Video calling apps listen when the microphone is off, according to a study
25/04/2022A group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States) has determined that video conferencing applications can continue accessing audio data even if the user has disabled the microphone. To demonstrate this, they have studied the most popular video conferencing applications and have analyzed the behavior of the mute button until they has determined that all the applications that they has tested whether the microphone was open or closed, occasionally collected raw data and delivered it to the servers of their services. In their research they have worked with binary analysis tools to see how the audio was transferred from the application to the audio drivers of the computers and then to the network. They aslo have created, through machine learning models ( 'machine learning'), a classifier of daily activities that, with 82% accuracy, has determined which activities users were doing while their microphones were, theoretically, silenced. In relation to this, the authors of this work recall that beyond muting the microphone, you can turn off the microphone of a device through the settings menu, a safer option to limit access to confidential information and sensitive data. All the conclusions of this study will be known next July in the Privacy Improvement Technologies Symposium.
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Europe forces Apple to open iPadOS to third-party applications and allow the uninstallation of pre-installed apps
03/05/2024Apple will have to allow the installation of applications on its iPad tablets from sources other than the App Store, in addition to enabling the uninstallation of its own applications that come pre-installed.This obligation comes after the European Commission, within the framework of the Digital Markets Law, has identified the operating system of iPad tablets, iPadOS, as a "gatekeeper" or "gatekeepers". This means that they consider it an important entry channel for professional users to reach final consumers, thus justifying the requirement for its universality.As a result, Apple has a period of six months to comply with the rules imposed by European regulations and which aims to promote fair competition in the digital market.These new measures imposed by the European Commission on Apple follow the precedent of previous decisions that affected the iOS operating system for iPhone, the Safari browser and the App Store itself and mean allowing users to delete applications that come pre-installed on their iPad devices. and offer support for downloading and installing applications from sources external to the App Store.This change in operations for Apple, reported by Bloomberg in recent information, will imply a major adjustment for the company, which has traditionally maintained a closed ecosystem on its devices, allowing only approved applications and services through its official store. However, with this new regulation, iPad users are expected to have greater freedom and flexibility to customize their devices according to their needs and preferences.
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How can I hide my IP?
Accessing the Internet involves connecting our computer, smartphone, tablet, etc. to a communications server that is responsible for providing access to the network. This connection involves the identification and exchange of data about our identity, IP address, and online activities that are recorded forever as a trace of our navigation. Can I be tracked through my IP address? Yes, it is possible to trace an IP address and for those who consider privacy a priority, this is a major problem because, in addition to being exposed throughout the network, the increasingly intensive use of the Internet has led to this type of data becoming an object of interest for cybercriminals seeking personal or confidential information that can be used for their benefit. To safeguard against all this, there are several methods to hide the IP address, ensure our online privacy, improve our security on the Internet, and prevent anyone from knowing what pages we visit, the time we have spent on every connection, or what we are downloading. What are the advantages of hiding my IP? Apart from everything related to privacy and security already mentioned, hiding the IP offers different advantages for users in multiple circumstances: There are IP hiding services that prevent IP geolocation when we travel and allow us to connect to the network as if we were doing it from our own country, overcoming, for example, any network access limitations that may exist in the place where we are. We will be able to download files anonymously avoiding that the rest of the users can see our IP location. If our IP is not "in sight", the possible limitations and blockages of the Wi-Fi network and even of our ISP (Internet Service Provider) disappear. Thanks to the data encryption system of the most advanced IP hiding services, our vulnerability in connections to public Wi-Fi networks is minimized. When the system detects a location different from the real one, this can give us advantages to buy in online stores with different offers according to the country or to avoid the blocking of games, maps, and online game add-ons that may have restrictions on our location. How can I hide my IP? IP hiding is achieved through the use of specific services and tools to hide the IP and encrypt our traffic, those services allow us to hide the real communications we make during our navigation. Besides those techniques that are based on the modification of network protocols and require certain skills to carry them out, there are several technologies within the reach of all users: VPN or Virtual Private Network Proxy or Web proxy Tor Public Wifi How to hide the IP address with a VPN? VPNs are services that connect us to the Internet through intermediate servers, in which our original IP address is " masked " by the IP address of that secure server. This concealment ensures that anyone tracing our connection will only see the IP address and location of the VPN server, but not our own. In addition, to safeguard our activity on the network, VPNs use tunneling and data encryption, encrypting the information we exchange with the VPN server, hiding it, and preventing third parties from being able to read it during its transit. The security of VPN connections is determined by proprietary VPN protocols, based on different standards and encryption and authentication methods, which depend on each developer. The range of options is wide and this allows us to choose between, for example, options that prioritize speed over security, options that do the opposite, options with a greater or lesser degree of reliability, etc. VPN applications always run in the background and do not hinder browsing. How to use a proxy server to hide the IP address? Unlike VPN services, proxy servers focus their activity solely on hiding the IP, without performing any type of concealment on our network traffic or any other data that could reveal our identity. Proxy servers act as intermediaries between our device and the destination server to which they transmit our requests on our behalf. Therefore, our IP will be hidden and the only one they will see will be the proxy one. There are different types of proxy services, from the simplest ones that only help us to hide the IP to others with extra functionalities such as blocking cookies, scripts, and other files hosted on websites and sent to the user. Browsers or applications based on the HTTP protocol offer the manual proxy configuration function so that we can indicate the proxy web address and port to which we want to connect before browsing. In this way, any activity that we perform through that browser will always be routed to the proxy. Alternatively, you can also opt for the automatic proxy format that searches through DNS or DHCP for the URL from which to download the wpad.dat file that runs and allows the proxy connection with automatic authentication on your computer. How to hide your IP with Tor? Tor is a free software developed to ensure anonymous browsing of users on the Internet. To mask the IP Tor uses a network of volunteer computers or nodes through which it redirects our traffic and encrypts it before it reaches its destination. At least this redirection goes through three of these nodes, achieving repetitive re-encryptions so that any possible clue about our identity disappears. In this process, Tor assigns a random and geographically different IP to our connection so that the location by third parties is impossible (if you are curious to know the IP you have been assigned you can check it through our tool). This system allows different configurations depending on whether we are using a firewall, if our ISP is blocking Tor connections or if we navigate through proxy for example. Can I hide my IP with a public Wi-Fi connection? The answer is yes. A public Wi-Fi network can also be used to hide our IP address, although if we do not have it constantly at our disposal, the IP hiding is limited to the time we have access to a public network. As this type of network is a connection shared by many other people, this makes it impossible to trace a particular user or identify them on the destination server. However, it is precisely this general access that also makes us more vulnerable. And although through a connection to a public Wi-Fi we will solve the issue of IP hiding, security will never be total, because being an open network, we can be exposed to the will of hackers and other threats, including malware and viruses. And if I want to hide my IP address, how can I change it? It may also be the case that instead of masking the IP all we need to do is change our IP address at a given moment. Then, the solution is as simple as disconnecting the modem from the power supply and restarting it after a few minutes. In that time, if your IP address is dynamic (you can check it through the network connections tab on your computer), it will be deleted and your Internet provider will give you a new one. To make sure that everything went well, we recommend doing something as simple as writing down the IP address before turning off the router and checking it again once it is up and running again. Another possible way to achieve the same result if you have a smartphone with a data plan is to turn this device into a wireless access point to which you can connect your computer, thus hiding your usual connection. There are many options to hide the IP or to change it and now that you know how each of them works you will be able to decide which one suits you best.
