Forget hacking networks

February 22, 2024

Forget hacking networks: Now, cybercriminals are using genuine logins stolen from real people. Info-theft malware is already up 266% in 2024. Keep all your usernames and passwords safe, and don’t give them to anyone. And you really need solid antivirus software. Get TotalAV for $19 for the first year on up to five devices.

Tags: antivirus, antivirus software, cybercriminals, devices, hacks, logins, malware, networks, passwords, software, usernames

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Stop and think before you click that link! Bad Google results are increasing

So, you accidentally booked the wrong nights for an upcoming hotel reservation. Hey, it happens.

You do a quick Google search to find the hotel’s phone number, call the one at the top, and a representative answers right away. You give them your info, read off your card number, and then they hang up. Something feels … off. My friend, you may have been scammed.

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CEO snark

When Jeff Bezos was CEO, customers would email him complaints. He would forward those complaints to department heads with just one character. What was that one character?

The answer: Jeff Bezos would forward customer complaints to the appropriate department head with just one character: A question mark. No note, like, “Hello, I hope you’re well. Would you please look into this situation and let me know what’s going on?” Ever since I learned this, I have done the same thing. Too bad Jeff Bezos retired when he was in his prime. (Ba-dum-tss!)

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What inspired the iconic ding sound that welcomes you when booting up a Mac computer? Was it a … A.) Tibetan singing bowl, B.) Beatles’ song, C.) Cash register opening or D.) Classical piano key note?

Find the answer here →

90% accuracy

AI’s guess at whether you’re a man or woman based on brain scans. Research has always been iffy on whether men and women have truly different brains. This is an interesting wrinkle.

Is your smartphone battery failing?

You know your phone’s battery performance degrades the older it gets. That’s just how lithium-ion batteries work, unfortunately. With each charging cycle, they wear down a bit. Eventually, it becomes too big a problem to ignore and it’s time to replace it.

Apple makes it easy to check

Open Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.

At the top, you’ll see your battery’s maximum capacity. Don’t panic if it’s below 100%. It’s designed to maintain 80% of its original capacity by 500 charges, so that percentage will tick down over time.

Under Peak Performance Capability, you’ll see whether your battery is operating normally. If it’s seriously degraded, you’ll see a message here.

It’s a little trickier on an Android

Most manufacturers have different steps. Here are a few to try:

Open the Phone app, dial *#*#4636#*#* and look for an option to check your battery health. If you don’t see it, try another option.
On Samsung, open the built-in Samsung Members app. Tap Get Help > Check Android battery health.
Apps like AccuBattery can provide a good estimate if all else fails.

The signs you need a new phone, like, now

You know by now your phone’s battery performance degrades the older it gets. That’s just how lithium-ion batteries work, unfortunately. With each charging cycle, they wear down a bit. Eventually, it becomes too big a problem to ignore.

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300 times per day per patient

That’s how often alarms can sound in hospitals. “Alarm fatigue,” aka ignoring and forgetting to turn off or restart alarms, led to 566 deaths in the U.S. over a five-and-a-half-year period. The fix isn’t louder alarms but to make them more musical. Fascinating read!

27.9% of fingerprints

Chinese and U.S. researchers can recreate more than one-fourth of fingerprint biometric scans by sound alone. No kidding, your fingerprints make sounds when you swipe your touchscreens.

14,700 years ago 

When folks living in caves routinely ate each other. Wait, what? Yep, scientists have found lots of evidence of cannibalism in ancient societies — primarily as a way to honor and respect the dead. Yum.

$225,000 plus travel

How much a 27-year-old government contractor made in a year. That year, though, she worked 92 hours a week in Taiwan. Ouch. Fascinating read.

Stop and think before you click that link! Bad Google results are increasing

CEO snark

90% accuracy

Is your smartphone battery failing?

The signs you need a new phone, like, now

300 times per day per patient

27.9% of fingerprints

14,700 years ago&nbsp;

$225,000 plus travel

14,700 years ago