Articles about phone

The trouble with mobile phones is they rely on a battery and you can almost guarantee that with today's high-res screens and power-hungry applications it never seems to be fully charged when you want it to be.

If you want to avoid waiting for a charge to complete or using your phone while tethered to a wall socket, the team at charger specialist MAGFAST has created an infographic with tips to help you ensure your phone charges faster.

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A new survey shows that 47 percent of organizations have experienced a vishing (voice phishing) or social engineering attack via their voice networks in the past year.

The study by voice traffic protection specialist Mutare also finds most are unaware of the volume of unwanted phone calls traversing their network, or the significance of threats lurking in unwanted traffic, which includes robocalls, spoof calls, scam calls, spam calls, spam storms, vishing, smishing and social engineering.

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We're familiar with threats to data and data networks, but there's another part of corporate communication that's often overlooked yet represents an equally valid attack vector and equally high risks.

We spoke to Mutare CTO Roger Northrop to find out more about the risks voice networks present and why organizations need to take them seriously.

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I am not a big phone person. I don’t mean that I rarely use one, in fact, quite the opposite. It’s on me all the time and I continually check news, sports and messages, to name just a few. No, what I mean is that I don’t always have the latest model as some people seem to obsess about. I’ve always had Android phones, in fact, always the "official" model from Google, beginning back when it was still called the Nexus. 

I got the Pixel 1 XL, skipped the 2 because I saw no reason to spend the money, upgraded to the Pixel 3 XL, again elected to skip a generation when the 4 came out, expecting to break out the wallet for a 5 XL. Then Covid-19 made an appearance, keeping Google from releasing the XL version of the 5. Rather than break down, I held out for the larger model. 

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I'm a huge proponent of using laptops with docking stations. Most people want the portability of a notebook, meaning a traditional desktop just won't do. At the same time, people also like using a large monitor, keyboard, and mouse to maximize productivity at home or in the office. A dock or docking station transforms a laptop into a makeshift desktop, delivering some of the best of both worlds. This is a particularly great solution for remote users that are newly working from home.

Most docking stations are very cold and industrial in their designs. That isn't necessarily a bad thing -- these dock are just tools, after all. Of course, it doesn't have be that way. You see, today, Logitech launches a new such product that isn't just a useful tool, but a friendly piece of decor as well. Called "Logi Dock," it combines a docking station and a speakerphone into a warm and inviting package that will look nice in any setting.

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Coverage of fraud tends to focus on the online methods such as phishing, credential stuffing, opening fake accounts and so on.

But there's another side to the problem in the form of voice fraud via 'vishing' and the use of social engineering techniques, this is made simpler by the ease with which numbers can be spoofed so a call can appear to come from a legitimate number such as your bank.

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About a year ago, we told you that Google was partnering with some hotels to have Nest Hub smart devices installed in guest rooms. Understandably, some people were concerned about having a microphone and camera in their hotel rooms.

However, those worries were unfounded. You see, Nest Hub doesn't even have a camera! Plus, Google is extremely focused on privacy, and the microphone can be totally disabled with a hardware switch. Ultimately, this hospitality partnership was simply a big win for hotel guests as they get to experience the convenience of Google Assistant when away from home.

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If you are a hardcore Android user, you should buy a Pixel. Google’s smartphones may not have the best specifications, but they do offer the purest Android experience. They are the only way to truly experience Android as Google intends it -- including timely OS updates. They are free of bloat, unlocked, and often very affordable. Best of all, they offer a remarkable photography experience.

Today, Google officially announces the oft-rumored Pixel 5a with 5G. It isn’t a flagship device, but with a reasonable $449 asking price, the Android 11 smartphone looks to be a great value. The 6.34-inch OLED screen features a respectable 2400x1080 resolution, while the 12.2 MP dual-pixel and 16 MP ultrawide rear cameras should take exceptional photos. While it does get water resistance, the Pixel 5a with 5G lacks wireless charging -- you must use USB-C to charge the 4680 mAh battery.

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