Author name: Jenny Nicole

Kids and Technology
Tech

Kids & Technology: Using Technology to a Parent’s Advantage

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With modern-day technologies, kids find it hard to concentrate on anything else. They’d rather look at their screens, playing mobile games or watching YouTube videos, all day than reading books, doing their homework, or playing outside.  Every parent finds it difficult to see their children do nothing but sit around the house engrossed in their phones, tablets, and PCs.  XNSPY has aided many parents in controlling such behavior through the various parental monitoring features it offers.  However, the same modern technologies can be used to help your kid(s) learn better as well. All you need to know are the ways you can use technology to your advantage.  So, today’s post is all about helping you help your kid with learning while utilizing all the present technologies such as the internet, smartphones, and PCs. How can Smartphones and Tablets Help in Your Children’s Learning? According to a study done in 2013, 75% of kids and toddlers of ages 8 and under have access to a smartphone or tablet at home. While smartphones’ usage is more common than other mobile devices. That’s a lot of kids spending a big part of their day playing games, using different apps, and watching videos on their (or their parents’) phones.  But, don’t you worry, there are plenty of ways you can help them learn through smartphones using educational apps. Here are some of them that many parents already use to entertain their kids and making them learn new things at the same time. Crossword Puzzle Traditionally crossword puzzles were and are still printed in newspapers and books. But young kids are not that familiar with print media.  So, having the Crossword Puzzle game app allows them to have the same learning experience on their phones.  It is a great way to let them 1play on their phones while learning new words. Expanding their vocabulary and preparing them for their English classes at school. Quick Maths It is another fine educational app that aids in sharpening your children’s basic mathematics skills. Kids can learn how to add, subtract, multiply and divide through the app.  The app even has three difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard with math questions involving 1, 2, and 3 digit(s), respectively. You can install this app on their phones or yours for your kids to enjoy learning about mathematics and its basics. Spelling Stage  Kids like a challenge and the Spelling Stage app provides just that a fun challenge teach them spellings to different words.  It offers engaging choices for all kids, ages 4 and above, to have a fun time learning words’ spellings by looking at pictures or getting textual hints. Every kid’s phone should have this app because spellings matter, no matter which subject they are studying at school. Science360 An app built especially for tablet users, Science360 showcases images and videos for children on advanced science and the latest engineering news. The in-app content is of high quality and updated weekly. So, your kids can learn new things as much as possible. The app offers a 360-degree view of the 3D images that allows kids to explore them from any angle they wish. Giving them a clear understanding of how the actual object would look in real life, even though all they can do is look at it through their screens. YouTube Kids Instead of the normal YouTube app, YouTube Kids is specifically designed and curated for young children. It offers entertaining and educational videos that can inspire and nurture their curious minds.  Better to give them content that enriches their learning experience rather than cartoons that can only entertain but teach them nothing in return.  So, let your children install and explore the YouTube Kids app to have a fun time watching educational videos and picking up new things along the way. Internet is Involved in Everything All the apps discussed so far require the internet at some point or all the time to keep updating its content. But phone apps are not the only tools available to help you make your children learn and grow using the latest technologies.  There are numerous educational websites out there as well. Such websites provide either free or subscription-based courses and learning material for kids around the world. Starfall, a website started by the Starfall Education Foundation, offers a free public service of teaching kids how to read.  Since it went online in September 2002, Starfall has expanded itself to include mathematics and language arts for all students ranging from pre-school to the third grade. Similarly, the Khan Academy provides multiple courses to students of different ages (pre-school to high school).  May it be reading and language arts, science, math, computing, or even life skills. Your kids can learn so much and without paying a single dime. Yes, courses offered at the Khan Academy are 100% free.  So, stop worrying about their high phone usage and educate them using the same modern-day technologies.  While, in the end, we hope this post helps you in better utilizing the internet and smartphones for your children’s everyday learning at home.