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49% of consumers are willing to favor brands that explain data usage in AI interactions
17/04/2024Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a fundamental tool for companies striving to provide personalized and efficient customer interactions. However, a new report reveals that the lack of transparency in data usage by brands is affecting consumer trust. According to Twilio's fifth 'State of Consumer Engagement Report', based on a global survey including over 4,750 B2C executives and 6,300 consumers across 18 countries, 49% of consumers would trust a brand more if it disclosed how it uses data from AI-driven interactions. The report also highlights that, although 91% of brands claim to be transparent with their customers about AI usage, only 48% of consumers agree. In this context, data protection emerges as a priority for consumers, with six out of ten indicating it's the best way for brands to earn their trust. This data security concern is shared by, the 40% businesses globally that considerate important to find a balance between security and customer experience as one of their most pressing challenges. AI-driven customer experience for brands AI-driven personalization is a key strategy to enhance customer relations. The report points out that companies adopting personalization experience a significant increase in consumer spending, averaging 54% more compared to those that don't. AI not only helps bridge the customer experience gap but also provides additional benefits, such as better data-driven decision-making and increased customer satisfaction. However, the report highlights that many companies face difficulties in activating customer data. Globally, only 16% of brands fully agree that they have the necessary data to understand their customers.
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Digital insurance with AI sets the trend in the Insurtech market
12/04/2024Digital insurance, connected and driven by generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), is making a milestone in the Insurtech market, according to a report prepared by the technology consultancy NTT Data. The report, 'Insurtech Global Outlook 2024,' delves into the three waves of innovation that are reshaping the insurance sector and also offers recommendations derived from its main findings. NTT Data experts detail that, after reaching record investment figures in previous years, the sector experienced an adjustment in 2023, reflecting both the bursting of a bubble and a strategic adaptation to new global economic and political realities. Three waves of innovation in digital insurance The NTT Data report identifies "three waves of innovation" in the insurance industry: digital insurance, connected insurance, and generative insurance. The first ones, they explain, mark the entry of Insurtech companies into the market, while connected insurance leads the shift towards proactive prevention strategies and personalized approaches for the client. The latter, generative insurance linked to AI, they add, are helping insurance companies to generate high-impact models in society, while also complying with ethical regulations. In fact, according to this work, cybersecurity and AI emerge as fundamental pillars for the transformation of the sector. The report highlights, for example, an investment of 640 million dollars in cybersecurity, with a growth in the number of transactions and an increasing focus on protection against cyber risks. In addition, artificial intelligence, with investments of over 50 billion dollars, is consolidating, according to the NTT Data report, as a disruptive force, paving the way for revolutionary solutions and business models.
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Roku warns of unauthorized access to hundreds of its customers' accounts
19/03/2024A Roku investigation, the company that manufactures media streaming devices running Roku software to access all kinds of streaming content, has revealed unauthorized access to hundreds of its users' accounts, "likely due to compromised login credentials obtained from third-party sources unrelated to Roku," they said. According to the company itself, these credentials were used to access Roku accounts, where changes were made, including attempts to purchase streaming subscriptions. However, in an official statement, Roku said that any sensitive personal data such as full payment account numbers could not be accessed. The affected accounts were secured and required password resets, as well as the cancellation of unauthorized subscriptions. Roku has announced that it will refund its users for all unauthorized charges. "What can I do if I can't access Roku? Roku has reset all passwords for accounts affected by these unauthorized accesses, so if we are holders of one of them, we may not be able to access it in the usual way. To regain access, we should go to my.roku.com and use the "Forgot your password?" option. Additionally, the company recommends reviewing subscriptions and devices linked to the Roku account from the Roku account Dashboard."
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What is Worldcoin and what does scanning the iris involve?
04/03/2024Worldcoin was introduced in summer of 2023 as a revolutionary project with the mission of creating a 100% secure digital identity, essentially a kind of fortified "digital passport," based on the verification of a unique and non-transferable element inherent to each human being—the iris. According to its developers, World ID will help distinguish human online activity from that generated by machines. In the first phase of the project, the creation of this secure digital identity is planned for 2 billion humans. To make this possible, Worldcoin has called on the global population to scan their iris. In return, Worldcoin compensates participants with a few tokens of its successful cryptocurrency, WLD, which has quadrupled in value within a few weeks of its initial launch. The payment in WLD tokens is not coincidental; it is part of Worldcoin's strategy, aiming to leverage the new digital passports to create a comprehensive ecosystem that provides universal and equitable access to advanced financial services for the entire global population. To achieve this, they encourage "iris sellers" to use the Worldcoin cryptocurrency on its fee-free blockchain, unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other cryptocurrencies that do charge transaction fees. How does Worldcoin work? Worldcoin aims to address the issues of bots, rapid creation of fake identities, and content with artificial intelligence. It is designed, according to its developers, to provide every individual in the world with a unique digital identification. Additionally, Worldcoin promises to ensure the financial inclusion of each person in a fair and equitable ecosystem through a universal basic income. Users receive this income in exchange for allowing their iris to be scanned. To create the secure digital passport with Worldcoin, users must undergo an iris scan, which serves as proof of humanity and a unique identity on the blockchain. This process ensures that the individual on the other side of that identity is a human and not a fake profile created with artificial intelligence. In pursuit of the success of their proposal, the company offers users a small amount of their own Worldcoin tokens in exchange for iris scanning. The initial incentive of receiving free cryptocurrency, in the form of a universal basic income, is emphasized by Worldcoin advocates as the basis for the inclusive and universal nature of their initiative. This approach allows anyone to scan their iris, and the WLD tokens received in return can assist people without access to traditional financial services in starting to save and invest. How to Scan the Iris with Worldcoin? The registration process with Worldcoin involves scanning the iris with an orb, the central hardware device of Worldcoin developed by Tools for Humanity. The orb is spherical and processes all the information. Currently, Worldcoin has installed orbs in different countries, including Spain, where users can scan their iris in exchange for Worldcoins. To do this, it is necessary to download the Worldcoin mobile application, World ID, generate a QR code with it, and display it in front of the orb. The orb, upon recognizing it, will scan the user's iris, while a Worldcoin collaborator remotely oversees the operation. The orb takes less than a minute to perform the scan and validate the subject's identity. In exchange for their iris, the user receives a unique number called "IrisHash" and a cryptographic wallet with Worldcoins. "This digital passport is accepted as proof of unique humanity, which people can use in the digital world without the need to share any other data," assure its developers. What happens with my scanned iris in exchange for Worldcoins? Once the iris scan is completed, and digital identity is granted to the user, Worldcoin assures that the orb quickly eliminates the images unless the user requests their preservation. Only the set of numbers called "IrisHash" is stored for identification, without any additional biometric data. Worldcoin also commits to ensuring that users share only the necessary information they wish to share, providing verification options through linked devices or the additional facial authentication orb for high-security cases. Despite these commitments, the collection of biometric data through iris scanning for the unique proof of humanity continues to raise significant questions regarding privacy and information security. Some countries such as Brazil, France, India, or Kenya have halted Worldcoin's iris scanning. How much do you get paid for scanning your iris? Worldcoin pays 25 WLD for scanning your iris, which, according to the cryptocurrency's exchange rate in February 2024, has translated to an average of between 50 and almost €160 for iris sellers, depending on the value of Worldcoin on the day they scanned their iris. At the beginning of February, the value of each WLD unit was around two euros, and by the end of the month, it had risen to nearly seven euros. What can I spend my WLD on? 'Iris sellers' have the freedom to use their Worldcoins from the moment they receive them. They can exchange the payment for other cryptocurrencies, withdraw them in euros from a specialized ATM, or hold onto the tokens in the hope of an increase in their value. Additionally, WLD payments are already accepted on platforms such as Discord, Shopify, Minecraft, Telegram, Mercado Libre, or Reddit, among other places. Who is behind Worldcoin? Worldcoin bears the stamp of two innovative minds: Sam Altman and Alex Blania. Altman is the CEO of OpenAI and a key figure in artificial intelligence development, leading projects like ChatGPT. Blania, on the other hand, is the co-founder of Tools For Humanity, contributing his experience in creating technological tools for a more equitable economic system to this new and successful cryptocurrency.
