September's Digital Life from Lökwest - hacking defense, phone news, long reads, and an Alexa soap dispenser!
Discover more from The Digital Life from Lökwest
September's Digital Life from Lökwest - hacking defense, phone news, long reads, and an Alexa soap dispenser!
As we close the summer and wind down the Yacht Rock, it's time once again for an edition of The Digital Life. This month's lead story is an article we composed after we helped a client recover from a hack. We hope it provides you with some tips on hacking to prevent you from falling into the same situation.
We've also included a great collection of informative and entertaining articles. Read about the recent T-Mobile data breach and how Samsung can disable a stolen TV. Then grab a tip on hiding your e-mail address. In long reads, we're highlighting the metaverse and Apple's recent decision to scan uploaded photos. Top it off with new phones and a soap dispenser with Alexa.
Then re-live some Windows 95 nostalgia, and go dig a hole!
Remember, if you like this newsletter, share it!
Thanks as always for your patronage, and happy fall.
[FEATURE] From the Digital Life Blog
My client was hacked and you could be next! How to recover from and defend against hacking. — lokwest.com
In July, I helped a very patient client recover from an account hack. It happened very quickly and took nearly two weeks to resolve. Read what we did right, what could have gone better, and what you can do to avoid hacking damage in my latest long-read blog post!
News to use
The T-Mobile Data Breach Is One You Can’t Ignore — www.wired.com
Hackers claim to have obtained the data of 100 million people—including sensitive personal information. Matter of fact, in the Wall Street Journal, the hacker came out and said T-Mobile's security is "terrible" and it was "really quite easy" to hack them! Learn what you need to do now to protect yourself. Are you sure you don't want to read our featured article again? 🙂
Samsung says it can remotely disable stolen TVs — www.theverge.com
Samsung says its TVs can be remotely disabled if the company finds out the units have been stolen. On one hand, if someone steals your TV that's good. On the other hand, we know your TV is a big computer and you can be locked out of it, so Samsung has full access to some extent. 😮
Tip of the month - be anonymous
How to Get a Burner Email Address With iCloud+'s 'Hide My Email' — lifehacker.com
Don't share your real email address with random websites. Get a burner instead. There are several different ways to do this, depending on your e-mail provider. Here's how to generate a fake e-mail address for subscription purposes on Apple.
Interesting reads to ponder
Microsoft, Facebook, and everyone else are building the metaverse. Will you want to live there? — www.cnet.com
Welcome to tech's latest pivot. VR is not the metaverse. So what is? You're going to be hearing a lot of buzzwords around it, and this is a good article to start with.
Apple's Plan to "Think Different" About Encryption Opens a Backdoor to Your Private Life — www.eff.org
Apple has announced impending changes to its operating systems that include new “protections for children” features in iCloud and iMessage. If you’ve spent any time following the Crypto Wars, you know what this means: Apple is planning to build a backdoor into its data storage system and its messaging system. And a backdoor can always be exploited...
Gadgets
We can't wait for these 5 new phones: iPhone 13, Galaxy S22 Ultra, Pixel 6 and more — www.cnet.com
Autumn is the time of year when the tech companies typically release their new flagship phones. That means new gadgets if you're in the market! (and have ~$1000💲💲) It also means great deals on phones that are barely 6 months old as the new models come out. Check out this round-up of the five most anticipated models of 2021.
Amazon launches smart soap dispenser with timer to make sure you wash for 20 seconds — www.cnbc.com
Of all the problems in the world, this is what Amazon has solved! But seriously, this could be a nifty little gadget, especially for those with kids. Definitely expect Amazon to recommend re-ordering soap though - Bezos knows all! 😁 Get it now at Amazon for $54.99.
In tech history...Windows 95 nostalgia
Kicking off one of the largest product launches in technology history, Microsoft releases the highly anticipated Windows 95. More than one million copies will be sold in the first four days of its release.
Wanna see Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer "dance" at the Windows 95 release announcement at Comdex? Oh, we knew you would! 🙂
MIKESOFT WINDOWS 96 — windows96.net
For a little Windows 95 nostalgia check out this site. It's a pretty full-featured mock-up of Windows 95 that loads in your browser. Play with the old Paint, grab some solitaire, or just browse folders the old-fashioned way!
In closing...go dig a hole kid!
When you were a kid, at some point you decided to dig a hole to "China". Did you ever wonder where it would actually lead if you could succeed? Well, someone built a site for that, and it's pretty neat!
SuperTunnel Simulator — supertunnel.app Simulate a hole through Earth and learn where you would end up if you were to dig in that direction