Archive for September 22, 2017

Here’s Some Driving Related Features In iOS 11

Posted in Tips with tags on September 22, 2017 by itnerd

There are three new features in iOS 11 that are focused around drivers. One that everyone around the world can use to be safer while driving. The other two will be of interest to US, UK, and Chinese readers of this blog, but hopefully will impact drivers in other parts of the world eventually.

The first feature is called Do Not Disturb While Driving. It’s designed to block incoming calls, texts, and notifications while you’re driving. The idea is that if you don’t see notifications and the like, you’re not going to be one of those distracted drivers. Here’s how to enable it:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Do Not Disturb.
  3. Scroll down to “Do Not Disturb While Driving.”
  4. Tap on “Activate” to choose how you want Do Not Disturb While Driving to be turned on.

Now here’s where you have to make a decision. There’s three settings that you can choose from:

  • Manual basically gives you the option of turning it off and on when you feel the need to do so.
  • When connected to car Bluetooth will only activate it when it connects via Bluetooth to your car.
  • Automatically activates this feature whenever motion is detected. This can be inconvenient if you’re a passenger, so you’ll need to turn it off and the quickest way to do that is by tapping the persistent Do Not Disturb While Driving popup at the top of the display to let the iPhone know you’re a passenger. Plus this activated for me when I was out on a bike ride. The thing is, I tend to want to hear alerts while out for a ride just in case I need to respond to something.

Personally, I would set it to only activate when the iPhone is connected via Bluetooth.

One final point before I move on. If you use Apple CarPlay in your vehicle, none of this applies to you because CarPlay suppresses app notifications and handles texts and phone calls in a way that is less distracting. Now if you want to learn more about this feature, Apple has a very good support document which includes a couple of other handy tips that might interest you. Including how to use this with the teen driver in your home.

Now there are two other driving related features that appeared in iOS 11, but for now are only usable by people in the US, UK and China. The first being Lane Guidance. With this feature Apple Maps will always let you know what lane you should be in at a turn, exit, or a junction point. That way you don’t go the wrong way by being in the wrong way. However the only people who can leverage this feature at present are people in the US and China. But I hope that it comes to other places soon as this is a feature that Apple Maps desperately needs.

The second is Speed Limits. This feature puts a speed limit sign on the top left corner of your Apple Maps display to let you know how fast you should be going. This is handy in the US where you can get a ticket in some places in the US for being just a couple of mile per hour over the speed limit. But this feature is limited to the US and UK for now. As this is another feature that Apple Maps desperately needs, I hope Apple quickly brings this to other countries soon.

 

 

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Review: 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport Ultimate – Part 5

Posted in Products with tags on September 22, 2017 by itnerd

So I’ve come to the end of my week long review of the 2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Sport Ultimate. It’s main competitor is the Volkswagen GTI, but you could toss the Ford Focus ST and perhaps the Honda Sport Touring Hatchback into the mix as well. But I believe that the Elantra GT Sport Ultimate best defines what a hot hatch is. It has a lot of go and it’s easy to live with as a daily driver. Add to that the slick transmission, the technology that’s included, and the styling that is very Euro hatchback makes the Elantra GT Sport Ultimate a winner in my books.

My final fuel economy was 7.8 L/100KM’s which is pretty impressive considering that I made liberal use of the 1.6L turbo and sport mode while driving in a mix of city roads and highways, not to mention rush hour traffic.

You can expect to pay $30,499 for the trim level that I drove this week. But you can get a Elantra GT Sport starting at $26,999 with a manual transmission. Quite simply, it lives up to its hot hatch label. If you’re in the market for this sort of vehicle, head to your nearest Hyundai dealer and test drive one. I guarantee you that you will not be disappointed.

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Alison Launches Diploma In Information Technology Management

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 22, 2017 by itnerd

Alison is one of the world’s largest free online learning platforms for workplace skills. Widely recognised as the world’s first MOOC, Alison is a for-profit social enterprise with a goal to drive the cost of all education and skills training to zero.

The Alison course Diploma in Information Technology Management is a free online course that explains why managers must understand how Information Technology plays a fundamental role in both the structure and control of the modern business. A successful manager must have an excellent grasp of the functionality, capabilities and effects of the technology that he or she must implement and manage.

