Author name: Jenny Nicole

Valentines Day 2017
Events & Deals, Tech

4 Tech Gifts to Give to Your Partner This Valentine’s Day

The 14th of February is a big day for people all around the world, for it is a day to show gratitude and an expression of love to your lover. Whether or not you agree with the tradition of Valentine’s Day, you should not pass up an opportunity to make your significant other feel loved or appreciated. Something as simple as a gift can make someone feel appreciated because it isn’t the gift, it’s the thought and intention that counts. One can use Valentine’s Day as this opportunity to show some love and why not show it through some tech gifts? But Why Tech Gifts? Say your boyfriend bought an iPhone 7 a few months ago and he’s a music enthusiast or likes to listen to podcasts on his daily commute. But the unfortunate design of the iPhone 7 made him carry around a dongle, something that he does not need to do.  In the same situation, say his daily commute is so long that his phone runs out of battery. The technology we carry affects us in several way, they can be designed beautifully but still carry inconveniences. This is where you come in. Here are a few tech gift ideas to show some love! 1. Apple Airpods- $160 To solve your boyfriend’s audio commute problem, give him the gift of sound in the form of the Apple Airpods. The Airpods are Bluetooth earphones that were announced with the iPhone 7-but sold separately. They pair with the iPhone, have excellent sound quality and have 24 hour long battery, thanks to the neat case they come in that actually charge them! 2. Jackery Giant+ -$20 The Jackery Giant + is a 12,000mAh battery backup that can charge several devices at the same time. A perfect way to solve the problem of your device’ battery running out in the most inconvenient of times. A stylish design that is available in different colors, the Jackery Giant + also comes in several colors to choose from and at $20, it is a steal. Read More: Everything You Need to Know About the Apple iPhone 8, 8+ and iPhone X 3. Amazon Echo- $180 The Amazon Echo or ‘Alexa’ is a very neat device. Instead of barking orders at your significant other, say them to Alexa because she is always listening! Just be careful your girlfriend knows who ‘Alexa’ is when you call out to her! It is a hands free voice activated speaker that runs Amazon’s Alexa assistant, tp play music, to manage your thermostat, to turn on and off the lights and a lot more. She’ll answer your questions, update news and traffic. It’s really just fun to mess around with together! 4. FitBit Flex- $99.99 This is a hard gift to give because the message you’re trying to send might be confused with something else! But still, it is a fantastic device to track your steps, active minutes, heart rate and burned calories with so much more. It honestly is a must have when you’re fit, a great device to measure everything you do so that you are in control. Recommended For You: Employee Monitoring Software – Spy Employees Remotely  Parental Control App – Cell Phone Parental Control Software

Target Of Online Bullying
Parenting

My Daughter Was the Potential Target Of Online Bullying and Extortion and How XNSPY Helped

My 16 year old daughter is very active on Twitter. Ever since the Election cycle started, she spends almost all of her free time arguing or debating with some anonymous person or involving herself with some movement. I try to stay away from ‘debating’ with people online, especially about politics, because it always turns out to be arguing and shouting matches rather an actively trying to change someone’s opinion. I however was somewhat proud of daughter for trying to stay aware and fighting for something she believed in. I was not aware though at what lengths trolls and people with malicious intent are willing to go for a joke or for what they want. My Daughter As A Target My Daughter obviously uses most of the modern apps i.e Snapchat, Kik, Instagram etc. I knew the potential risks of this apps so I installed XNSPY on her iPhone before I gifted it to her, and honestly I did not know how much it would come in handy when I first got it. Anyways, after her usual Twitter arguments, she started getting Direct Messages on Twitter that had some very unpleasant things to say about her. She was shocked but quickly blocked these people. The real shock came when these trolls started sending her threatening messages on Instagram, something she had not linked in her Twitter.  The trolls did not stop there, soon she started receiving messages on her different platforms threatening to release our home address (Doxxing) and private pictures they supposedly captured. My daughter was stubborn and did not tell me about these messages or the threats she was receiving. She thought she could take these trolls on all by her own and was looking to reply to all of these messages. Now if you are a parent who is aware that your child is being targeted online, the last thing you should allow is to have them reply to these trolls. Because to them, it is all a joke and these threats that they send are in a way, bait. Bait for something more devious. How XNSPY Helped Me Intervene My daughter always seemed agitated or just mad but she wouldn’t tell me what was going on. This is what made me suspicious. I did install XNSPY, however up until now I did not have a reason to use it. Through XNSPY, I was able to monitor her app activity and actually read the messages she received on Kik, Facebook and Instagram. I even read her WhatsApp messages to her friends, saying how she will retaliate. I realized how grave the situation had become and stepped in to intervene. I confronted her about how she seemed agitated all the time and coerced her to tell me what was going on (even though I already knew). It took an argument but it eventually got to the point where she told me what was going on. I then convinced her that engaging these trolls was exactly what they wanted, and that she should stay off of twitter, or any social media outlet, for a while. She did exactly that. I urge every parent to be aware of the dangers your children are susceptible to and to take action when necessary.

