original Prusa i3 MK2 (which we declared...

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You’ve Screwed Up Facebook! How to Really Connect on Social Media

Have we taken the “social” out of social media? When you ask people why they use social media, you’ll often get a familiar response: to keep up with family and friends. That’s a core function of the big social networks. We want to know what the people close to us are doing. But social media has become inundated with other things. You’re constantly being marketed to. Emoji are substituted for meaningful conversations. People’s political disagreements spin out of control. Carefully curated feeds make everyone look like they’re living a perfect life. If you just want to use social media to keep...

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Should You Buy a Wearable? 4 Reasons You Need a Smartwatch

A smartwatch is probably most aptly described by Wikipedia as “a computerized wristwatch with functionality that goes beyond timekeeping”. While the concept has been toyed with since the 70s, it is only in the past few years that it got a huge push. Pebble, one of the most successful Kickstarter projects at the time, got the ball rolling in 2012 with Google and Apple following two years later. But in 2017 it’s safe (and a bit sad) to say that the smartwatch buzz has died down. Pebble got sold to Fitbit amid financial troubles. Google’s Android Wear watches have largely...

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10 eBay Scams To Be Aware Of

eBay is such a great idea, and I’ve had good experiences using the site, but the growing prevalence of scammers has turned it into a shady marketplace. I don’t feel safe on eBay and neither should you. But sometimes you don’t have a choice. As a buyer, some items can only be found on eBay, and as a seller, eBay might be the most profitable platform available to you. If you must use eBay, then you must be wary of scams. In this post, we’ll cover 10 common eBay scams: three when you’re buying, six when you’re selling, and one...

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10 of the World’s Most Famous Hackers & What Happened to Them

Not all hackers are bad. The good ones are called “white-hat hackers” and use hacking to improve computer security. The ones who are just having fun are called “gray-hat hackers.” But the malicious kind you’re thinking of? They’re called “black-hat hackers.” And they can cause a lot of harm, as history has shown. Here are some of the most infamous and nefarious “black hatters,” what they did to earn their reputations, and where they are today. 1. Kevin Mitnick The U.S. Department of Justice called him the “most wanted computer criminal in U.S. history” — that’s how notorious he was....

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Password Storage On a Keychain: Hideez Digital Key Review

Security problems stalk us day and night. Passwords dance through our minds, out of our ears, and often end up jotted on sticky notes. Password managers can help, as can devices that can securely unlock our phones, tablets and computers with a single click. Oh, and did you ever lose your keys? The Hideez Single Digital Key fulfills all three of these roles. Available for $49, this intriguingly small device sits neatly in your pocket, keys attached, ready to be used to unlock computers, doors, websites… anything you like, really. Well, that’s the intention. But does it work that way?...

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How to Move to a New Music Streaming Service

Was Spotify’s recent web player redesign too much to bear? Have you realized you’re not subscribing to the most suitable streaming service for your musical tastes and usage needs? Perhaps it’s time to consider switching to a new provider. Unfortunately, making a switch from one streaming service to another is fraught with difficulties. Are you mentally ready for the switch? How will you move your music libraries? And, perhaps more importantly, how are you going to transfer all those playlists that you invested so much time into creating and curating? Thankfully, if you use these tools and tricks, you can...

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Listen to Music in One Ear on Mobile? You Need This Useful Trick

Chances are that your headphones or earbuds come in a pair. Humans have two ears, and stereo sound plays different bits of sound in each ear. But maybe you listen to music on your phone with just one ear. Perhaps you’re deaf in the other ear, or have a dead earbud. Whatever the case, you can make listening to music through one channel much more pleasant on Android and iOS by adjusting the balance. For iOS, go to Settings > General > Accessibility. Under the Hearing section, adjust the slider for a balance between the left and right channels. You...

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How to Create Spotify Playlists With Friends on Facebook Messenger

You can already share Spotify tracks with your friends in Facebook Messenger, but Spotify recently introduced a new feature takes its Facebook sharing feature to a new level. It now allows you to create collaborative playlists directly in the Messenger app. To get started go to m.me/Spotify and add Spotify to Facebook Messenger. This will open up your Facebook Messenger in a browser and you’ll find yourself at the start of a new conversation with the Spotify app. Click Get Started. The bot can walk you through the features. Once you’re ready to create a playlist go to Facebook Messenger on...

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How to Use a USB Jump Drive Like a Super Geek: Create a Tech Toolkit

Don’t let your spare USB drives go to waste! Use them to prepare for disaster and turn them into toolkits that might one day save your neck. USB jump drives are a dying breed. As the process of transferring data becomes increasingly wireless, many are left with underutilized USB drives crammed into drawers. That is, until disaster strikes. Thumb drives — when prepared — can prevent users from losing everything if confronted with PC issues beyond their control. Anti-virus, anti-spyware, operating system (OS) installs, and file recovery: all of these options and more are available on your thumb drive. That is if...

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The Best Windows Software

As a Windows user, you have access to countless free applications. Which ones can you trust and which ones are the best? Consult this list for ideas and discover apps you didn’t know existed. We’re continuously seeking out the best Windows software for all your needs. Most applications recommended here are free and you can quickly find what you need by browsing the listed programs by category. Note that some installers pack bloatware, useless adware that’s pre-selected to install. It’s the bane of freeware. Thus, Unchecky should be the very first app from this list you should install because it...

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You Can Now Request an Uber for Your Friends

Uber is making it easier for you to request a ride for someone else. While it has always been extremely easy to request a ride for yourself, requesting a ride for someone else has required extra effort. Now, Uber is making it just as easy to request a ride for someone other than yourself. Not everyone is capable of requesting an Uber for themselves. Hell, there are probably millions of people out there who still don’t know what Uber is, let alone know how to order one. This is rather limiting Uber’s reach, which is why it has added a...

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Facebook Helps Make Messenger Chats More Fun

You can already do so much with Facebook Messenger. Which is why more than 1 billion people have the app installed on their phones. And now, thanks to a new update, Messenger has some new tricks up its sleeve. All of which will be especially interesting to those who do video chats. Messenger is insanely popular, with an installed userbase of in excess of 1 billion people. However, Messenger has some competition in the form of (teenager’s favorite) Snapchat. Which is why Facebook keeps pushing new features. And this latest batch even manage to be quite original. Messenger Makes Video...

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Stand Out on Instagram With These 10 Essential Apps

Ever wonder how everyone seems to have perfect Instagram feeds? Their photos are exactly in focus, their hashtags result in hundreds of likes, and they have filters and effects you can’t find in the Instagram app. The truth is, if you’re using only the Instagram app to post your photos, you’re missing out on most of the features that everyone else is using. There are hundreds of third-party Instagram apps out there — and some are definitely better than others. The sheer number of options makes it hard to know which apps to download! That’s why we’ve collected ten of...

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Supercharge Google Assistant With These 7 Amazing IFTTT Applets

Google Assistant has quickly managed to expand support to other Android Marshmallow devices, picking up a lot of neat tricks along the way. Late last year, popular automation service IFTTT enabled support for Google Assistant, meaning that you can now create custom voice commands to trigger certain actions. Today, let’s see how we can leverage the power of IFTTT automation to enhance the functionality of Google Assistant on your phone. How to Connect IFTTT With Google Assistant Before we can get started, we need to connect IFTTT with Google Assistant. To do so, open the IFTTT website and sign in or sign up. Next,...

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