Archive for May, 2018

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ZTE Halts Operations Due To US Pressure

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 10, 2018 by itnerd

Weeks of the Trump administration in the US cranking up the pressure on Chinese phonemaker ZTE have resulted in ZTE shutting down. They employ 75000 people. The news popped up this morning via this PDF. Plus according to a report at The New York Times, manufacturing has been halted at ZTE’s plant in Shenzhen. This could be temporary as the company is still trying to play nice with the US. Or it could be the beginning of the end for them. It isn’t clear at this point. I’m going to guess that it’s the latter as US companies are banned from doing business with ZTE. And that likely includes access to the Android OS.

Now, Chinese phonemaker Huawei is in the same boat as ZTE. It will be interesting to see what happens to them.

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Guest Post: NordVPN Discusses The Fact That Android Users Were Constantly Tracked Via Their Apps

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 10, 2018 by itnerd

Android users have been subjecting themselves to continuous tracking, and Google has only now come forward with a fix for its app ecosystem.

For a long time, Google has allowed various apps to monitor network activity on a user’s device, and any app could detect not only other apps on an Android device but also when and where they connect to the Internet. Google Play was filled with hidden trackers, and each downloaded app put the user in a surveillance network.

It still remains to be seen how effective the new fix will be – and what other security holes Android users might encounter.  Up until 2019 – when a new logic regarding the way apps access API (Application Programming Interface) is introduced – most of them will still have unrestricted access to the network activity.

“User tracking without their consent undermines basic  privacy and security,” said Marty P. Kamden, CMO of NordVPN. “Apps can monitor network activity even without requesting any sensitive permissions. In addition, this privacy hole could easily be exploited for malicious purposes – for example, when user’s browsing history is collected, their online profile can be created. ”

“Although in this particular case it’s up to Google to protect users’ network activity from being tracked, people should use additional means to safeguard their online privacy. For example, by using a VPN, one ensures they can connect to Internet privately and securely,” Kamden added.

Here are 5 tips from NordVPN on how to keep their Android phone safe:

  1. Make sure not to download fake apps – do not click on phishing messages. Original apps from Google Play may have trackers that sell users’ data to advertisers. However, fake apps are even more dangerous. By implanting fake apps on people’s devices, hackers or even governments can piece together text messages, browsing history, call logs and location data. Targets can be tracked and their data can be stolen, because they downloaded a fake version of messaging apps like Signal or Whatsapp through phishing messages received on Facebook or Whatsapp.

 

  1. Get serious about passwords. Most Internet users reuse the same password across multiple accounts. Once a hacker is able to read one of a person’s passwords, they would be able to unlock all their devices and read their emails, enter their bank accounts, and so on. The best way to go is one of the password managers that generate and store different passwords for each account.

 

  1. Accept all software updates & security patches. Android devices – same way as Apple – have recently revealed processor vulnerabilities, designed to hack a smartphone. The only way to avoid these Intel, AMD and ARM chip flaws is to update the phone whenever newest patches are released.

 

  1. Install a VPN. You might have downloaded apps without malware and installed newest security patches, but all your communications and Internet browsing can still be intercepted if you don’t use a VPN. A VPN safely encrypts all information traveling between a device and a VPN server, and is a must on every device, especially if they are using open WiFi networks.

 

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Employees Are Productive Only 20% of the Time: Tipi

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 10, 2018 by itnerd

Harvard research shows that in most companies, people spend around 80% of their time in meetings, on the phone or responding to emails, leaving little time for productive work. Older research has even calculated that poor internal communication cost businesses $26,041 per employee per year in lost efficiency.

However, 2018 might be the year of transformation in how company employees communicate internally with the rise of communication platforms that help cut down the time wasted in unnecessary information exchanges.

The Tipi app is one of the newest platforms meant to address various issues resulting from stalling operational communication. It can replace a number of  tools that people randomly use to write down and share valuable content, such as file repositories, email, group email, intranet, internal wikis, and real time chat.

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Here’s how Tipi can help exchange, collect and organise information and manage some of the hurdles of business growth:

  1. Sharing team knowledge through structured notes. Once a company grows, information starts getting cluttered or lost. Ineffective operational information exchange leads to an increased number of emails, meetings and chat messages, slowing down the whole company. Tipi’s platform helps to structure and share information by organizing notes in folders by relevant work topic. It also turns daily communication into a searchable knowledge base.
  1. Transparency. Forming a habit to share information in a transparent way can have many self-regulating benefits. If staff knows that the information they share on a platform can be seen by anyone at any time, they will have stronger accountability about their commitments and deadlines.