Amanda Todd
Cyberbullying

Man Linked to Amanda Todd Case Accused of 72 charges In Global Cyberbullying Case

Dutchman Aydin C. faces 72 charges after being accused of extorting young teenage girls. Aydin C. would get young teen girls to pose nude for him and would then would use the pictures to blackmail them. Aydin C. has now gone on trial in Amsterdam. He is suspected of having forced several young women internationally. His victims are mostly young women from Britain, United Stated, and Canada. He would force all of these young women to perform lewd acts in front of a webcam. His charges include computer sex crimes, creating and possessing child pornography, among blackmail, fraud, and possession of drugs. He denies all 72 charges. His Link With Amanda Todd Amanda Todd was a 15-year-old girl from Canada who posted a video on Youtube where she, with flashcards, told audience her experiences of being bullied and harmed. She also told of how she was blackmailed into exposing herself on webcam. On October 10, 2012, Amanda Todd committed suicide. The video went viral after her death. Aydin C. wanted in Canada for trial in the case of Amanda Todd. He posed as a young woman and would groom young teens until they were comfortable enough with him to eventually have his victims pose nude in front of a webcam. 34 victims are identified. After he obtained these harmful images, his tone would change to a more sinister one where he would threaten to reveal the pictures to the victim’s friends and family if they did not comply. Five gay men were also a target of Aydin C. who presented himself as a young teenage boy. He used the same techniques as he did with the young teenage girls and would blackmail the men and threaten to reveal their sexualities. He once extorted $1,100 into his account. Aydin C. was particular and careful with his techniques and would use several aliases such as ‘Tyler Boo’, ‘Kelsy Rain’ etc. He even used a program tool to appear as a young girl when chatting with them via webcam. Investigators recovered 204,000 pictures from hard drives recovered from Aydin C.’s residence. Investigators, however, did not detail what the content of these images was. Aydin C.’s arrest came when Facebook informed Dutch authorities in 2013 that a ‘sextortionist’ was active in The Netherlands. Following the arrest, Canadian authorities asked for his extradition in the case of Amanda Todd. The extradition was granted by a Dutch court and is now under appeal before the Dutch Supreme Court. Taking Cyberbullying Head On Cases like this portray how far predators are willing to go in the case of cyberbullying and the amount of damage they are willing to cause. It is imperative that cases like these are never repeated and preventive measures are in order. Amanda Todd’s appeal for help was overlooked and ignored and it came into the spotlight too little too late. The reason why XNSPY exists is to never let this type of case repeat itself.

