May 2nd, 2013 by MirandaM

No one wants to run into the annoying problem of suffering from a data cap. However, this can occur when you are using your mobile device. Since you do not want to be without access to your mobile service when traveling from home, you must take steps to reduce the potential shut down of your service. One way to make sure this does not occur would be to limit the amount of time you use your device for leisurely pursuits. If you only have a limited amount of data, chatting or playing games will greatly cut into the time you are alloted. Rather than see your service cut off, it would be better to curtail unnecessary usage.

May 2nd, 2013 by MirandaM

Losing one’s ability to hear can have severe consequences. Thankfully, devices such as hearing aids and implants have made if easier for those suffering from hearing loss to not be as severely impacted as would be the case in prior generations. Technology has simply made it possible to overcome a number of hurdles the hearing impaired once faced. This is certainly not to suggest there are no problems someone with troubled hearing will have to deal with anymore. Even the best technology does have its limitations. That said, the advancements in technology for the hearing impaired have been enormous and contribute to a much greater quality of life.

May 1st, 2013 by MitchellS

Will the next phase of education come in the form of social media formated learning? This may very well be the case although the time it takes for social media and education to fuse together will take some time. The truth is someone with 25 years experience in education is likely set in a certain way of running a class in a traditional manner. Virtual education strategies such as using social media is not something old school educators may be quick to embrace. However, in time, this will likely begin to change and social media will be employed for more serious pursuits such as increasing increasing access to education.

May 1st, 2013 by MitchellS

Twitter is not exactly a forum for long monologues or dialectics. You are limited to only making a statement of a sentence or two. That can be a good thing. When you wish to stay in touch with friends or family, a single sentence might be all that is required. Long, droning posts on Facebook sometimes lead to a message being lost. That is not the case with Twitter. You are forced to keep your messages brief. That means the messages have to stay focused which is certainly a good thing. Otherwise, you run the risk of not getting your points across.

April 29th, 2013 by MirandaM

Why are employers interested in looking at your Facebook profile. The reason is they want to be sure you are not a liability. Your Facebook page will clearly reflect a lot of biographical information about you. Sadly, it will also reflect personal information that might play to the biases of a future employer. While this might seem unfair, the fact remains employers are more and more interested in taking advantage of the information made available via Facebook. To reduce the potential the information may be used against you, it is advisable to simply be very careful about what you publish on social media sites.

April 29th, 2013 by MirandaM

Good customer service is something that will always be constant even if certain mediums for sales change. While many businesses are selling their wares online, this is not an excuse to become overly detached from the customers that make the purchases. Not offering good customer service would eventually sink any online business as customers would likely just go elsewhere and patronize another merchant. Obviously, ti would be very difficult for any business to stay afloat if this was happening on a continual basis. It is suggested that any entrepreneur involved in this type of commerce learn the basics of good online customer service.

April 28th, 2013 by JanetM

If your anti-virus ends up quarantining a malware program, you should take the steps to look its name up online. Simply deleting the malware may not be enough. You have to know what the malware is known to do so you can take any further protective steps. For example, if the malware is a keystroke logger, you want to change the passwords on your computer. This way, you do not end up suffering from break-ins in your email or, worse, bank account because personal data has been compromised. You would not know this could have been the case if you just deleted all malicious files without noting them.

April 28th, 2013 by JanetM

How much about the inner workings of high speed internet do you need to know? In truth, you really do not have to be enormously knowledgeable on the subject. However, a little bit of knowledge can help you make good decisions on what services to sign up with. In truth, very, very few subscribers to internet service have an understanding of how high  speed internet works. This might be fine for their purposes, but it might not necessarily be good for you if you have serious business uses for your internet in mind. Hence, reading up on how high speed internet works might not be a bad idea.

April 26th, 2013 by MitchellS

Businesses that require a server room for their network may have to bring in a professional to set up the interior. A server room must be effectively designed and the right installation work must be done. Yes, it can be cheaper to do it yourself but it can also be disastrous. If the server room is improperly designed and equipment is not installed correctly, the entire network could end up being ineffective. This certainly would not be a plus for the business. So, investing funds in hiring a professional is exactly that…an investment. It helps safeguard the business in many ways.

April 26th, 2013 by MitchellS

If you want to reduce problems with identity theft, you will want to avoid using a shared computer except when absolutely necessary. You might be at the local library and wish to sign on to your banking account…. do not do it! You just might end up being really sorry. Rather than find yourself in such a situation, it would be much, much better to wait until you get home. If this is a problem, you should look into acquiring a mobile device and accompanying internet service. This way, you do not have to worry about unauthorized parties accessing your private information.

April 24th, 2013 by MirandaM

The internet will always has its trouble spots it might have to overcome. One such area that is raising concern would be the issue of data caps. Some have said that data caps are designed to punish those that subscribe to broadband. In some cases, it is intended to discourage excess use of video streaming. You could say the cable internet providers might be influencing some of these bandwidth capping decisions. While there are definitely a number of complaints emerging about data caps, the problem might not be as severe as some suggest it is. Most will find they can use their internet without any caps.