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Chat with RTX by Nvidia: Localized customization of chatbots without Internet
19/02/2024Nvidia introduces an innovative tool in the chatbot realm called Chat with RTX, designed for the personalization of conversational assistants. Powered by generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), Chat with RTX operates locally on computers with GeForce RTX Series 30 graphics cards running Windows 10 or Windows 11. Chat with RTX and the IA revolution for chatbots This decentralized approach eliminates the reliance on an internet connection for chatbot functionality. Unlike many conventional virtual assistants, which require constant cloud connectivity for processing and generating responses, Chat with RTX operates internally on the user's device. According to Nvidia, this feature not only enhances privacy by avoiding the transmission of sensitive data over the network but also provides a quicker and more efficient response. With Chat with RTX, users can create personalized chatbots in the style of ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot for conversational queries. This format allows the incorporation of YouTube videos, text in different formats, and URLs for contextual queries. Nvidia's tool is optimized to leverage the capabilities of computers running Windows 10 or 11 with a GeForce RTX Series 30 GPU and 8GB of video random access memory (VRAM).
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European companies are facing million-euro losses due to connectivity issues
12/06/2023A study by Cradlepoint reveals that European businesses could be losing milions of euros every week as a result of connectivity problems. According to the State of Connectivity in Europe report, conducted in collaboration with Censuswide, 74% of companies experience at least 2 hours of connectivity loss each week. One hour of downtime can be valued at 332,600 euros, according to Statista. These connectivity issues have also generated additional operating costs for 47% of the surveyed companies, and 33% have missed out on business opportunities due to these problems. Furthermore, the education sector is affected, as 80% of respondents state that poor connectivity hinders the development of skills necessary to thrive in a modern economy. The study also highlights that 21% of European companies have lost talent due to connectivity issues. The findings also conclude that improving connectivity is considered crucial for 90.5% of the surveyed companies, as it would help them better manage potential economic, social, and political challenges and increase their resilience to future disruptions.
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Apple, Google and Mozilla will create a speedometer to evaluate Safari, Chrome and Firefox
20/12/2022Apple, Google and Mozilla start a joint project to develop Speedometer 3, a speedometer that is going to be useful to use to analyse and improve the performance of Internet browsing programs. The new speedometer will measure the responsiveness of web applications, timing user interactions across various workloads. In addition the three companies has explained that Speedometer 3 will be useful for adjusting any component to its maximum speed, although, according to the agreement signed by they three, any of their respective browsers, Apple's Safari, Google's Chrome or Mozilla's Firefox, can make significant changes to their performance until have the approval of the other two companies.
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Europe will have its own satellites constellation to guarantee secure communications
13/12/2022With the sights set on 2027, the EU has closed a provisional agreement about the regulation of secure connectivity throughout its territory, which will include the deployment of a constellation of satellites that will ensure communications, especially in the event of cyberattacks or natural disasters that affect critical infrastructure. The plan, linked with the 'Global Gateway' strategy from the UE, that will allow the provision of affordable Internet access throughout Europe, will provide, also, secure connectivity in geographical areas of strategic interest, such the Arctic region and Africa, and services to protect the critical infrastructures of the Member states, too. The objective, according to the EU, is to ensure improvements in people's daily lives, identifying reliable and secure communications as the cornerstone of the EU's strategic autonomy.
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The European Commission spends €400,000 on its own metaverse and only attracts six people to the inauguration
05/12/2022Absolute failure. The inagurated of the new metaverse from the European Commission that was presented a few days ago with a virtual party, only attract six persons. According to the specialized journalist Vicen Chadwick from Devex, the European Commission has invested €387,000 in the project to develop a virtual world, designed to attract the attention of young people and create a shared space on the Internet in which they can become aware of those thinghs that EU does on the world stage, and reflect on the problems that affect a globalized world. Also, this metaverse is designed to promote actions of the European Union related to health, education, climate and other topics of interest for youngest, such the Erasmus scholarships. The inauguration of the space, however, went completely unnoticed by the target audience and the few persons who entered the party, such as the journalists from Gizmodo, assure that the metaverse of the European Commission has many shortcomings.
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Qualcomm's new and most powerful chip, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, ready
25/11/2022Qualcomm has just introduced its new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, the most advanced mobile processor with a 35% faster CPU. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is made up of 8 cores and not only presents notable improvements in artificial intelligence processing, also incorporates support for gaming technologies such as ray tracing, ensures a download speed of 10 Gbps and supports, video playback up to 8k. Qualcomm's new processor has become the first mobile platform to support INT4 and the most advanced 5G platform to date, supporting Wi-Fi 7 technology that doubles the bandwidth and speed of previous standards. According to information from Qualcomm, the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will be available for high-end mobiles from OnePlus, Sony, Xiaomi or Motorola, among other brands, which will already begin to integrate it into their terminals from the end of this year.
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Interpol opens its first office in the Metaverse
07/11/2022Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization or International Police, has presented its first office in the metaverse through which they intend to improve the fight against crime in the digital universe. The digital police station, which is a copy of the General Secretariat of Interpol in Lyon (France), will offer training for investigators and police officers and will allow the collaborators of this international organization to interact through their avatars, without geographical or physical limits. The inauguration of this new virtual center had been accompanied by the announcement of the creation of a group of Interpol experts that will advise police forces around the world about the risks on the global stage. Also, it has been announced that the International Police Organization has joined Meta, Microsoft and other technology giants to define the metaverse and protect communities from cybercrime, including globally recognized and criminalized crimes, such as sexual harassment, 'phishing', financial fraud or 'ransomware', among others. The objective of this joint work, they explained, is to create regulatory frameworks "and eliminate future criminal markets before they are fully formed." According to a study by the technology company Gartner, in over three years, in 2026, one of four people will spend at least one hour a day in the metaverse to work, shop and interact with other users.