Social Problems of Teenagers
Tips

Six Social Problems of Teenagers and Their Solutions

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Today’s tech-savvy teenagers are facing challenges no previous generation has faced. Technology has faced the landscape for teenagers to perform and learn in an awkward environment. Our teenage kids are exposed to several internal and external struggles.  The research states that between 13 and 19, teenagers go through hormonal changes. They feel an extended peer and parental pressure that limits their ability to solve problems. Due to the advent of digital communications, teens’ ways of interacting with their peers and parents have changed. Overuse of technology has also linked teenagers with a dysfunctional social life.  Since today’s teenagers use their electronic devices to date, sleep, learn, and exercise, teens struggle with a multitude of social problems every day. There is a need for parents to approach these problems of teenagers and devise positive solutions for them.  In this post, we are listing some of the most common issues/problems faced by teenagers today and also discover possible solutions to those problems. Let us begin!  1. Conflicts with Peers As many teenagers seek independence, most of them end up arguing with their parents and siblings. There are dire consequences of constant conflicts such as skipping school, domestic violence, and traffic violations. Conflicts lead them beyond the norms of rebellion.  Since no two individuals process thoughts in the same manner, a difference of opinion is natural. However, such differences of opinion should not turn into debates that turn into fights.  The solution for this problem lies in the foundation of trust. Since children often need a bond or relationship with parents to solve their social problems, doubting them or spying on their smart devices can damage their trust. Some parents spy on their teens’ digital devices with apps such as Xnspy without their consent. This generates conflicts between teenagers and parents and impacts their self-esteem.  Parents should try to be flexible with kids and accept their opinions to avoid conflicts. It is always great to allow teenagers to reveal their thoughts. Managing conflict starts with compromising and accepting their thoughts.  2. Poor Confidence Problem  Adolescents experience a significant lack of confidence. When kids fail to achieve their teenage dreams or goals, their self-confidence often drifts apart. In such circumstances, even the slightest negativity can hurt their feelings.  A lack of confidence makes kids more resentful and shameful; help them to avoid exposing their vulnerable sides.         3. Stress Management  According to the American Psychological Association, one-fifth of US teenagers worry and undergo significant stress. Many sources of stress include continuous failure in academics and unfriendly parenting styles.  Family help and guidance can help teens to cope with growing stress. Parental interaction will reduce negative self-talk and encourage kids to build positive relationships.  4. Communication Skills  The communication gap often hinders teens to pour out their hearts and eliminate feelings of loneliness. The communication gap between parents and children often leads to kids seeking help from outside the walls of their homes. As a result, children may develop negative relationships and hide important things.  Parents should understand and listen to the suppressive thoughts of their young ones. In this situation, enforcing attentive listening holds the key to effective problem-solving and also bridges the communication gap.   5. Anger Management Teens often find it difficult to control their impulses and show hostile emotions frequently. Some kids demonstrate hysterical behavior when feeling rejected. Negative emotions bring sudden changes to their moods and increase the chances of misconduct. Proper anger management can solve kids’ emotional problems. For example, parents must exercise empathy to minimize their aggressive behavior. Teach your child the importance of forgiveness to manage their anger effectively.   6. Obesity Management  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, more than 20% of kids between 12 to 19 years are overweight. Compared to Asians, more Hispanic children are obese that leads to social isolation and bullying at school.  Such kids also face several health-related issues such as heart disease and cancer. They often develop eating disorders and struggle with improving their appearances.  Sadly, some parents underestimate their child’s excessive weight problems and do not consult a pediatrician. Doing otherwise can help teens to solve their height and weight problems. Find a way to support and empower your teenager by devising a healthy eating plan to prevent obesity.  Parents can have a vital influence on their kids. Teens often feel misunderstood and dejected due to their family and environmental circumstances. We need to carefully listen to their problems and allow them to open their hearts to avoid social problems.  Some kids may be tempted to go the wrong way when feeling jealous or rejected. Their attitudes can be corrected by accepting their shortcomings and allowing them to build a strong bond. Trying to be more flexible with kids can encourage them to accept your opinions. 

Employee Monitoring

5 Types of Workplace Monitoring in 2021

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In today’s era, nothing is progressing faster than the technology sector. Once we could never imagine calling someone except using a landline phone. But, then, the cell phones were launched. Now, with the latest smartphones, we can not only call someone and hear them but we can see them as well. With such advances, workplaces are adapting too. Employee monitoring was, once, only done in person. Now, it can be done remotely from any part of the world. However, there are a few different types of employee monitoring. So, we will discuss only five selected ones. While, later in the article, you will also learn about the positive and negative effects of monitoring your staff members. But let’s start with the basics and talk about: What’s Workplace Monitoring? Workplace monitoring, often regarded as employee monitoring, is a method or combination of methods employers use to keep an eye on the happenings in the office and their employee’s activities and whereabouts. For a business owner, tracking employees can serve various important purposes. Usually, the main ones are easy assessments of employees’ performance and productivity. While preventing corporate espionage is another major reason. 5 Ways Employee Monitoring Is Being Done in 2021 There are all sorts of ways to achieve such goals. While XNSPY is already helping many business owners in monitoring their employees using most of the following techniques. So, as mentioned, we will discuss five types of employee monitoring in this piece and they are: Most offices place it for security purposes. What if some burglar/thief gets in and robs the place? But it doesn’t matter as it’s a rare happening. On the other hand, the cameras are watching/recording the staff all the time. So, one of the major reasons video surveillance takes place in offices is that employers want their workforce to be at their best behavior… no matter what’s the time. If the staff doesn’t comply, then they have all the proof they need! Note: Installing CCTV cameras in private areas such as washrooms and toilets is illegal. So, one should only install them in common places. As the room was only accessible to a few of the staff members, the questioning process will be easy and short. Similar, fingerprint scanners can add security to classified areas of an office. While making it hard for any espionage to happen either from the inside or outside. Another common employee monitoring practice is analyzing all the outgoing and incoming traffic within a workplace. Network monitoring can help in figuring out the presence of malicious software, infecting the network or systems on the network. Any unnecessary, unusual, or suspicious internet usage falls under such surveillance as well. So, during work hours, if your employees start using Facebook or Instagram on their devices, you will know about it. On the other hand, Email monitoring is usually done to prevent any leaks of corporate data. Another reason why it’s done is to know whether one’s staff members are being respectful to their clients. While some companies use it to keep their employees from gossiping in official emails. Most of their workers are out all day. Driving around in their trucks, vans, cars, etc. delivering all that’s on their list(s). To track such employees, companies use GPS locating tracking apps or devices. So, they can know where their worker is located and what they are doing, at any time. It is rather helpful to track their drivers. Because this way they can effectively monitor and change their delivery routes, when and if required. Is This a Good Practice? As doing everything else, there are some merits to monitoring your staff and, equally, some demerits. The advantages of employee monitoring, however, are proving to be worth it despite the disadvantages of practicing these methods. How is it so? With proper monitoring, employees are determined to: However, if you don’t apply the methods in the right manner, you may: You want your business to profit from employee monitoring, right? So, always be careful while planning your workplace surveillance methods. First, learn how to properly monitor your employees and then, only then, implement the surveillance methods at your workplace. Now, that will be all for today’s post. Hope it helps you in achieving your goals!