The course is ideal for those who would like to learn about the central role of Information Technology in today’s workplace and for management professionals who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of the management of Information Technology in the modern corporation.

This free online course presents an array of the core concepts of Information Technology management: corporate frameworks, software, databases, information systems, communications and management of personnel in relation to technology from the point of view of the business manager.

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Guest Post: NordVPN Discusses 8 VPN Myths

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 22, 2017 by itnerd

VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are going mainstream – for example, NordVPN has seen a 300% user increase this year, mostly due to new Internet regulations and restrictions in various countries around the world. New regulations include current government surveillance techniques or additional geo-restricted content. In addition, due to an increase in hacking incidents, VPNs are becoming very popular tools to protect Internet users’ security.

By using a VPN, one’s Internet traffic gets encrypted into a secure tunnel between two points: the computer and a VPN server. Therefore, no one can access the data that passes through the tunnel – it becomes invisible to ISPs, government snoopers, identity thieves and hackers.

However, there are still many myths surrounding VPNs and how they can be useful to an average Internet user. NordVPN lists some of the major misconceptions and clarifies a few major issues that users have with VPNs.

  1. No matter what they claim, all VPNs log user traffic. Some VPN providers actually don’t have a choice – they must log their users’ Internet activity as required by law, depending on the country where they operate. VPN service providers based in one of 14 Eyes or 5 Eyes countries usually must log user traffic. When user information is logged, it could be easily shared with the government or any third parties. However, if a VPN operates from a country where traffic logs are not required by the government, it will delete user activity after each session – and then there are no obstacles preventing the organization from running a log-less service.
  2. Free VPNs offer the same level of protection. A VPN provider which offers a free service must earn money somehow. Server maintenance is expensive, not to mention the salaries for the staff and other expenses. Usually, a VPN provider that is offering a free service will be using other ways to earn money – and it’s usually through selling user data. A safe VPN will have a price. Paid VPNs will also usually offer faster speeds and other advantages.
  3. VPNs slow down Internet traffic. Since VPN works as an encryption tunnel, it can sometimes slow down the Internet. However, the slowdown shouldn’t be significant in most cases. If it is, than means the VPN might be having some temporary technical problems, or it’s time to switch to another provider. If a VPN provider is a paid service, they will usually offer a larger selection of servers to connect to – so when one is heavily loaded and slow, it’s easy to connect to another one.  Connecting to a server that’s closer geographically might solve the slowdown issue.
  4. VPN is a tool that works equally for anyone. In fact, VPN connection quality depends on great variety of factors. Different network environments, ISPs and the way they handle traffic, VPN server load and distance between the user and a datacenter, device, plays important role in service’s behavior. Not to mention additional software installed, configuration method and so on.
  5. All VPNs offer the same level of encryption. In truth, VPN encryption protocols can differ, some of these protocols being more secure than others. Users should avoid the PPTP protocol, which was one of the first security protocols introduced – however, it is now considered to be weak and insecure. The safest VPN protocols are OpenVPN and also IKEv2/IPsec, which employs very strong cryptographic algorithms and keys.
  6. Proxy is the same as VPN. Some users make the mistake of confusing proxies with VPNs – at the expense of their online security. Proxies do not protect from government surveillance, data tracking or hackers. Those who are not concerned about keeping their Internet traffic safe, and only want to stream a movie, can use proxies. Otherwise, in order to protect security and privacy, a VPN is recommended over a proxy.
  7. It will work on all platforms. Not all VPNs work on every platform – some might operate only on Apple devices, for example. A well-established VPN functions across different platforms, including iOS, macOS, Android and Windows.
  8. VPN is only for technically savvy people. There are still some VPNs with clumsy websites and hard-to-find buttons. That’s because when VPNs entered the market, they were initially used mostly by technology geeks. Currently, many VPNs have updated their user interfaces and are easy to use by anyone who goes online. For example, NordVPN only requires turning the ON button. It offers apps for macOS, iOS, Windows and Android, and can quickly connect a user to the desired destination by simply clicking on the country name. NordVPN apps contain many user-friendly features, including kill switch, detailed server list, access to SmartPlay technology and more.

 

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