Welcome to the Podcast/Show Notes from today’s show. Make sure you listen here if you did not get a chance to hear it live. Then read on for information about what we talked about…well most of what we talked about.
OwnFone, which launched a customizable mobile phone for kids and the elderly back in 2012, is now offering its stripped-down handset with braille or raised text contact buttons.
The 3D-printed hardware lets you select up to four contacts that can be assigned to the device, making it ideal for emergencies and people who need to stay in touch with family or carers on a regular basis. It’s available right now for a base price of £60 (about $100).
A hacker took over 30,000 computers in one hour
At the DefCon security conference this week, engineer Paul McMillan talked about a problem that’s been around for a while: remote access software without password protection. Having remote access to your computer with programs like LogMeIn can be really convenient, but it’s also really dangerous if you don’t have a password.
Which he proved in about an hour with 30,000+ computers.
If you are not doing so, PASSWORD PROTECT your login to Windows, MACs and Linux machines along with all phones!!!
Carriers have to let you text 911 by the end of the year
On any cell phone law required you to be able to call 911, even if you had no service contract or money left on a prepaid account. The service providers also allow you to call 611, usually the largest local carrier without a service agreement too.
You’ve had the option of texting 911 in a handful of US cities for a couple of months, thanks in part to voluntary efforts from bigger cellphone carriers. However, the FCC doesn’t want you to be left out solely because you’re on a smaller network. The agency has just adopted rules requiring that all American wireless providers have the capability for text-to-911 by the end of the year. You won’t necessarily get emergency messaging by that point, but carriers will have six months to implement it in a given region if a local call center makes a request.
You can now unlock your Motorola phone with a ‘digital tattoo’
Hate unlocking your Android smartphone so much that even Face Unlock or Skip feels like too much of a hassle? Motorola just came to your rescue. The company has partnered with VivaLnk to launch the previously teased Digital Tattoo, an NFC-based skin tag that unlocks your phone (currently limited to the Moto X) with a quick tap.
The tattoo can stay on your body for up to five days, and it should survive abuses like showers and sweat-laden runs. It’s a clever approach that might be appealing if you’re fed up with PIN codes and patterns, although the back-of-a-napkin math suggests that you’re paying a lot just to save a couple of seconds when checking your email. VivaLnk is asking $10 for packs of 10 tattoos, or enough to last 50 days — you’ll have to spend $80 to get through a whole year. It could be useful for those busy days when you’re constantly waking up your handset, but you might be better off rolling that money into a Moto 360 or your next big phone upgrade.
(This app can be found on Google Play from your Android phone,
tablet or viewed on your PC from the link below.)
Pocket Lock actually works exactly as advertised, with no fuss, and that’s what makes it such a cool app to have." Pocket Lock intelligently locks and unlocks your phone for you. Choose from three different locking modes: proximity sensor only, gravity sensor only, and a fusion of both sensors.
Just drop your phone in your pocket and it goes into standbye mode. Take it out and it comes on waiting for you code, pattern, etc. Pocket Lock is great for phones with broken power buttons or flip cases.
CCleaner by Piriform.com A great application for your windows computers. It cleans your browser caches, organizes your Registry file and even removes old applications better than the Windows apps that come with your computer.
Beer can Wi-fi Single Extender
See you next month!
Ron