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Meta uses AI for a new system that generates videos from text descriptions
03/10/2022Meta has presented "Make-A-Video" a new application that, based on Artificial Intelligence, is capable to generate a short video from a text description. The AI system used is based on imaging technology that learns from paired text and image data and videos without context. From them, the new system is able to create a high-quality video, converting the provided text into a short clip. According to the statement issued from Mark Zuckerberg's company, "Make-A-Video" represents an important advance with respect to "Make-A-Scene", the similar system presented by Meta last summer, that generates precise images from descriptions of text and sketches.
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Google Maps introduces new search opcions of ecological routes
21/09/2022Google will incorporate in Google Maps , new ecological routes that will be able to guarantee a lower impact from vehicles on the environment and, also, minimize fuel consumption.This new functionality of more sustainable itineraries will be implemented in Europe during next weeks, after having been successfully tested in the United States and Canada, where, according to Google in a statement sent to Europa Press, they have contributed to avoiding more than half a million tons of carbon emissions, in only one year.To suggest the best ecological route, Google Maps will ask the user about the type of engine of the vehicle that is going to use and then will show the driver all his available itinerary options and an accurate estimate of the consumption efficiency of the vehicle.Additionally, the package of new Google Maps features also incorporates the option to activate the display of charging points for electric vehicles; new bike routes, and Live View option, to supervise streets in real time.
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Europe proposes a very strict regulation that requires increasing the factory security of any device designed to be connected to the Internet
16/09/2022Some details from the new rules of the European Commission against cybercrime, 'Cyber Resilience Act', are beginning to be known. Among what has transpired is that the new regulation will force all manufacturers of potentially insecure products to increase it substantially and to provide more information to buyers about the level of protection of the devices they buy. This regulation will be of general application, and will affect all types of devices and systems, from the most basic such as a watch to the most sophisticated such as the software of any computer designed to be connected to Internet. All must comply with the provisions of the 'Cyber Resilience Act' to receive its approval and be able to be sold on the European market, and also, to avoid being subject to investigations and significant fines. In this sense, the proposed sanctions that are considered in the draft of the regulations could reach 15 million euros or 2.5% of the global annual income of the fined company. According to the European Commission in the presentation of the consultation carried out for the elaboration of the 'Cyber Resilience Act', "the new regulation aims to respond to the needs of the market and protect consumers from unsafe products by introducing standards common cybersecurity standards for manufacturers and sellers of tangible and intangible digital products and ancillary services.
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Intel plans to raise the price of their products up to 20%
19/07/2022Intel could raise the prices of some of his products by 10% to 20% before the end of the year to deal with inflation. This has been advanced by the Taiwanese media Nikkei Asia, which indicates that the American manufacturer would already be warning its customers of the measure. Some products that would see their price rise would be CPUs for servers and computers, as well as chips for WIFI devices. Intel, according to Nikkei Asia, will attribute the price change to the rise in raw materials and also to the production costs of their products. Intel reached a record turnover of 79,024 million dollars in 2021, which represented a growth of 1.4% for the company compared to revenue recorded the previous year, although their net profit fell by 4.9% last year.
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The Spanish, the European citizens who know more about metaverse and virtual reality
27/06/2022The Spanish are the European citizens who most claim to know what the metaverse, virtual reality and augmented reality are. In fact, the results of the report presented by Ipsos in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, ensure that this knowledge would be not only above the European average, also the worldwide. Thus, 63% of Spaniards say they know the metaverse, compared to 52% of the world population, 30% of germans or 28% of France citizens. At the other extreme we find Turkey (86%), India (80%), China (73%) and South Korea (71%), which are presented as the countries with the largest population knowledgeable about the metaverse. "The results of this research work give a very optimistic view of the potential of the metaverse and show that many people are open to the technological change that is taking place," says Jame Ferrand-Gutiérrez, head of Data Intelligence at Ipsos in Spain. The director, however, points out that “we cannot ignore that the metaverse is still a concept that has not been fully realized […] Although it is planned as a parallel reality where everything has a place, in reality it is not. Well, at least at present. We will see in the future where it evolves". About the augmented and virtual reality, 77% of Spaniards say they know the first one well, and 85% the second, being, once again, Turkey, the country in the world where the percentages of familiarity with these technologies are more high, 94%. According to the report 'How the world sees the metaverse and extended reality', which collects data from 29 countries, obtained between April and May through the Ipsos Global Advisor platform, citizens expect that applications that use the metaverse will have a growing impact on their lives over the next decade and, according to the document, in Spain the greatest impact is expected in the field of virtual education and training (63%), entertainment (61%), video games (57%), work meetings (55%) and way of socializing and resources related to health (both with 54%).
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Vodafone tests a new technology to identify the activity of their users on Internet
03/06/2022Vodafone has begin to test a new way of tracking the activity of their users on the network. This is an advertising identification system called TrustPid, which works by creating a fixed ID for each customer at the Internet Service Provider (ISP) level. After that, this ID will associates all user activity with it. The objective is to use the data obtained for the distribution of publicity and personalized advertising and to prevent publishers from losing revenue. According to the company, there is no way to circumvent the system at the browser level, blocking cookies or masking the IP address and they assure that it is a simple toll if people want to continue consuming high-quality content on the Internet without paying. “Consumers appreciate the idea of the free internet, but this needs a trade-off: publishers need a sustainable revenue model, which means adding subscription paywalls or relying on advertising to keep free access and ensure high-quality content”, they justify. At the moment, Vodafone is testing advertising identification in Germany with some of the country's largest websites, Bild.de and Deutsche Telekom, the parent company of T-Mobile.
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Google Health will be use to study the impact of mobile phones on our mental health
01/06/2022Spaniards spend an average of 3 hours and 40 minutes a day connected to the mobile. This time multiplied from Monday to Sunday is the same as more than 25 hours a week, according to the Digital Consumer by Generation report. To analyze the impact of all this time of digital consumption on our mental health, a group of researchers from the University of Oregon (United States) has just announced that they will use the Google Health app to analyze how users use their smartphones and discuss how in the future, digitals products and devides can make people happier, without falling into dependency. In their work, they will measure factors such as sleep or physical activity, for which they will also use the data collected by Fitbit, the activity bracelets owned by Google. One of the researchers, Dr. Nicholas Allen, stressed that "some studies similar to the one that we are going to start, usually condem the technology based on their conviction that it must be bad for mental health and well-being." . For this reason, he believes that is not positive to focuses only on the potentially harmful effects of the use of the devices, and also is important to takes into account the benefits that they offer.
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Meta test end-to-end encryption on calls and messages in their virtual reality glasses
30/05/2022Meta announced some time ago their desire to improve the privacy of their users and the confidentiality of their conversations, and in accordance with this, the company has just presented a new software update, v40, for its Meta Quest 2 virtual reality glasses, which tests the encryption of end-to-end of both calls and Messenger conversations that can be done through this device. In addition, this update incorporates a new function in App Unlock, which allows the user to block certain games and 'apps' with a security pattern plan. Another new feature is the secure payment system in 3D Secure, which is presented as an alternative to the Oculus app. The Meta Quest 2 glasses also receive with this update the possibility of being paired with other keyboards through Bluetooth connectivity, being fully compatible with Apple keyboards. Finally, among the outstanding novelties of this new v40 update, is the possibility of hearing the same thing from the speakers on the left and right of the viewfinder and even from the headphone jack. In addition, there is the option to adjust the left and right audio channels for those who hear better from one side than the other.
