By Rachel Noe
In light of the recent bombings in Boston, it has become evident that one thing is incredibly important to us during an emergency situation: communication. While we pray that events like these never happen, it is imperative to familiarize ourselves with the best forms of communication during disasters like these. So that whether we are in the middle of the chaos or we are watching it transpire from the TV at work, we will be prepared.
Dan Thompson recently discussed this topic with local news networks in Knoxville and in Chattanooga, and what he said may surprise you. Some of the controversy in Boston bombings surrounded whether the police shut off the cellular signals after the initial blasts to prevent another explosion. This kept many people from communicating with loved ones during a critical time in the event. However, Dan shared that regardless of what was done in Boston, it’s likely the cell providers did not have enough towers to handle the volume of calls going out.
Phishing, as you may know, is a scam where identity thieves send emails with fake free gift cards, sweepstakes, and offers to gain access to you credit card and bank information. So Smishing, which is short for SMS Phishing, now uses text messaging to reach their prey instead of emails. They are also using big companies like Walmart, Target, and even Best Buy to lure people to release their personal information.
The identity thieves will send text messages to people saying, “You’ve won a free $1,000 Walmart gift card, click here to claim your prize!” But, as they say, “caveat clickor.” Clicker Beware.
Open Garden is an application available for Windows, Mac, Android, and soon iOS that enable mobile connection sharing among multiple devices. This gives users a faster and more efficient way of connecting to the Internet without the hassle of manually finding the best connection available. Open Garden started off as an app used to share mobile data, but now the company is changing their focus to crowdsourcing connectivity. The new version presents four new features:
Dan Thompson with Claris Networks visited WBIR and Fox 43 this week to chat about the Apple announcement. Watch the video below or read the recap on the new smartphone here.
What’s new about the iPhone 5?
Everything is smaller (18% thinner and 20% lighter), everything is faster (processor upgrades and 4G integration), and Apple has spent all their efforts to refine the iPhone as extensively as possible. The screen is larger and there is a new, smaller adapter called “Lightning” (because Apple has to name everything). The smaller Lightning adapter will make all your old devices that connect to the iPhone obsolete without an adapter. However, the adapter seems a little clunky, honestly. The new iOS6 was also a big announcement. There is a new Map app, a new panoramic photo feature, an update to Siri, and even an update to the iPod line. There has also been an update to Apple’s standard headphones, now called EarPods, which are intended to provide a much higher sound quality than its predecessor.
Yes you read that correctly. Buttons are going to be the next great innovation to take over the touch screen scene. Tactus Technology, based in Fremont, CA, specializes in one thing and one thing only, bringing buttons to the touchscreen.
When Tactus says they are making buttons for the touchscreen, they don’t mean that they are improving the touchscreen to make more precise selections or anything like that. They truly intend to create physical, tangible buttons that rise up off of the screen. Tactus’ patented Tactile Layer uses microfluidic technology to raise buttons on a touchscreen.