Facebook's privacy
NEWS, Social Media

Facebook Does Not Care About Your Privacy

Facebook is now home to an approximate 1.79 billion active users. Its 24-hour long availability as a means to get attention and acknowledgment is enticing and addictive. We as users have ingrained Facebook into our society, where we share our private victories, failures of stories to the world. Having attention to matters or something personal is not necessarily a bad thing. Using Facebook, like anything addictive can be done with moderation. Unfortunately, people who use Facebook moderately are in the minority as studies show that the average user checks Facebook 14 times a day. With the audience the size of an empire, Facebook has capitalized on the potent purchasing market that its platform holds. Facebook notoriously collects user’s data for marketing purposes. Certain ads are targeted towards certain people depending on the type of data they match. But How Does Facebook Not Care About Privacy? Besides giving away your data to marketers, analyst and USF Professor told Melanie Michael of WFLA Channel 8 News “…People are always checking to see what’s going on. Anytime you’re using your phone, any kind of information that you’re putting into your phone, looking at on your phone, Facebook can access that.” She further commented saying “…I don’t think that people realize how much Facebook is tracking every move we’re making online,” she said. “Anything that you’re doing on your phone, Facebook is watching.” Facebook tracks user’s non-Facebook browsing as well, meaning the browsing you when you are logged out of Facebook is tracked. It does this by tracking your browsing history. Ads will be targeted towards you after Facebook assess what your interests are. Facebook knows a lot about you than you think. Facebook Is Listening To Your Conversations Facebook is using your phone or device’s microphone to eavesdrop on your conversations and listening in for buzzwords. These buzzwords are used to target ads. The microphone setting for Facebook is automatically enabled. Facebook admits this themselves: “We use your microphone to identify the things you’re listening to or watching, based on the music and TV matches we’re able to identify.” They further explained the use of your microphones: “Facebook does not use your phone’s microphone to inform ads or to change what you see in News Feed,” according to the statement “We only access your microphone if you have given our app permission and if you are actively using a specific feature that requires audio. This might include recording a video or using an optional feature we introduced two years ago to include music or other audio in your status updates. To turn off the Microphone for Facebook, follow these steps: On iPhone (iOS 10) Go to the Settings app Scroll down to Facebook, tap it Tap “Settings” Turn off the slider for Microphone (slider should be grey instead of green) On Android (Marshmallow) Go to Settings Swipe over to “Personal” Tap “Privacy and safety” Tap “App permissions” Tap “Microphone” Find Facebook, and turn the slider to OFF See Also: How i can spy  Facebook Messenger on Android?

DuckDuckGo: Privacy Browser
NEWS

DuckDuckGo: Privacy Browser Hits Huge Milestone of 14 Million Searches in One Day

DuckDuckGo gained notoriety back in 2013 when Whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed shocking details of the NSA’s operations.  DuckDuckGo since then has been increasing in popularity because of its stance on privacy of the user. The search engine does not collect or share user’s data and personal information. Since personal activity is not tracked, users are not pestered with ads that are catered to them. The search engine is transparent themselves as they have their data publicly available. The company was founded by Gabriel Weinberg in Paoli, Pennsylvania, United States. The company has a total of 21 employees. Gabriel Weinberg previously worked on “The Names Database”, a social networking site that was acquired by United Online in 2006 for $10 million. Along with these features, DuckDuckGo avoids the filter bubble of presenting personalized results. These same results are presented from the best sources instead of the most sources. (https://www.genusinnovation.com/) The bottom-line is that DuckDuckGo does not track the user, at all. Apple in 2014 included DuckDuckGo as an optional search engine in Safari and in the same year Mozilla Firefox included it as an alternative search engine in their browser. The company reports that its popularity has been increasing faster than ever, it’s suggested it is because people are increasingly adamant at reducing their digital presence. A PEW research suggests that “40% of people think that their search engine should not retain their information”. At the same time last year DuckDuckGo was serving around 8-9 million searches per day. Founder Gabriel Weinberg in an interview with CNBC reported that the company had grown exponentially, citing 600% growth after the NSA surveillance story broke.  He commented further saying how now they are receiving an average of 3 billion searches a year, and for a company that has been around since 2008, it was a remarkable breakthrough. “We’re doing about three billion searches a year so we’re already pretty mainstream.” – Gabriel Weinberg told CNBC.  Along with 14 million views in one single day, DuckDuckGo is celebrating a total of 10 billion total searches, a huge chunk of the views in 4 billion searches were all conducted in the year of 2016.  In contrast, Google receives upto an average of 3.5 billion searches a day, almost 250 times more than DuckDuckGo has received. Still, DuckDuckGo’s prospects are looking up as more and more people leave google for APM search results. DuckDuckGo also promotes other organizations focused on privacy and staying true to their mission they donated $225,000 to nine different organizations dedicated to privacy. A part of their mission is to promote trust online. Online privacy is a subject that came into mainstream discussion in 2013 when Edward Snowden’s revelations showed the extent of user’s privacy being invaded. Several privacy software started becoming popular, VPN’s being the center of attention of this surge in users looking for ways to hide their activity. Several websites, including Google and Facebook came under scrutiny for mining user’s data without their knowledge.