 

  1. Rewards and feedback. Employees need to be recognized for their hard work and celebrate their achievements together. Ideas are rewarded on Tipi with other employees adding instant reactions to contributions as easily and intuitively as on social media platforms. According to a recent report, 44% of all employees will organically give each other recognition on a consistent basis when there’s an opportunity.

 

  1. 4. Onboarding and retention. Tipi can help with disseminating the information throughout the company including the information about the company culture. This could be particularly helpful with onboarding new employees, who would be greeted to a team with a Tipi note about the company. Over 80% organisations cite culture and engagement as one of their top challenges and that becomes more relevant as companies grow in size.

 

  1. Remote team engagement and communication. International expansion, integration of freelance staff or introduction of an option of remote work is a standard practice in business which is expected to grow. Tipi can save hours on sending emails back and forth, instead organizing the communication by topic, with team members accessing information and collaborating from anywhere in the world.

 

Companies that embrace communications platforms that fit their business purpose sooner, will most likely perform with better efficiency than those who don’t. In the age when automation takes over many parts of the workflow, the leaders are the ones who are the quickest to catch upon innovation and focus on increasing performance and motivation.

 

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One Year After WannaCry, More Businesses Are Turning To Darktrace Antigena

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 10, 2018 by itnerd

Darktrace has announced that Darktrace Antigena is autonomously fighting fast-moving threats, including ransomware, in over 200 organizations.

One year since WannaCry, the ransomware attack that wreaked havoc for organizations across the world, ransomware remains a top concern for security teams. Empowering the defenders, Darktrace Antigena autonomously responds to the attacks that move too quickly for humans to stop. Like digital antibodies, the technology takes very targeted action – for example, it can slow down or stop a compromised connection or device, without affecting normal business operations.

A year since its launch, Darktrace Antigena:

  • Defends over 200 organizations
  • Responds within 2 seconds to the earliest signs of threat
  • Blocks 7 threats every minute
  • Saves an average of 10 hours a week per security analyst

Darktrace is the world’s leading AI company for cyber defense. Created by mathematicians, the Enterprise Immune System uses machine learning and AI algorithms to detect and respond to cyber-threats across diverse digital environments, including cloud and virtualized networks, IoT and industrial control systems. The technology is self-learning and requires no set-up, identifying threats in real time, including zero-days, insiders and stealthy, silent attackers.

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Retarus Featured in New Healthcare Secure Document Delivery Report

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 10, 2018 by itnerd

​Retarus, global cloud messaging provider, today announced a new whitepaper on Healthcare and Secure Document Delivery with an emphasis on the future of fax. Mark Malone, cloud-based fax industry expert and the author of the healthcare whitepaper, outlines how the evolvement of strict data privacy regulations and mandatory compliances have elevated the role of cloud applications, making it imminent for many industries, especially healthcare.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations have mandated hospitals and other healthcare providers to reevaluate their existing models of data transmission. Ease of access to information online or mismanagement of private documentation transmitted over a fax machine makes it a challenge for the healthcare providers to safeguard highly sensitive patient data. In his whitepaper, Mark Malone outlines the importance of vetting cloud providers to ensure a rock solid HIPAA compliant solution, not only for data security but for avoiding hefty fines and penalties.

Providing a brief overview of what the HIPAA security rule stands for, the whitepaper demonstrates Retarus’ ability to adhere to the fundamental directives of the Security Rule. Once connected to Retarus’ Global Delivery Network, companies benefit from the maximum reliability and scalability, and the highest level of security. In his words, Mark Malone finds “Retarus cloud network to safely transmit and receive critical PHI faxes; which means Retarus can meet or exceed the guidelines.”

Download this whitepaper to discover how healthcare providers can fulfill their compliance objectives and safeguard sensitive patient healthcare information with Retarus.

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GL Communications Announces Speech Transcription Server

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 10, 2018 by itnerd

GL Communications Inc. has announced its new speech-to-text conversion utility referred to as Speech Transcription Server.

GL’s Speech Transcription Server (STS) is a Speech-to-Text conversion application that enables the translation of spoken language into text along with analysis of the transcribed speech. This application can be used for confirming voice prompts, testing Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Voice Mail (VM) systems, as well as voice transmission over any network.  STS supports REST APIs which allows the utility to be used with other GL’s intrusive test tools such as MAPS™ and VQuad™ . One can send and receive transcription requests, as well as retrieve transcription results from database.