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The Spanish Organization of Consumers and Users has denounces Apple for the planned obsolescence of the iPhone6
25/05/2022The Spanish Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple for the planned obsolescence of their iPhone 6 and has agreed to pay the costs of the trial to the 400,000 affected in Spain. The OCU considers this planned obsolescence a deceptive commercial practice that violates consumer protection regulations and demands compensation for Spanish users for an amount that ranges between 99 and 189 euros. This figure comes from the sum of the amount of the battery (between 29 and 89 euros, depending on whether or not the replacement plan was accepted), plus 10% of the purchase price of the mobile (between 699 and 999 euros, depending on the model). According to the OCU lawsuit, Apple has acted fraudulently by hiding information from users, and considers that the technology company updated the software in the different models of the iPhone 6 to mask the performance problems of its batteries, knowing that this would cause a slowdown. and loss of phone performance. This practice, said OCU, conditioned consumers to renew their iPhones, causing them an economic loss that amounts to between 40 and 80 million euros, approximately. The complaint against Apple is one more action from the OCU to encourage affected users to fight against planned obsolescence.
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The use of magnetic tapes to store data is growing
11/05/2022Although cloud storage continues to be a growing resource for many companies to promote hybrid work environments, for security reasons, many other companies have decided not only to return to hard drives, SD cards or pen drives, but even to magnetic tapes. According to the Swedish firm Sweclockers, storage on this format skyrocketed in 2021 and grew, compared to the data recorded in the previous year, by 35%. Being a format that is not connected to the internet and therefore free from the threats of ransomware and malware, magnetic tapes are increasing their popularity again and companies such IBM, HP or Seagate/Quantum have already launched updated versions of these tapes on the market that include Linear Tape-Open (LTO) technology and high storage capacity, according to the current needs of companies. The main difference from other digital storage media is that magnetic tapes can only read and write data sequentially, and this cannot be done simultaneously.
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Samsung launches a microSD card that can record data for 16 years in a row
09/05/2022The new Samsung Pro Endurance microSD card that multiplies the normal life cycle of memory cards by more than 30 times, is now on sale. Samsung Pro Endurance can work continuously 140,160 hours or what is the same, 16 years, a period significantly higher than the average life of 5 years of a standard microSD card. Exclusively designed to cover the needs of video surveillance cameras, the memory card offers enhanced endurance and superior performance for continuous, smooth and reliable capture and playback. “Both consumers and business users can rest assured that our new memory card will ensure continuous recording in high resolution, even under extreme conditions,” said KyuYoung Lee, Vice President of Memory Brand Product Biz, Samsung Electronics Team. Samsung's new memory card offers read and write speeds of up to 100MB/s and 40MB/s, respectively, and a rated Video Speed Class 10 up to U3 and V30 According with Samsung, this makes this micro SD card ideal for handling large high-resolution files while allowing perfect Full HD and 4K recording and playback. The new Samsung Pro Endurance microSD is available in four different storage capacities, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.
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How to know if Pegasus has infected our mobile
05/05/2022The news of recent weeks, in which it is claimed that the Pegasus espionage program has been used to enter the mobile devices of Spanish politicians, has put a lot of people on alert. Pegasus is a malicious software that, once introduced on a device, has the ability to collect information and transmit it to an external entity without the consent or knowledge of the owner of the device, be it a mobile phone, a computer or a tablet. Pegasus also erases its trail after it is installed. Among its main features, it also stands out that Pegasus is capable of detecting who the owner of the device has been with. Pegasus also, can send and recive messages autonomously and recording conversations by manipulating the attacked mobile, computer or tablet. The two ways that this spy program uses to enter on a devices is through an SMS or a fraudulent link and, according to experts, despite the fact that it is a very difficult spyware to detect, there are some signs that can make us suspect that we have been infected. Overheating or slowdown of the system are two of the main ones, but also the fact that the battery life is decreasing or that there is excessive data consumption when we are not using the device. How to make it difficult for Pegasus To try to avoid being infected by Pegaus or by any other malware, the director of Systems Engineering at Fortinet from Spain and Portugal, José Luis Laguna, in statements collected by Europa Press, recommends taking extreme precautions and a make a double-checking when personal and confidential information is provided. In addition, the Fortinet expert explains that instead of clicking on the link that we have received, to verify that it is legitimate, it is recommended to write the address of the site in the web browser, even though this means taking an additional step and not accessing directly to this service. Using protection 'software' based on behavior - EndPoint Detection and Response (EDR) -, keeping the system updated, avoiding public Wi-Fi connections and checking the permissions granted to applications, are other precautions that are also recommended.
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DuckDuckGo sees Google's AMP tool as a threat to user privacy
29/04/2022After the presentation of Google's Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), DuckDuckGo has announced that has begun to protect its customers from this new service that they interpret as interfering with user privacy. AMP is a tool that, according to Google, enables fast loading of websites on mobile devices and improves their performance. But DuckDuckGo claims that what it really does AMP is prioritize the display of sites that have adopted it and favor ads from Google on these pages. This is why, this alternative search engine focused on offering the greatest possible privacy to its users (it doesn't collect information from searches) has decided to introduce protections against AMP technology in their applications and extensions for iOS, Android, Mac, Chrome and Firefox and has announced that DuckDuckGo will show the original website of the editor instead of the one adapted to AMP.
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Google Maps will use AI to update store hours
14/04/2022Google Maps will update the hours of more than 20 million businesses around the world in the next six months. To do this, they will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a self-developed machine learning model, which identifies shop hours that are not updated. Through this system, the AI will update the hours according to itsel predictions based on parameters such the last update of the shop's profile, the hours of nearby stores and the busiest hours in that location. In addition, the algorithm will take datas from Google Business, information from the store's website, if it has one, and images from Street View. In some countries, Google will also use Google Duplex conversational AI technology to make calls with the quality of a human voice to the stores and confirm their opening hours. In this list of countries, France will be the only European country where the telephone verification will be carried out. The rest of the countries are Argentina, Australia, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and the United States.
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VPN connections in Russia are growing more than 11.000%
29/03/2022The virtual private networks (VPN) demand in Russia has not stopped increasing for weeks, and according to data from Google Play and the Apple Store, in just one day, on March 14, when the blocking of Instagram took effect in In that country, VPN installations in Russia grew by 11,000%. Until now, the Kremlin has already blocked Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, bringing up the demand for VPNs by Russian citizens to record highs, with the intention of being able to connect to their social networks. VPN connections allows to use internet, preserving the anonymity of the user and his location. The VPN services, connect us to the Internet through intermediate servers, in which our original IP address is "impersonated" by the IP address and location of the VPN server. This makes us appear with a permanently different IP, making it seem that we are in a city or even in a different country than the one we actually are in. VPNs also have the added advantage that encrypts all data from start to finish of the communication, making it 100% guaranteed to be untraceable.