iOS Update is here
iPhone, NEWS

The Latest iOS Update is here: The iOS 10.2.1

Apple rolled out the latest version of the iOS on the 23rd of January for its iPhone and iPad devices. The description from the settings menu makes it out to be a run of the mill update this version brings a lot of necessary fixes mainly in security. The security fixes has fixed perhaps a critical weak point in the device, so it is imperative that you download the update as soon as possible. Security Improvements with iOS 10.2.1 Apple has detailed the security updates in their update page  outlining all of the improvements made with the new changes. Most of all, Apple details all the vulnerabilities and how this update sees to change that. The update sees to fix the harmful iOS application that targets iOS devices such as iPads  that can run an arbitrary set of code that carry kernel rights. The application intruded on the iOS’s device’s memory management. Jp Taggart, a security researcher for MalwareByte told Wired how important the update was because of the daunting circumstances the threat posed. He said “Want to record conversations and forward them to someone else? It can do that. Want to install additional malicious software? It can do that. Want to uninstall programs on the affected phone? It can do that. Want to hide these actions, programs and files from the user? It can do that too.” Fixing Arbitrary Code The new update also fixes the major threat of arbitrary code executions some websites pose. Users would visit certain websites or receive messages from iMessage that would hack or crash their devices and the only way to fix it was to visit a webpage that the author of the hack themselves set up. Visiting this webpage restores iMessage by the means of an automated response that was set off. The author of the hack could not be so kind and further introduce additional malware or bugs. (https://driventheatre.com/) The new update has seen to end this parade. Bug Fixes The iOS 10.2.1 version also looks to fix the bugs of 10.2. 10.2 introduced new features including messaging app features, emojis, apps and widgets. These changes were found out to be a problem since many users faced battery draining. Users are already reporting the problem to be somewhat solved. Previously users reported that their iPhones would die at 30% or 50% and these forces users to downgrade to previous iOs versions. One last update Apple plugged into the iOs 10.2.1 is a diagnostic capability which will further help in tracking down bugs to deal with them. Apple hopes that with this diagnostic ability, bugs will be dealt with faster. How to Update to iOS 10.2.1 To update your iOS device to iOs 10.2.1, simply go to the Settings menu and tap “Software Update”, this should be under general settings. The update is meant for iPhone generation five and after. It is important to update as soon as possible because of how vulnerable the security seems for the previous versions.

The Pixel Phone
Android, Android Tracking

The Google Pixel: An Android Purist’s Dream Phone?

The Google Pixel phone has been the first phone that the company manufactured itself, meaning that it stepped away from the Nexus trend of having established Smartphone companies do the manufacturing for them. The Google Pixel from software to hardware, is a purely Google built device and it is a marvel of one at that. The Google Pixel comes in to models, The Google Pixel and The Google Pixel XL. Google boasts that the Pixel has the best camera on any Smartphone available and user reviews back that claim. The powerful camera coupled with the Android Nougat, 4GB of RAM, upto 128 GB worth of storage and Snapdragon 821 processor, Google is looking to compete with Apple and Samsung with this debut device. Is The Hype For the Google Pixel Worth It? Verizon hold exclusive rights to the Pixel Phone which means that other United State cellphone companies are, at this time, still unable to sell it to demanding customers.  Because of this, Verizon has gone all out and spent $25 million on marketing the “Phones made by Google”. Verizon will also control the updates Google Pixel phones receive. The security patches will still come from Google but the Verizon models will handle system updates. Customers can alternatively buy an unlocked version from The Google Store if they want to. The Verizon ad campaign to create hype for the phone though has undoubtedly worked. The phone has received rave reviews and has been picked as the Smartphone of the year for 2016 by many.  Even at the end of the holiday season, demands for the phone were still high. The Google Pixel is at the moment, sold out. Meaning that you cannot buy this phone from any Verizon stores and shipment is expected to resume in March as stores restock. The lack of supply is proof of the phones popularity and the brand itself, even after the disappointment in its exclusivity to Verizon, something Google itself was surprised by. Sales of the Google Pixel accounted for 12.5% of sales in 50 Verizon stores during the start of December and by the end of December it was at a 9.5% figure. What Accounted For The Google Pixel’s Success? · The Phone’s Features The Google Pixel phone was released with the latest version of Android, Android 7.01 or “Android Nougat”. The phone also sports a 12 MP back camera with an 8MP front camera. This camera however has been hailed the as the best smartphone camera available today. A powerful Snapdragon 821 processor keeps everything smooth. The addition of the Google Assistant has caught attention too as a useful feature. · Apple and Samsung What really made the Pixel popular were really the shortcomings of its competition. Samsung with its explosive situation with the Note 7 and Apple with its controversial decision to remove the headphone jack in place for a thinner phone and their “Earpods” made Google capitalize. It was just a refreshing breath of air really.  