MAPS™ provides a unique architecture for multi-interface, multi-protocol simulation, which make it suitable for testing any core network, access network and inter-operability functions. VQuad™ Probe HD is an all-in-one self-contained hardware supporting multiple physical interfaces for connecting to practically any wired or wireless network while automatically performing end-to-end voice and data testing over any network”, he said.

STS can also be used with GL’s Voice Quality Testing solution to measure network voice quality, effect of different codecs on speech transcription quality, effect of noise, echo, and bit error rate. STS supports various industry standard voice codecs – refer to Voice Codec webpage for more details.”

Important Features:

 

  • Ability to convert PCM or WAV files into text format
  • Supports multi-languages such as U.S./U.K. English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and many more
  • Cloud-based processing provides accurate translations (Requires Internet connectivity)
  • Monitor single or multiple folders containing audio files for automatic transcription
  • Each monitored folder can be configured for language and audio format
  • Full automation using VQuad scripting
  • Accurate analysis of transcribed text with quality (Pass/Fail) scores
  • Transcribe up to 30 seconds of speech files into text
  • Concurrent transcription of up to 30 voice files
  • Easy to access transcribed text via API or database
  • REST APIs support for transcription request and transcript retrieval
  • Base software includes 100,000 files transcriptions per year, validity can be extended with annual support contract
  • Support for Windows® 7 and above

 

Benefits

 

  • Out-of-the box integration support with existing GL test platforms such as VQuad™ and MAPS™
  • REST API support for fast and easy integration with third party testing platforms
  • REST API server allows one Speech Transcription Server instance to serve multiple clients
  • Available Speech-to-Text analysis support for full test automation
  • Supplement GL’s Voice Quality Testing solution for passive method to verify good audio quality
  • Fast speech to text transcription – transcribes 30 seconds of voice file in less than 4 seconds
    (Transcription speed depends on Internet connection quality)

 

 

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Bell Further Twists The Screws On Rogers By Rolling Out All Fibre Network In Orillia

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 9, 2018 by itnerd

If you’re Rogers, Bell must be making life miserable for you. First they rolled out an all fibre network in Toronto, then they rolled it out to a number of places east of Toronto. Now cottage country is going to get some all fibre love as Bell is rolling out their all fibre offering to Orillia which is north of Toronto:

Fully funded by Bell, the network deployment will include more than 260 kilometres of new fibre installation and employ local workers in design and construction. Broad availability of Bell’s all-fibre connections in Orillia is expected by the first quarter of 2019. 

“Bell’s investment will put Orillia among the top 10 per cent of communities across Canada for high-speed connectivity,” said Dan Landry, Manager of Business Retention and Expansion with the Orillia Economic Development Office. “The City of Orillia will now be able to provide businesses and residents with full confidence they will have true fibre connectivity as a resource.”

With every city that Bell adds to their list of places where you can sign up for their all fibre offering, they make life more and more difficult for Rogers as from a technology standpoint, they have the upper hand on Rogers. I fully expect these announcements by Bell to become more and more frequent so that they continue to make life more and more difficult for Rogers and leave them with no path to recover.

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Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday Dump May Leave PCs Unable To Boot

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 9, 2018 by itnerd

Well, Patch Tuesday was yesterday, and for some users today is Problem Wednesday as the first dump of patches for Windows 10’s April 2018 update is causing issues for some. Specifically, a number of users have reported that installing the update is causing their computers to be unable to boot according to a large number of users on Microsoft’s Answers forum.

Microsoft hasn’t responded to this latest issue with the April 2018 update, seeing as it has had other issues. But one workaround in the absence of an official Microsoft solution is to try the following:

  • Hit F11 as soon as the computer powers on. This can get you to the Advanced Startup Options menu, but it also depends on the manufacturer. And if nothing works, the PC should automatically boot to Advanced Startup after several failed boot attempts.
  • In Advanced options, click “Go back to the previous build”.
  • If that doesn’t work, your only option is to do a System Restore

 

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Nonda App Update Brings Crypto Currency Mining Features…. Is This A Problem?

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 9, 2018 by itnerd

A reader tipped me off to an app update to the Nonda app that rolled out in the last 24 hours. As part of the release notes, it says that there are “additional features for you to discover.”