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5G will trigger data consumption that will multiply by three in five years
18/03/2022In 2025, 25% of global data connections will be 5G, compared to 8% at the end of 2021, according to GSMA forecasts, which also indicate that this greater implementation will have a greater impact, even in Europe, North America, China and some Asian countries, where the percentage of 5G penetration would be higher in that date. Among the main consequences of the 5G expansion, will be a greater consumption of data by users, has said GSMA and if, at the moment, the data traffic per smartphone in a month, is 11.4Gb on average, the forecasts by 2027 place it at 41Gb, three times more. And according to the organization that brings together the telecommunications industry and organizes the MWC in Barcelona, as the population has access to 5G, there will be a significant increase in streaming consumption, favored by a sudden drop in download times that will become negligible. The use of remote health services, ultra-high definition television (4K/8K) and 5G as home broadband are also expected to grow.
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Chrome flies on Mac
16/03/2022New features introduced in the las version of Chrome browser have made it up to 43% faster on Mac computers, according to Apple's Speedometer browser responsiveness benchmark. The M99 version of Chrome introduces, as main change, the use of the “ThinLTO” build optimization technique, which has integrated parts of the base code that are critical for speed, even when they span multiple files or libraries. This integration, according to the Speedometer comparison, has meant that the new Chrome is generally 7% faster than Safari, and that its graphic performance is up to 15% higher. In addition, Google ensures that the loading time of web pages has been reduced by 15% on Android, where the introduction of the 'freeze-dried' tab loading process in the browser has also reduced the startup times by 13%.
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WhatsApp improves security in its desktop version
14/03/2022In accordance with the growing use of WhatsApp in the desktop version and with the aim of guaranteeing users maximum security, Meta has announced that has implemented in this app, a new security layer called Code Verify that acts as an open source browser extension verifying automatically the authenticity of the web code of this application. According to Meta, which has offered this utility to other services to use it, Code Verify allows web browsers to verify that the resources they obtain have not been tampered with. "When someone uses Code Verify, the extension automatically compares the code that is executed in WhatsApp Web with the version of the code verified by WhatsApp and published in CloudFlare", has said the company, who also explains that if any violation or inconsistency is detected , the user will receives a notification, immediately. This new WhatsApp code verification, which Meta has confirmed does not record metadata or user data or share information with the application, will be available in the official browser extension stores for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox.
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Apple take distances itself from the Metaverse
07/02/2022Unlike many other companies, it seems that Apple looks suspiciously at everything that has to do with virtual worlds and according to Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, who is specializes in this company, Apple would have ruled out the idea of a virtual world for the time being where users can get away all day. Gurman assures that he has been told "fairly directly" that the Metaverse idea is "out of bounds" . This, however, does not mean that Apple is losing ground in the virtual world and if plans continue as they are, this company will most announce its first virtual and augmented reality headset this year. Apple's viewer would be mixed reality and would focus on video games, communication and content consumption.
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Android 12 allows you to disable 2G networks on your mobile
26/01/2022The latest version of Google's mobile operating system, Android 12, allows you to disable connections through 2G data networks. To do this, you must deactivate this connectivity through the 'Network and Internet' and 'SIM' sections, where you will find the option “allow 2G”, which you can activate or deactivate according to your preferences at any time. As explained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), 2G networks has a very vulnerable encryption system and is quite easy that a hacker intercept the signal and track the exact location of the user. Android reports that despite the fact that 2G connectivity is disabled, this coverage will continue to be available for emergency calls.
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Common front against advertising based on user surveillance
19/01/2022Facing the forthcoming vote on the EU Digital Services Law, a group of 17 civil organizations and 14 digital companies have demanded the European Parliament prohibit invasive and hostile practices with privacy that take place in digital advertising such as user tracking. According to his complaint, companies that specialize in monitoring the behavior of Internet users, integrate data from all websites, something that entails a violation of EU data protection regulations. In addition, they remember, these advertising practices make use of "inferred data that reveals vulnerabilities of the users" and, in general, they insist, this data are obtained without the knowledge of the user and beyond their control. The signatories, including the privacy-focused search engine companies DuckDuckGo and Ecosia, denounce also that these types of practices only favor a few “dominant players” based in the United States, and they specifically cite, among others, Facebook and Google. As an alternative to these advertising systems, they propose to follow initiatives such the Dutch television channels NPO and Norwegian TV2, which opted for contextual advertising and increased their income from ads.
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Chromebook computers will notify if someone is spying the screen
01/12/2021Google's new antispyware tool will warn if someone spies the screen. The new tool will have the potential to lock the computer by facial recognition. Google has everything ready to test its new anti-spying tool, which will be incorporate in the future, Chromebook computers. This tool, if the user has it activated, will be able to send a warning alert every time it detects that another person is spywaring the screen. The anti-spying function will be activated through its human presence sensor. The user can activate or deactivate the tool from the settings section. When the system detects a person spying or looking over the user's shoulder, the computer screen will warn him discreetly, either with a icon or by dimming the screen. According to the first information released, the sensor would have the potential to lock or unlock the equipment through facial recognition. In addition, the tool will incorporate additional functions such as an automatic deactivation of the notifications of the conversations that the user is having privately when the "spying" is detected.
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DuckDuckGo introduces a feature to protect Android smartphones from trackers
26/11/2021DuckDuckGo goes a step further in terms of security and has just announced a new tool for Android Smartphones that block the tracking of user data. In fact, it is an extension that can be already tested in its beta version -with a waiting list- and that according to DuckDuckGo was born to stop the theft of information ( according to AndroidRank.org, 96% of the most popular free Android applications contain trackers. A 87% send data to Google, and 68% to Facebook). This free extension is called 'App Tracking Protection' and it is integrated into the search engine's 'app', so it is not necessary to keep it open for it to work. Trackers blocking can be reviewed in real time through DuckDuckGo and it can also detect which networks are tried to keep users personal data to. In addition, one can activate the notifications service to receive summaries of its operation.
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Spain at the head of the countries that receive most "spam"
18/11/2021Once againt, the latest Kaspersky report points Spain, for the seventh consecutive quarter, as the country where users receive more malicious email. According to the report by the IT security company, Spain has received 9.55% of the world's total of this type of attack during the months of July, August and September, which means an increase of one point compared to the previous quarter. In the ranking of countries that receive most “spam”, Spain is followed by Russia, with 6.52% of attacks, Italy with 5.47%, Brazil with 5.37% and Mexico with 4. 69%. According to this same report, the main origin of these malicious emails is Russia, 24.9%, followed by Germany, 14.19% and China, 10.31%.The large amount of these “spam” emails during this last quarter have been related to “phishing” pages
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Spotify buys Findaway to expand its audiobooks service
16/11/2021Spotify is determined not to lose the battle as a digital entertainment platform, so they have announced the next acquisition of the Findaway audiobook service, with which, Spotiby will expand this type of content in its catalog. The operation is pending final approval by the regulatory authorities and is expected to be effective before the end of this year. The audiobook platform works for authors, publishers and consumers alike, and according to Spotify one of its goals with the acquisition is to work to remove current limitations and give better economic tools for audiobook creators.