Are You Monitoring the Right Way?
Employee Monitoring

3 Checkpoints To Adhere To When Monitoring Employees

Employees are an asset to any business and therefore these assets should be should be brought to their maximum potential. Businesses and organizations use Employee Monitoring to do just that. Employee monitoring allows a business to track employee involvement with work related tasks and this ensures productivity, allows a business to have a track record of certain their staff and even ensures the safety of an employee because a record of their work hours is retained. Their weaknesses can be revealed and worked on and what they work strongly with can be rewarded.  This is imperative when performance reviews are held. Employee monitoring is nothing and has been around since the late 1800s in the form of timesheets. Now that we have far more technology centered workplaces, it has become easier to monitor employees through software and devices. Employers are at even more of an advantage when these devices and software are company provided. But how does one first go about tracking employees? Say you are now in charge of a business of about 25 employees. It is impossible to go and observe every employee individually. This is why dedicated software exists to do the same job. Your job should become a lot easier if employees have company assigned devices. Here are three checkpoints you should always visit when monitoring employees through devices: Tracking Employee Email Email is the main source of communication both in and out of the companies. Companies usually provide employees with their own emails to have a more organized and central structure of communication. What most employers don’t do however is track email . Emails sent to colleagues or clients help keep a record of every transaction the employee does, therefore in a way it is a record of their performance.  If the employer is suspicious of company information being leaked, it can be checked immediately. In the same way if an employee is accused of misusing company servers, it can be verified. Recommended For You: Employee Monitoring Software – Spy Employees Remotely Tracking Employee Movement If you are in charge of a large work force whose work is out in the field, you should be on top of their every move. You shouldn’t have to rely on blind trust when the company might be at risk. An ideal situation would be to have a GPS tracker to have real time locations along with a log for future reference of each employee. This would ensure any suspicion of misconduct or even confirm it.   Tracking Employee Calls The same protocol should be followed when tracking employee calls. The employer should have an idea of business related communication as business call are essential to sales or business earnings. Finding out whether an employee followed company policies while conducting one of these phone calls should not be an issue. Keeping all of these things in mind, XNSPY developed their cellphone tracking app. XNSPY allows the user to track other devices. The app is installed on the desired device and becomes invisible. The activity is then monitored from another device. Calls, texts and messages are easily tracked by the app, but on top of this XNSPY provide real time tracking, with a location log for future use. One of the most popular features is the “Geo-fence” feature where the user can set up safe and unsafe locations. The user will be notified immediately if a device crosses into an unsafe region. XNSPY is a modern tool to maintain Employee Monitoring and employers should use all necessary tools to ensure maximum productivity.    