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That got his attention and he started to look around the app. That’s when he came across this:

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It appears that there are crypto currency mining features that are now present in the app as of this update, or one before it. Now if you’re not familiar with the concept of crypto currency mining, there’s a Forbes article that I’ve linked to that will fully explain it. But in short, mining crypto currency requires the use of CPUs. Sometimes other people’s CPUs. And sometimes it may be done with or without your permission. For example, the recent case of cryptojacking where going to a specially crafted webpage enlists your computer to mine crypto curruency without your permission. That of course is bad.

The reader then clicked on the “?” to get more info, and he got this:

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Clearly Nonda hasn’t got any documentation on this which is a #Fail. But here’s what’s worse. This feature appears to have been partially turned on by default based on the fact that it selected a mining device all by itself. But it needs you to press the “Start Mining” button to make anything happen. He figured that out because he clicked on “Close All Mining Data” at the bottom of the screen and he got this:

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So, what what does all this mean?

I do not think that Nonda is up to anything nefarious as you have to click “Start Mining” for it to actually mine anything. But in the absence of any documentation that says what this feature does, there’s enough here that may get the attention of users in a negative way. And their cute entry in their release note of “additional features for you to discover” doesn’t help with that at all. Nonda would do itself a huge favor by coming completely clean about what this feature is and how it works. Because if they don’t they really risk eroding the trust that users of Nonda products have with the company.

So how about it Nonda?

UPDATE: Further confirmation that the Nonda app selects a mining device by default can be found in this screenshot:

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By default, it selects the mileage trip and battery voltage options to give it the mining power of 60 that you see at the top of the screen. When you click on “Close Mining Data”, it de-selects those options.

UPDATE #2: There is now a FAQ that speaks to this. It says in part:

You might notice that there is a CarBlock Token page after the latest app update 6.2.7 and wonder what it is. This page may help you to understand this feature better. 

CarBlock Token is the rewards that we provide to every customer. You need to have a ZUS car charger to activate the feature and it would give you income when you drive your car using the charger.  There would be a variety kinds of factors that affect your daily CarBlock Token income.  

So basically, the company is giving you a way to mine crypto currency. I suppose that’s cool. But their rollout of this feature sucks because at least one person was bothered enough by it to reach out to me. And I in turn posted this story. Nonda really needs to handle this sort of thing better going forward.

UPDATE #3: A reader pointed out that there is no privacy policy in regards to this. Nor is there any info on how your data might used or shared. #Fail

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New Xerox Production Press Creates Striking CMYK, Rich Metallics & Iridescent Special Effects

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 9, 2018 by itnerd

The company that invented the copier, laser printing and print-on-demand is announcing another first in the world of print – a high speed, six station color press that combines four-color printing with up to two specialty dry inks in one printing pass. The Xerox Iridesse Production Press is the only digital press that can print metallic gold or silver dry ink, CMYK and clear dry ink in a single pass, giving print providers an immediate competitive edge in the growing digital print enhancement market.

Iridesse eliminates multiple presses and processes usually required for print embellishments, increasing capacity and profits for customers. According to Keypoint Intelligence-InfoTrends, digital print enhancement can result in a rapid return on investment as print service providers’ profit margins on such embellishments can be as high as 50 to 400 percent.

With two inline specialty dry ink stations, customers can create lucrative applications with spot colors, metallic and mixed metallic gradients, and specialty enhancements. Gold and silver dry metallic inks can be used on their own or layered under or over CMYK to create unique iridescent palettes. A layer of clear dry ink can be added for an extra touch of dimension or texture.

No designer, no problem

Xerox FreeFlow Core’s pre-built workflows enable print providers to automatically and selectively transform text and graphics for printing gold and silver without editing the source documents. This simplifies enhancing existing applications with high-value embellishments.

Printing at speeds up to 120 pages per minute, the press can run stocks from 52 -400 gsm. Additional press features include:

  • The High Definition Emulsion Aggregate (HD EA) Toner process results in the optimal particle size to deliver lower gloss, smooth tints and fine detail more consistently.
  • The Xerox EX-P 6 Print Server by Fiery enables customers to create customized workflows for metallic applications with advanced RIP capabilities and color management tools.
  • Two Dual Advanced High Capacity Feeders, Bypass and Inserter options let customers run up to eight different stocks in a single job, or do production runs with a total of 12,500 sheets.
  • A variety of finishing options are available including the new Xerox Crease and Two-sided Trimmer, which creates a durable crease fold and gives booklets a premium quality edge when used with the Xerox Production Ready Booklet Maker Finisher and Xerox SquareFold Trimmer Modules.

Availability

The Iridesse Production Press will be available for order taking starting in June 2018. Please check with your local sales representative for regional availability.

 

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