April 24th, 2013 by MirandaM

Is it possible that digital pirates can actually help the music industry. To say that piracy can help the industry might be somewhat dubious. Millions of dollars in sales are often lost due to piracy related costs. However, there might be one bright spot for the music industry. Namely, acquiring one song via piracy can lead some to buy the entire CD. It can happen. That said, the music industry very doubtfully wishes to promote piracy of any kind and for the obvious reason. The music industry wishes to maintain control of its copyrights so any approval or piracy, even tactic approval is not likely.

April 23rd, 2013 by JanetM

Can mobile phones provide a viable source of education? Well, why would it not? Mobile phones are highly advanced and offer many forms of communications. No matter how educational material is transferred, the key point is as long as it is delivered clearly. Not everyone will look at the mobile phone as being viable as an educational source, but such an opinion is a very shortsighted one. Anyone with such an assessment is only looking at what the phone is commonly used for and not what it can be used for. Technology of any kind can help in education and the mobile phone is no exception.

April 23rd, 2013 by JanetM

Social media relationships have much value, but you always have to realize that there will be limitations to interactions. Even when you are using IM, voice or webcam based communications, there is still a limitation on how people interact. While the communication is real, interactions made through meeting on social media are not as real as meeting a person in the real world. Most people do realize this. However, there are those that invest a large amount of their interactions with others through social media and other internet platforms. It is well advised such persons understand the limitations such a forum presents.

April 5th, 2013 by ElizaP

The former Quest DSL joined two more of the largest independent wireline telecom providers in the United States  yesterday and sent a letter to the FCC with a request for more money from the Connect America Fund. The additional funding, if granted, will allow for the extension of broadband service into more rural areas. The letter explained the importance of broadband as life-changing and necessary for prosperity and economic recovery.

Only a portion of the allotted CAF funding was accepted by Centurylink in June of 2012. This was because the company said the FCC’s per-household restriction of $775 to install broadband was not feasible. The company was eligible for $90 million in funding, but only took $35 million. Another major provider, Frontier, accepted almost $72 million dollars from the Connect America Fund.

March 29th, 2013 by ElizaP

Comcast users in Southwest Washington and Oregon will be getting some good news today: for no additional cost, they will be enjoying increased internet speed. This latest of Comcast specials involves two of the company’s most popular plans under its XfinityInternet product. Blast! And Extreme50 will both see increased speeds by as much as 50 Mbps for download and up to 6 Mbps for upload.

The company also has another plan it’s increasing, which is its Performance plan. This particular plan will increase download speeds to 20 from 15 Mbps, and upping its upstream to 4Mbps from its previous 2Mbps. The company said in a statement that all that’s required for customers to begin enjoying their faster speeds is to restart their cable modems.

March 22nd, 2013 by ElizaP

Following the lead of other companies like Facebook and Google, Apple has now decided to jump on the bandwagon to thwart security threats. Its iCloud product will now require two-step authentication for ATT Uverse and other users. This will allow users to have more security when attempting to access their accounts from devices the service doesn’t recognize. Users will have to set up the authentication on their accounts, which they were able to do as of yesterday. This requires simply visiting Apple’s site and clicking “Password and Security”.

Apple ID’s two-step verification will involve entering a username and password, and then waiting for a verification code to be sent to the device requesting access. Then, the user need only enter that code to verify their identity and access their account. This new authentication process means that hackers will find it difficult to access iCloud accounts unless they also have access to the account holder’s device.

March 15th, 2013 by ElizaP

Shockwaves rattled the social media world yesterday when a deputy social media editor working for Reuters was slapped with a federal indictment. The indictment claimed that the editor helped notorious hacking group Anonymous via high speed internet to hack the Tribune Company, his former employer, by giving them his username and password.

The editor lost his job at the Tribune Company following the company’s bankruptcy. The information given by the editor was used to log into the company’s content management system. Evidence gathered to indict the editor included logs of an IRC chat, in which the editor is shown speaking with a hacker following the exploit.

February 7th, 2013 by ElizaP

Two tech giants have successfully shut down a botnet consisting of hundreds of thousands of computers, at least for the time being. The botnet, named Bamital, was responsible for redirecting billions of clicks from millions of computers to web sites they didn’t intend to visit via internet providers in my area. The sites contained online advertising networks that, through the huge amounts of traffic generated, made the botnet operators a million dollars per year.

The servers were taken down yesterday by two technicians accompanied by federal marshals. As well, a third server was seized in New Jersey, while the voluntary shut down of a fourth server was executed in Virginia. The malware had been operating since 2011, but it took investigators quite a while to pinpoint where the offending servers were located. The malware redirected search page clicks to the botnet’s servers, which then used HTML redirects to feed traffic into advertising networks.

February 6th, 2013 by ElizaP

Amid a surge in the stock price, one internet service company has made Wall Street wonder if there’s some kind of acquisition or merger in the works. Employees of the company have helped to fuel the rumors, saying that all budgets have been frozen. Add to that the confirmation of a number of manager conferences, and the wheels begin to spin.

