Many people are nervous about the various perils lurking on the Internet. They want to be able to protect themselves and be secure when to comes to their personal data.
Frequent advice given is to make sure to change passwords often, use complex passwords, not open emails or attachments from unfamiliar sources, and to be careful about sending personal data from Wi-Fi hotspots.
Continue reading “Gmail Alerts as to Unencrypted Emails”
When contemplating the world’s largest nations by population, China, India, the United States, and Indonesia might come to mind.
Indeed, their populations are currently estimated as follows:
•China: 1,355,692,576
•India: 1,236,344,631
•The United States: 318,892,103
•Indonesia: 253,609,643
Continue reading “Facebook: The World’s Largest Nation”
Here in the United States, we like to think that we can speak openly and freely on practically any subject while on the Internet. But is that universally true across the globe? Not necessarily!
Indeed, headlines have made clear that certain governments are intent on blocking Internet speech when it is in the interest of those who are in power but not necessarily when it is in the interest of some members of the citizens in those countries.
Continue reading “Government Censorship of Internet Speech”
Homo Sapiens are the most successful human species, so far. Homo Sapiens have thrived in the wake of the disappearance of prior human species like Neanderthals (although we do have some trace Neanderthal DNA from prior inter-breeding). And Homo Sapiens, of course, have greatly surpassed the abilities of other ape species. Need an example? Just take a look at all the recent tech trends for law firms of the future.
But are Homo Sapiens threatened to be left in the dust by another form of being here on Planet Earth? The answer is “yes,” according to none other than Stephen Hawking. And what’s more, Hawking says that we are threatened by our own creation — Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In his recent Reddit AMA, as reported by Tech Insider, Hawking has explained that Artificial Intelligence ultimately will become smarter than and a threat to Homo Sapiens, the current human race.
Continue reading “Hawking: Artificial Intelligence a Threat to Humans”
By now, most of us have grown accustomed to rating products on Amazon or services on Yelp, one to five stars. You might like knowing that the book you are thinking of buying on Amazon has been overwhelming rated five stars with many positive substantive reviews. And it might be helpful to learn that you probably should avoid a restaurant you were considering when most Yelp postings give only one or two stars with comments that tell you explicitly why you should go elsewhere. BUT . . .
How about websites that seek to review human beings in the same fashion as sites that address products and services???
Well, go no further. Coming this fall is an app called Peeple. The mission of Peeple, as stated on its site, is to provide “an app that allows you to rate and comment about the people you interact with in your daily lives on the following three categories: personal, professional, and dating.” The purpose of such ratings and comments supposedly is to “enhance your online reputation for access to better quality networks, top job opportunities, and promote more informed decision making about people.”
Continue reading “Rating People 1 to 5 Stars on Peeple App — Yikes!”
Once upon a time, long ago but not too far away, there was a law firm associate who was working up a case for a senior trial partner with the hope of delivering a well-prepared pre-trial and trial plan.
The associate proudly presented all the miscellaneous supporting legal authorities and the various favorable facts. But what was the senior trial partner’s response? “Stop!”
Is your personal data safe out there in cyberspace? This is the question so many people have been asking lately based on seemingly endless computer hacks. And, unfortunately, the answer to this question might not be what you want to hear.
In terms of recent noteworthy developments, unless you have been living in an isolated cave, you undoubtedly have heard about the Ashley Madison hacking disaster. The Ashley Madison hack does not only present a problem for the site’s users who thought that their personally identifiable information would be secure, but it points to a larger problem beyond this one specific site. Continue reading “Hackers Are Coming After Your Private Data”
People who go online likely consider the risks involved with using the Internet. People who contemplate extra-martial affairs probably consider the risks of those activities, too.
And, people who go online to seek out extra-marital affairs likely are mindful of the compounded risks of such endeavors. But do they envision that online adulterous activities could lead to a type of cyber warfare? Probably not, but at times reality can be stranger than fiction. Continue reading “Online Adultery Leads to Cyber Warfare?”
The Internet brings people together in all sorts of new ways. And when people come together, there can be all sorts of problems. So, is there a federal watchdog looking out for the rights of consumers in cyberspace? The answer is “yes” — the Federal Trade Commission (the FTC).
The FTC was created in 1914, long before the Internet, to prevent unfair methods of competition in commerce. The Federal Trade Commission Act later expanded the authority of the FTC to police unfair and deceptive acts or practices generally. Continue reading “FTC – the Federal Internet Cop”
Once upon a time, people didn’t require Internet access to find a date. The old-fashioned dating scene involved socializing with friends, attending community events, and spending Friday nights at parties and bars. That still happens, of course, but with the Internet, there are now unlimited hook-up options available right at your fingertips.
Dating sites like eHarmony and Match.com boast that many users have found loving, long-lasting relationships through ther dating services. Those couples likely would not have resulted without those web sites. Bravo — that is fantastic. Continue reading “The Perils of Online Dating”
