I Just Want to Be an Obscure and Eccentric Writer...: May 2013

State of Internet Surveillance

As a modern society, we love convenience. We’re so integrated at this point, with data sharing, the Cloud, Google, Facebook, work networks, GPS and the like. But this integration and convenience come with a price. With all that we’re doing on the Internet, we’re leaving tracks.

Our service providers track what we’re doing, our social media tracks what we’re doing, our web browser tracks what we’re doing, our employer tracks what we’re doing, and the government tracks what we’re doing. Despite the fact that we are nearly 30 years passed the actual 1984, we’re perhaps light years passed what George Orwell really imagined in his novel “1984,” where he depicted a totalitarian utopian society that ruled everything and was run by “Big Brother.”

Nearly everything we do requires the use of computers, the Internet, or our smart devices. That usage produces data, the Gold that companies want. At a consumer oriented level, we can be sent email or served ads on items we’re likely to buy based on our past histories. At a more secretive level, the government can track what we do, what we watch, who we talk to and what we talk about.
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Is Your Computer Sick?

I don’t get sick too often, but when I do, my wife claims I act like it’s the end of the world. Our computers can get sick too, with viruses that replicate. Thus the clever name: virus! A computer virus is a program that executes and replicates itself on your computer. Some viruses aren’t that bad, others are very destructive, destroying files and data, or even stealing your data. Pesky viruses!

There are three main types of viruses. Boot sector viruses infect sections of your computer drive that are reading when your computer boots, or starts. File infectors attach themselves to executable (.exe) files and infect the files and your computer when the .exe file is opened. Macro viruses contain macros, or sets of instructions to do things like replace or delete files.

I know you’re thinking “what about worms and Trojan Horses?” Worms don’t attach to hosts, but are spread over computer networks. They are often spread as attachments to emails. Trojan Horses, on the other hoof, are programs with a hidden function you don’t know about, like executing a virus or viruses.
So how do we protect our computers? With anti-virus software, of course, and smart and careful computing! Hackers and virus writers are always creating new viruses, so ant-virus companies have to keep up on the threats, and keep their tools updated. At the most basic level, anti-virus programs detect issues and try to repair, delete, or quarantine them.

Our Personal Tech is Getting Smaller

Our personal tech is getting smaller…and changing the way we live. Sensors, computing power and connectivity have become smaller and more affordable, helping to usher in this new era of wearable tech, much beyond our grandparent’s wearable tech—wrist watches. Clocks were the first tech to really get smaller, mobile, and wearable. Of course we have smart watches now too!

Pebble Smart Watches

We’re on the cusp of the wearable tech revolution for good or bad. A big player hitting a home run out of the park like Google or Microsoft will open the door for so many smaller companies on the horizon with their wearable tech gadgets.

Saturday Night Live just did a skit on Google Glass, emphasizing the inherent awkwardness in wearing a pair of glasses that brings smart phone capabilities into your field of vision. But, don’t we all get annoyed when we’re talking to someone who constantly is looking at their Smartphone? I know my wife does.

ASUS Wants You to Switch to Windows 8

We’ve talked about Windows 7 versus Windows 8. Microsoft certainly wants you to switch over, but long time Geeks.com brand ASUS wants you to switch over too. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, ASUS CEO Jerry Shen said he and his company were "very optimistic about sales for Windows 8 tablets this year.” Shen went on to say that he expects to see prices on Windows 8 tablets to drop below $300 this year. This would make Windows 8 tablets competitive with the Kindle Fire, the powerhouse tablet with the pretty price tag.

Current Windows 8 tablets measure 10 inches or more in size. Microsoft is working to launch 7 inch tablets this year that run on Windows 8. This allows tablet makers like ASUS to be more competitive in pricing, and get those Windows 8 tablets down in a more affordable price range.

ASUS offers notebooks, tablets, desktops and much more

ASUS pushing Windows 8 tablets could help boost the popularity of the Windows 8 tablet, especially in that smaller factor and smaller price. Pricing is a considerable factor in the tablet wars, and up to now, Windows 8 tablets have failed to overtake more popular Google Android and Apple iOS tablets in the market. “The Wall Street Journal” cites stats from market-research firm IDC saying that Windows 8 tablets hold less than 4% of the tablet market in the first quarter of 2013, mostly due to pricing.

Does the Government Want in on Your Web Browsing?

There’s been a lot of talk over the past few months about the government and your internet usage. CISPA, internet taxing, government monitoring, cyber security, privacy, piracy? What is it all? What’s been done? What could and should be done?

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) was a proposed law in the United States which would have allowed for the sharing of Internet traffic information between the government and technology and manufacturing companies. The idea was to help the U.S government investigate cyber threats and ensure the security of networks against cyber attacks.

The bill passed the House of Representatives, though currently seems stalled in the Senate largely due to public outcry from civil liberty and privacy groups, and the threat of a veto from President Obama. Nonetheless, large technology, finance and telecommunications companies have thrown a lot of lobbying weight and money behind the bill.

Image courtesy of Morguefile.com

Experts say that the idea of CISPA is a good one. Protect us from cyber threats. But it’s the broad nature of CISPA that the same experts have issues with. The concern is that giving the government and big companies too much leeway will result in privacy issues.

Gifts for Dads and Grads Class of 2013

Well, it’s that time of year again--summer is upon us. Father’s Day and graduations of all types are on the horizon, and it’s a big gift buying time. So what do Dads and grads need this summer? Look no further than Geeks.com!

Tablets are always a hot item, and a great gift. Bigger than a phone, more convenient than a laptop or desktop computer. One of our current top sellers is the Apple iPad 64 GB WiFi + 3G Touchscreen Tablet. Yes, it’s first generation, but you’ll save some cash and get an iPad at a decent price.

Apple iPad 64 GB WiFi + 3G Touchscreen Tablet

Looking for an Android tablet? Check out our featured and affordable MID AW755 1.2GHz 4GB 7-inch Capacitive Touchscreen Tablet, with Google Android OS 4.0 preloaded. This tablet features an AllWinner A13 Cortex-A8 1.2 GHz processor and 1 GB RAM along with 4 GB of built-in storage.

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Tech Design of the Future

We’ve talked a lot lately about the tech of the future and integration—wearable and micro technology, 3D printing, smart TVs and integrated homes. The future continues to arrive, but what’s still to come? What’s the tech and what are the designs that will change the future?

Under Armour is designing a touchscreen t-shirt which measures your athletic performance

CNN recently ran a piece on designs that will define the future, attempting to predict the shape of things to come. The predictions run the gamut from manufacturing and wearable tech, to digital displays, to minimalist designs that stress function over form, to digital tattoos, and headphones that read minds. Key advances will be in wearable tech and 3D printing, with innovative designs blending technology, science and manufacturing.

Friday, May 24, 2013