Child Monitoring, Parental Monitoring

3 Checkpoints at Which Every Parent Needs to Get their Online Vigilante On

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a report outlining how important it is for parents to be involved in their children’s online life because of the impact it has on them.  Children are being introduced to the online world younger than ever now. Most young children will use their iPads to access game apps like Minecraft or Club Penguin and this will eventually lead them to forums, where they are susceptible to being scammed. Even worse, these freemium games that are offered free on the app store will have In App Purchases (IAP’s) will charge huge amounts to proceed further in the game. The children knowingly or unknowingly, spend huge amounts of money through the parent’s credit card. These type of instances only occur when the child is not being supervised online and are free to do whatever they think is right. The child is not to blame here, the parents are. It is naïve to think that the child will learn on their own. Here are a few things you need to know and enforce, especially if your young child is getting more and more involved online: Children Joining Facebook at a Young Age What most parents aren’t aware of or don’t care too much about is that Facebook only allows people over 13 year old to have accounts. There is no real enforcement of this rule by Facebook and many parents will themselves will create their underage children’s account. What this does is put the child at risk of being preyed upon by predators and even to things like “Facebook Depression”. “Facebook Depression” is an affliction that is a result of being ignored and neglected online after investing time and effort to establish a persona. Setting Privacy Settings Most modern browsers have extensive privacy settings that allow and control browsing. This ensures safety of your child from viewing harmful material as well as protects it from viruses. Facebook also allows extensive privacy settings. Taking advantage of these settings will protect your child even further. Recommended For You: Employee Monitoring Software – Spy Employees Remotely  Parental Control App – Cell Phone Parental Control Software Young Children Using Devices It becomes complicated when it comes down to children and their devices. Teenagers with their devices are savvier than parents can ever be. Their device is a front to several different apps and social media outlets that it becomes difficult to keep track. Parents should try and keep up to date with their activity through their phone. With several apps at their disposal, the children are at a bigger risk than ever.  The solution for this is having a cellphone tracking app such as XNSPY. XNSPY allows the tracking of their texts messages, calls, browsing history and even current location. Parents can track their children’s devices in real time. If you want to make sure that your child is actually at the place they say they are, you can set up geo-fences so that you know if they stray into places marked unsafe. XNSPY also allows app observation, so that parents know what apps are being used and what is being installed. Your child’s safety online is in your hands and it is up to you to use all the tools necessary to keep them safe. At the same time, breathing down your child’s throat and monitoring and penalizing every move they make is also ill-advised. Practice good judgement and moderation to keep your child secure.  

Child Monitoring

To Catch a Predator: Chris Hansen Has Returned with an All New Series and What It Means Today

Chris Hanson has returned with an all new series titled “Hansen vs Predator” to showcase how modern apps and social media cam be used to solicit underage children for sex. Ever since “To Catch a Predator” first aired on Dateline NBC in 2004, it became an instant hit.  Chris Hansen was at the front of this investigation and through his career has caught over 400 predators.  Working with an online watchdog group called “Perverted Justice” and local law enforcement, sting operations were set up where decoys lured predators through online chatrooms. Some of the details of this investigation were so shocking that the show itself would censor them.  Predators would show up to the sting house set up by the investigators where they would be greeted by a young looking decoy. The decoy would lure them inside where they would be confronted by Chris Hansen. Every predator had a range of different excuses. All of these investigations had one thing in common: Predators praying upon underage children. The last investigation was carried out in 2008 by “To Catch a Predator”.  Along with an audience demand to bring back the show, Chris Hansen further elaborated why it was necessary: “When we did it before, there were chat rooms on AOL and Yahoo, now there are 22 ways to communicate online” he told the Los Angeles Times. The new show was crowd funded on Kickstarter and it received an overwhelming response. Soon episodes started showing up on YouTube and what we saw truly shocked us. Predators as old as 60 use apps such as Snapchat or dating apps like “Hot or Not” to get in touch with who they thought was an underage child. These investigations are still overlooked by a watchdog group and local authorities. How Apps Can Be Used To Solicit Children Since nowadays every other 13 year old has a smartphone loaded with apps, one only has to think of the increased amount of risk that a child now faces online, maybe even more than what 13 year olds faced in 2004 when not every adolescent was truly exposed to the internet. One wrong naïve swipe or chat could lead to terrible consequences. As the investigations Chris Hanses carries out show that every predator shows up to the child’s home when the parents aren’t around. What can a parent possibly do to prevent this from happening and be aware of their child’s involvement online? Mobile Tracking as a Solution This is the sort of situation XNSPY looks to control. XNSPY offers a range of parental controls on your child device so that you can monitor their online activity and app usage along with call tracking and message tracking. You can also set up geo-fences and mark safe and unsafe areas along with remotely observing their current location.  This is all to ensure that a situation like the ones depicted in “Hansen vs Predator” never occurs. At the end of each show, Chris Hansen stresses upon observing your child’s activity online and he urges that any measures be taken to keep your child safe online. This is one of the reasons why XNSPY exists.

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