The company is Charter Communications, and the speculation is rampant. But many think that choosing now for some kind of sale may not be the best idea, considering that Charter spent a bundle – $10 million, to be exact – on new headquarters in Stamford. Internally, however, the company has been tightening its, belt, having eliminated its online support and social media teams. It’s also up in the air whether or not a merger would be approved by regulators, who may not see the point considering that the market is already uncompetitive.

February 5th, 2013 by ElizaP

An ad was placed on the Twitter site this week, looking for software engineers who were able to develop what the company called ‘user-facing security features’. Although Twitter wasn’t interested in sharing any details, enough was revealed in the job ad to get speculators talking via internet service providers Denver. In addition to asking for the type of security feature that was wanted, Twitter also gave examples, which were multifactor authentication and fraudulent login detection.

Although Twitter’s current use of OAuth prevents hackers from hijacking Twitter sessions as they are happening, it does not protect the user from the ‘man in the middle’ style of attack, where encrypted web traffic is intercepted by malicious access point. A two-factor authentication approach would protect both through prevented the hacking of passwords, and prevent account hacks if the password has already been compromised.

February 4th, 2013 by ElizaP

LTE is taking over ADSL connections, at least in some places in Europe. And it’s a great alternative, considering it can provide rural areas with the coverage they need. And likely, it’s the only high speed coverage they will probably get, given that high speed fiber probably will never make it to their location. But unless local regulators force it, the deployment of LTE is largely without motivation as far as operators are concerned. However, satellite internet may be the perfect solution.

Those living in the country may soon be able to access a new kind of satellite service which offers them up to 20 Mbps download speed. The new service claims to offer the fastest connection available from a satellite. Those wanting a slower speed, however, will only have one choice, which is the 2Mbps package.

February 1st, 2013 by ElizaP

A popular wireless carrier launched some new prepaid plans today, amid much industry buzz. Verizon Wireless, one of the internet service providers San Francisco will now offer unlimited text and unlimited talk, as well as capped 3G packages in two flavors:  500 MB or 2GB. The 500MB plan is priced at $60 monthly, where the 2GB package can be had for just ten dollars more. The service is available to customers with Samsung, HTC, and Blackberry devices, among others.

Pre-paid plans are gaining popularity among many users who don’t want to be restricted to a contract for a pre-determined period of time. This kind  of package also works well for those with limited budgets or those who don’t  find they use their devices enough to warrant continuous service. Prepaid plans also don’t carry any penalties for cancelling if that’s what the user needs to do.

January 31st, 2013 by ElizaP

When it comes to internet service, there’s no doubt that you have many choices. And when you’re looking at prices for DSL providers and other companies, you may be tempted to go with the one having the lowest price and fastest advertised speed. But no matter which provider you’re considering, you should know that what you see isn’t always what you get.

In reality, no advertised internet speed is accurate or constant. There are simply too many variables at play which can affect your connection. Any data that travels between your internet provider and your computer will encounter a number of obstacles which can affect your connection. Some of these obstacles you may not notice at all, while others can slow down your connection significantly, enough to cause you to call your provider to find out what’s going on.

January 30th, 2013 by ElizaP

Today marks the day that Blackberry launches its latest incarnation of its device, along with a brand new OS that promises to revolutionize the mobile world. But first is the fact that the company has now dropped its RIM moniker to call itself Blackberry, a move that would make the company into one brand. Two new phones will be launched today; namely, the Blackberry Z10 and the Blackberry Q10. The Z10 will be offered for AT&T and Verizon customers for $200 with a three year contract.

As far as release goes, the United States will have to wait until around the middle of March due to more stringent carrier testing. Canada will be able to buy the phones on February 5, while the United Kingdom will be able to get their hands on the new devices on January 31. According to reports, the Blackberry 10 devices are very suitable for one-handed use. The BB Hub offers access to social media, emails and other messaging without the need to enter into separate applications on the device to access missives.

January 25th, 2013 by ElizaP

A new mechanism was recently patented by one of the well-known internet service providers Minneapolis which will provide a new way to back up DVR data in the event of a power outage. Fierce Telecom reports that CenturyLink was the company who filed that patent. Its ‘power outage DVR backup system’ would ensure that customers would be able to retrieve any recordings on their DVR once power is restored following an outage.

But customers would not only be able to retrieve already-recorded content; the mechanism also allows video content to be recorded during a power outage. The key to no-power recording is the use of an optical network terminal as the mechanism for backup. Should the power go out during the time of a scheduled recording, the network terminal will serve as the storage device, and then transfer any recorded material to the DVR once power has been restored.

January 14th, 2013 by ElizaP

A new web project will allow for anyone using internet providers to enjoy an enhanced experience when listening to classical music online. The project, called Orchestrated Text, generates descriptive text when a user plays a particular piece. The text explains to the user how the arrangement of notes and melodies is used to bring about the feeling of the piece, an example being Vivaldi’s “Winter”.

In order to ensure that the descriptive text appeared during specific parts of the classical piece being played, it was discovered that HTML5 animation did the best job. As the page loads a piece of music, instructions for time and animation accompany the text to be loaded, with the browser rendering the text according to the instruction when the piece reaches each timing.