Articles about Digital Lifestyle

The security of the internet is an on-going concern. Whether you're online for fun, or you're conducting business, there are all manner of pitfalls you may encounter. Issues such as viruses and malware are now widely known about, but these are far from being the only security issues to concern yourself with. Security has been thrown into the limelight once again by high-profile stories like the Fappening, problems with SnapChat, concerns about the Whisper app, and the POODLE SSL 3.0 vulnerability.

A large proportion of companies and individuals are aware of the importance of anti-virus and anti-malware tools, firewalls and the like. Security tools are all well and good, but there's also a lot to be said in favor of changing online behaviors; it's something that the online community and businesses are increasingly coming to understand. Much of what this entails -- taking care about the personal information you share and educating yourself about services before you use them -- is common sense, but it bears repeating.

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Mention web or mobile surveillance, and you're sure to raise a few hackles. But the current Ebola outbreak is showing that the data collected from handsets can be extremely useful. The idea of tackling a disease with 'big data' gathered from mobile phones might seem a little odd, but it's actually an incredibly valuable source of information. Telecom firms such as Orange have been working with data scientists, using anonymized data gathered from phones to track population movement in regions affected by Ebola.

The BBC points out that even in relatively poor countries in Africa, mobile phone ownership is still high. Experts have been able to use this data to determine the best places to set up treatment centers, and it's an idea that has been pounced upon by the CDC.

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A new survey has revealed that forgetting online passwords is one of the most annoying things imaginable -- as setting and remembering passwords becomes an increasing burden.

This is according to a survey of 1,000 UK consumers, commissioned by Centrify Corporation, which found that forgetting a password was more of an annoyance than having a mobile phone battery run out of juice, losing your keys, or getting a spam email.

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We're increasingly becoming a digital society, yet almost one in five people in the UK lack digital skills and 52 percent of those are aged over 65.

In an effort to provide practical skills and access to technology, catalog retailer Argos has partnered with digital skills charity Go ON UK to offer workshops to 10,000 adults.

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According to a new survey UK consumers increasingly fear the pace of change they face and are particularly cynical about the need for connected, "Internet of Things" devices.

According to the survey of over 1,600 consumers by UK-based audit and accounting specialist KPMG, more than half of people (58 percent) resent the idea that computers seem to run their lives. Also 70 percent suggest that with the marketplace flooded by inter-connected devices, it's too easy for things to go wrong. The survey reveals a hankering for a return to 'simple' technology. Many, for example, mainly want their phone to make calls (54 percent) and the majority think that more advanced internet-based products such as smart fridges which self-order food or cookers reminding owners about recipes aren't needed.

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Over the last couple of decades the internet has revolutionized how we work, how we shop, how we communicate, and how we consume media. In most regards it has made life quicker and easier, but it has also brought challenges and side-effects. Technology may have made many tasks simpler, but it has also increased distractions and shepherded in more ways to procrastinate. You've probably noticed that while you can get many things done faster than ever, you spend a great deal of time doing nothing of worth.

In fact, rather than saving money, the widespread adoption of technology could be costing business dearly. Research shows that nearly two-thirds of employees spend work hours browsing sites unrelated to work -- a surprising 3 percent of them spending more than 10 hours a week actively avoiding work online. All of these wasted man hours add up, resulting in an average cost of almost $3,000 for employee each year.

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While new technologies have transformed a number of sectors, including healthcare, sport and finance, it seems that at least one industry is lagging behind. A new report commissioned by Berland and released by Velocity has revealed that UK restaurants are missing out on a collective £5.6 billion per year in revenue, due to their relative ignorance of modern tech.

According to the results, UK diners typically have to wait 11 minutes to pay in restaurants. This adds up to a staggering month of thumb-twiddling over the course of a lifetime, says Velocity. 76 percent of diners also said that inefficient service is a huge downside of eating out, and can have a more negative effect on the overall experience than receiving the wrong food order (48 percent).

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As mobile devices become almost ubiquitous, their attractiveness as a channel for businesses to interact with their customers becomes greater.

According to last year's ICMI mobile customer service strategy survey, 68 percent of experts believe mobile can improve the customer experience. To help companies take advantage of the opportunities mobile offers, enterprise mobile specialist OpenMarket is launching its latest Mobile Engagement Platform. It's a SaaS-based solution, allowing enterprises to easily create and deploy smart, interactive mobile engagement services worldwide with connectivity to over 200 countries.

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A handful of London residents unwittingly agreed to give up their first-born child when signing in to a public Wi-Fi hot spot as part of an experiment carried out by the Cyber Security Research Institute.

A "Herod clause" was included in the T's and C's, which promised free Wi-Fi if "the recipient agreed to assign their first born child to us for the duration of eternity".

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Facebook has issued an apology to "drag queens, drag kings", and the LGBT community for forcing users of the social network to reveal their real names or face having their pages suspended. The social network also bowed to pressure, saying that users will not necessarily have to use their real names in the future. Chris Cox, Facebook's Chief Product Officer, made a statement in an online post that admits the negative response to the policy "took us off guard". Why the sudden interest in real names? It seems that one person may have been to blame.

Facebook caused something of a storm of controversy recently when it forced many users to reveal their real names. Large groups of people were affected by this, but it was a number of drag artists who were most vocal in their complaints -- numerous petitions and campaigns, including #MyNameIs, started up. While it was drag queens who hit the headlines, Facebook's sudden enforcement of its long-standing real names policy also affected performers such as musicians -- fans and friends were confused when seemingly new people appeared in their friend list. Despite the backlash Facebook faced, the social network stuck to its guns, remaining adamant that the policy was here to stay, and dismissing complaints out of hand.

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I preordered Apple's new smartphone on September 12, and it wasn't easy. Few months back, I went "Microsoft All-In" for the summer, purchasing the Nokia Lumia Icon on contract from Verizon. So I didn't qualify for the discounted, upgrade price. But when there's a will, there's a way -- and a generous family member helps make something special happen.

My iPhone 6 review begins with such disclaimer. Like iPad Air, I paid for the device. Apple didn't send me a review unit, but I did ask, and I am not on the preferred list of writers who get early access to "iDevices" and who presumably are more likely to rave. Such qualification is necessary, because iPhone 6 is an exceptionally satisfying handset, and I don't want to be mislabeled fanboy for stating such. That's a brash conclusion coming from someone abandoning a competing smartphone with better specs and satisfying user experience.

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This year's Ryder Cup in Scotland is one of the most technologically advanced golfing events, thanks to the introduction of Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFIT).

Spectators receive a special wristband with their tickets which allows them to take part in various activities around the course, such as the BMW car display, the Ryder Cup Experience with Standard Life Investments and the 'Walk the Course' competition from Active Scotland.

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Microsoft has created a four-foot high interactive art installation for Seattle's Decibel music and arts festival.

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Pickpockets targeting contactless payments are set to multiply following the decision by Transport for London to roll out the technology to London Underground stations and Bitdefender has outlined a number of precautions to take.

The company has detailed the different types of attacks that could take place including skimming, eavesdropping, hacked terminals, replay attacks, and cross-contamination.

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Intel’s wireless charging bowl is on track to be released by the end of the year with the company still tight-lipped on how much the revolutionary device will end up costing.

CEO Brian Krzanich confirmed as much during a speech at MakerCon in New York when he said that the device will be "on the market right around the end of this year," according to CNET.

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