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SQUID, the cryptocurrency of "The Squid Game" collapses
08/11/2021In just over a week, SQUID, the cryptocurrency that was launched on the market at the pull of "The Squid Game" has seen its value plummet after it was reported that his anonymous founders had withdrawn the cryptocurrency and all the earnings of the people who had invested in it. SQUID launched on October 26th at prices of $ 0.01 and reached its record price of $ 2,856.64 on November 1st. At that time, according to the users affected, the website created for this cryptocurrency was not working anymore and users could no longer sell their SQUIDS, or protect their Investments. According to the first investigations, the creators of the cryptocurrency of "The Squid Game", charged all their coins for real money, depleting the liquidity fund of the exchange that cannot sustain its value. The platform through which this cryptocurrency was traded did not have any official endorsement.
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Mobile phone sales fell 6% in the third quarter of this year during the shortage of components
20/10/2021The latest study by the market research company Canalys about the mobile sale in the third quarter of this year 2021, warns a prices rise and also talk about a reduction in the production of smarphpones, and descrive the situation as a "famine of processors ", derived from the shortage of components such as processors that affects the industry globally. According to this report during July, August and September, the smartphone's market has fallen a 6% in units sold globally, compared to the same period last year. The situation, predict the raport, will not change until the latest months of 2022. Canalys market research also shows that Samsung is still the best-selling brand, followed by Apple, which regains second place.
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Google tests parcel delivery drones from shop's roofs
18/10/2021Google is testing a new drone product delivery system in Australia, with launch platforms from the store's roofs. To carry out the test, Google have the collaboration of the Vicinity’s shopping centres. Their customers can buy their products online and a drone waiting on the store's roof will take the items to the delivery address. In addition, Google tests the same take-off system from the store itself and not from the distribution centres, in Logan, United States, where more than 2,500 deliveries have already been made successfully with this system. As a curiosity and according to these results, the most demanded products by this system are teas, shakes, sushi and food. In the next weeks the system will be also prepare to delivered medicines and beauty and personal hygiene products.
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USB-C cables will be marketed with power rating logos
05/10/2021USB type C cables will be marketed with new logos according to their power, has announced USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). USB-IF has explained that the new logos have been designed to solve cable confusion and to make it easier to decide which cables and chargers to purchase depending on the costumer needs. This type of cable has options from 60W to 240W. The consortium has also presented through the same statement, the logos for USB 4, based on Thunderbolt and with transfer rates of up to 40 Gbps.
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Gmail is renewed and will allow calls and videoconferences without share links
23/09/2021The new Google update announced for Workspace will allow Gmail to access to the rest of Google applications and services. Additionally, users will be able to make calls and video calls from Gmail without t any additional link. And this is so, because Gmail is destined according to its developers to become an effective and decisive global communication platform. It has been advanced, for example, that we will be able to interconnect Google applications through ‘smart chips’ with the ‘@’ symbol. The new interface will include also a similar app to Slack and a call and video call service through the Gmail application itself without having to share any link with our conversation partners.
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Makeup causes failures in facial recognition systems
22/09/2021A research from the Ben-Gurion University of Israel has concluded that makeup reduces the effectiveness of facial recognition mechanisms. During the tests, the researchers used the ArcFace facial detection system, and they determined an effectiveness of 47,6% in people who did not use make up and 33,7% in those who did. They also confirm that applying makeup in specific face areas that algorithms analyze, the effectiveness of the facial recognition system is significantly altered and only 1.22% persons were recognized. In addition, the researchers from the Israeli university also did the test digitally, making up some photographs of the volunteers and the result was that the system was not able to recognize any of the faces. According to all these results, the researchers believe that the current level of development of facial detection systems is still below the realistic threshold.
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The mining hardware market is booming
09/09/2021There is no doubt about it: cryptocurrency mining is booming. According to a report by Technavio, the mining hardware market is expected to grow by about €2.4 billion between 2020 and 2024. It would grow at an annual rate of more than 7%. So much so that Facebook has already announced that it will launch its own cryptocurrency, a stablecoin pegged to the fiat currency of the country where it operates. It also announced that it will get involved in the NFT industry. Meanwhile, interest in different types of mining tools continues to grow. Day after day, miners join the network. “It began as a niche hobby. Early adopters had to set up rigs on their own and then figure out how to connect them to pools (groups of miners) and earn profit. But since hosting facilities became a thing, anyone can purchase a rig and earn some passive crypto”, explains Josh Metnick, CEO of Navier, a company that hosts different types of miners.
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Ransomwhere, new platform to track cyberattack payments
13/07/2021This week was made known the unveiling of Ransomwhere, a new collaborative data platform born with the intention of being able to track 'ransomware' ransom payments to cybercriminals wallets. The platform launched by cybersecurity researcher Jack Cable, allows data to be entered into the Ransomwhere website in an open and transparent format, so that users can easily report on the cryptocurrency wallets used in their ransomware attack payments, often included in the ransom notes of the attacks, and through this data the figure obtained in extortion payments to cybercriminals is obtained. As these payments are made with cryptocurrencies, the transactions can be traced as they are opened by the use of the blockchain or Blockchain. According to the first data obtained in these first weeks of operation, Ransomwhere has reported that it has already recorded more than $33 million paid this past year in ransomware and accumulated data of about $28 million more satisfied previously. This information also shows that the ransomware with the highest income so far is Netwalker, with more than 27 million dollars, followed by REvil / Sodinokibi, with more than 11 million.
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How to set up a digital marketing strategy?
16/06/2021As our daily life Internet gains prominence in our physical world, companies selling products and services are increasing their online presence. To do so, they resort to strategies and tactics that ensure their omnipresence in both worlds, with the main task of attracting and retaining customers who buy their products. In this race for customers' attention, strategies such as Inbound Marketing and Outbound Marketing have emerged as protagonists and although they are radically different in their forms, both techniques have found in online communication an ideal medium through which to achieve their goals. What is Inbound Marketing? Inbound Marketing is based on attracting customers through non-intrusive techniques that use content related to the needs and interests of our target audience to attract them to our brand and products. Inbound Marketing Strategy In Inbound Marketing, content is the king and the strategy to get the user to approach the brand is to create, through these contents, links with the customer and establish a relationship of trust and support that favors their interest in our products and services, as well as their loyalty. To achieve this attention on the contents, it is basic and essential to optimize the SEO search engine, which makes our website, our contents and brand visible, makes us relevant and also contributes to our authority. To achieve this optimization and positioning, SEO will be in charge of indicating which words are trending in searches related to our content, will improve the structure of the web to allow a correct user experience, will implement a good strategy of referral links or link building and will take care of other aspects such as the integration of CRM tools or user metrics. All this will make it possible for our content to be positioned and that in a totally "natural" way and without any intrusion, all those contents written according to the interests of a certain group of customers, awaken their interest and attract them to our brand. Inbound Marketing Tools Throughout the whole process of customer attraction and loyalty, the Inbound Marketing strategy has a wide variety of tools to achieve its goal: Blogs Landing page Lead Creation Calls to action Intelligent content Workflows, ... What is outbound Marketing? Unlike Inbound Marketing, outbound Marketing is based on a totally traditional commercial approach, in which the product or service being sold is the only protagonist of the communication. Outbound Marketing Strategy To reach the public, outbound strategies use invasive methods that address broad audiences, without a specific target, with the intention of reaching the maximum number of possible interested parties. Outbound Marketing strategies are based on one-way communication, from the brand to the customer. The company shows the value of its products and services and tries to convince the public to buy them. All this operation is implemented without the customer's request, even before he has made a search or has shown previous interest in a specific product or service. Outbound Marketing Tools In Outbound Marketing, since there is no specific target audience segment, the communication reaches many users, although it may not be of interest to any of them. To achieve this massive distribution, companies use resources such as: Pop-ups Advertisements inserted in videos Banners Email campaigns for which companies use powerful email marketing software in Spanish, with multiple integrated tools that allow from automating mass mailings to A/B testing, comprehensive monitoring of the actions of each recipient (open rate, clicks on links,...) or even advanced segmentation based on interactions and / or user behavior detected in previous actions. Newsletter, inbound or outbound marketing? Now that we know the differences between Inbound and Outbound Marketing, we will finish by looking at a very useful and versatile tool that, unlike those previously mentioned is used interchangeably by both strategies. We are referring to the Newsletters. If we look at the Newsletter of Which is my IP, for example, we would be talking about an Inbound strategy, because to receive the electronic newsletter you must first register (by the way, if you have not done so yet, do not miss it and you will receive timely information on news and updates to get the most out of your Internet connection). On the other hand, if we look at newsletters like the ones we have all surely received at some time, in which we are offered, for example, a telephone offer from a company that is not our own, we are dealing with an electronic newsletter included in the marketing plan of an Outbound strategy. At this point, we can only conclude that knowing our priorities as a company, analyzing the degree of knowledge we have about our target and assessing our objectives, we will have all the necessary answers to start working and designing our digital marketing strategy.
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What is the value of a Bitcoin?
11/06/2021Since Bitcoin first appeared in 2009, this digital currency not issued by any government or company, nor, under the umbrella of any kind of economic policy, has gained a foothold in the market and has already started to fit into existing legal frameworks. What gives Bitcoin its value? The great value of Bitcoin is that it is a decentralized and global currency, an alternative to fiat currencies (those issued by governments). All transactions with Bitcoins are public and each of these crypto currencies belongs exclusively to its owner, therefore, it is a currency that cannot be intervened by anyone. What can I do with Bitcoins? To date, with this cryptocurrency, it is possible to monetize all kinds of services, in addition to making investments, free or practically free of commissions, which in the medium to long term are proving attractive. This has made Bitcoin an asset in which to invest and an increasingly popular means of payment through which to transfer value from one user to another without losing friction along the way, going through an intermediary or paying a commission. What is the price of a Bitcoin? Like any other good, the price of a Bitcoin varies according to market demand, although the fact that it has been designed to behave as a deflationary asset and that its supply is limited to 21 million coins, facilitates that by the law of supply and demand itself, the Bitcoin exchange rate tends to rise continuously. As of June 9, at the time of writing this article, the Bitcoin value today is 30,007.86 euros, 3.4 times its price a year ago, when the Bitcoin to Euro conversion rate was 8,629.5 Bitcoins for 1 euro. In 2010 Bitcoin price was less than one Euro cent. What does the value of Bitcoin depend on? The value of Bitcoin depends on the trust and acceptance of users to use it, hence why Bitcoin is rising in value some days and not others. As Bitcoin has been implemented as a means of payment in multiple transactions and its popularity has grown, its value has grown in parallel. Likewise, when there have been news or events that have questioned, for example, the suitability of this crypto currency, its price has fallen. Like any other currency, the price of Bitcoin fluctuates and it is the users themselves who set it at the time of the purchase and sale transaction, which prevents the existence of a single price for Bitcoin, since it is not operated through a single platform as is the case with other currencies. Even so, buying and selling prices of Bitcoins tend to be quite similar. To know how much Bitcoin costs, there are several online platforms, known as "Bitcoin trading platforms" that report live the evolution of the value of the cryptocurrency. Is it safe and profitable to invest in Bitcoin? As with any other asset, investing in Bitcoins is profitable if we know how to do it at the right time. On the other hand, the Blockchain technology on which Bitcoin is based is reliable and difficult to manipulate, with no risk of being counterfeited, although some experts believe that the perfect, 100% inviolable system has not yet been created. In the cryptocurrency segment, convertibility is contemplated, so that Bitcoins can be exchanged for fiat currencies. What can I buy with Bitcoins? Over the last few years, a large number of companies have incorporated Bitcoin as an official method of payment for their goods and services From travel companies to ticket sales platforms for all kinds of shows, through gaming platforms, digital bookstores, software stores or even non-profit organizations already accept this digital currency. That is, Destinia, 13tickets, Gear Best, Shopify, Wordpress, Hostinger, Greenpeace,... among many other companies. eBay is currently considering adding Bitcoin as a method of payment. What is Bitcoin mining and how are Bitcoins generated? The users themselves through a totally decentralized system create Bitcoins. To become a bitcoin creator, computers with high computational capacity are needed to process and verify transactions and quickly solve the complex digital processes of generating the currency. This work is called mining and one of its best attractions is that the system offers "miners" rewards in Bitcoins in exchange for these services, which has made this activity very appealing for certain users. Is it profitable to mine Bitcoins in Spain? Bitcoin mining requires very powerful equipment, with high calculation capacities to solve operations, being nowadays totally inoperative for this operation the PCs of domestic or office use. The investment to mine Bitcoins requires, in addition, to assume the large power consumption required by this more powerful equipment, which makes Spain, at this time due to the high price of KW/h, an uninteresting market for mining Bitcoins. On the contrary, other locations such as China, Iceland, Iran or Georgia, where the Bitcoin mining business is in full expansion, are very interesting.
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QUIC, the new official network protocol to replace TCP
04/06/2021QUIC, the network protocol designed by Google, has been presented by the Internet Engineering Task Force, IETF, as a new official Internet standard to replace TCP, the current main standard. Google's QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) network protocol is designed to reduce latency with retransmissions taking less time, potentially reducing the waiting time for search results by 8% on computers and 4% on mobile devices, according to the paper released by Google in 2017. QUIC will replace TCP, the current main standard of the Internet since 1974 - when it was still Arpanet - and on which the operation of Internet elements such as the World Wide Web (WWW) logic system, file transmission, 'emails' and remote administration depend. The new QUIC protocol has already been published by the IETF, making it an official network protocol.
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Microclaudia, the Spanish antivirus that makes the attacker think the system is already infected
28/01/2021The National Cryptologic Center (CCN-CERT) and the cyber security company S2 Grup have created "Microclaudia", a tool designed as a vaccine against malware that makes the attacking agent to believe the computer is already infected. "Microclaudia", which can work in parallel to any other protection system already installed on the computer, runs on the system and prevents the attacking of several malwares that are currently in circulation. According to the creators of "Microclaudia", this new antivirus is an important step forward to put an end to the damage caused daily by cybercrime in Spain, the second most common crime, only after theft.
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