Cyberbullying - Not only for Kids
Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying—Not a Concern for Kids Only

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Cyberbullying starts when a couple of people get their hands on a smartphone and bully others online. Or, so it is popularly believed. However, cyberbullying is not a concern for just teens or young adults. Grownups can face this threat as well. Concerned parents often get XNSPY to keep an eye on their kids through monitoring their phones. But what most people forget is that adults face harassment online—all the time. Famous people, celebrities, often get harassed on social media. Similarly, any member of the working class, too, can become a target of cyberbullying. No One is Safe from Online Harassment An old PEW research highlighted that 73% of adults get harassed or abused online. While 40% became victims of virtual attacks. Now, with the latest research, PEW reports 65% of adults started using social networking websites between the 2005–2015 period. Which is almost ten times more social media usage within just a decade. With the latest trends and addition of many new social media platforms, like Instagram, or IM apps, like WhatsApp, their impact will only grow. Before Facebook arrived at the scene, most people were able to chit chat and spread gossip through group chats. Using, then available, chat messengers and websites. However, today, we see everyone posting their pictures on Snapchat or Instagram. Or, letting people know where they are or have been by “checking in” on Facebook. All this social media presence can put any adult in the crosshair of cyberbullies present on the internet. How Adults Are Getting Cyberbullied? According to another research, women often become victims of sexual harassment online. Even though men report that people from both genders have abused them. Women harassed online said that they fell victim to slurs and cyberbullying attacks from men, mostly. On the other hand, the perpetrators of all such virtual attacks were twice more likely to be from the male population. While one in ten social media users, despite their gender, received inappropriate pictures (of/from the perpetrator) without their consent. Yes! That’s what adults are doing. If these supposed “grownups” are still harassing other people in this manner. One cannot even blame the teenagers. As they don’t know right from wrong at such young ages. Preventing Kids and Adults from Cyberbullying Alike Parents are often seen teaching their kids how to deal with online harassment and ways to prevent any virtual attacks. Adults need to do the same. We all should know how to be safe from bullies online. So, here’s how you can stop or reduce cyberbullying attempts: Share your experience Many a time, people forget the power of sharing and getting support from others. You can talk about your experience(s) with the people close to you and let them help you in dealing with the cyberbully and their threats. Don’t Feel Like It’s Your FaultIf someone is harassing you online, it’s more their problem than yours. You’re not at fault. You’re not the one to blame.  So, never hand the power over to the perpetrator by feeling bad about yourself. Or, blaming yourself for getting their attention.  Bullies are everywhere and they just want to bully others. It doesn’t matter if there’s anything wrong with you or anyone else. They will always come up with something to make you feel insecure about. Notify the AuthoritiesNow, this can mean different things. For adults, you can report the comments, posts, messages, or users meaning you harm to the respective social media platform. If you feel the threat can surpass the virtual world and into the real one, then you can even involve law enforcement agencies. For kids and teens, one can notify the school about such cyberbullying activities. This is very important. Because most bullies depend on the people’s inability or fear of speaking up to let the authorities know about the abuse, online or otherwise. Don’t Delete the Proof Many people get flustered when they encounter cyberbullies. But, it’s best to remain calm and keep a record of their threatening chat messages, pictures, or texts. You’ll need to prove the virtual attacks happened, to whichever concerned authority, and these records will serve as evidence. Block the Perpetrator Almost all social media platforms let you control what people can talk to/message you. So, if any harassment attempts are made online, you can just block the user. The same can be done for emails and instant messaging apps. Beware of What You Share on Social Media In the end, it’s all about what and how much we share with people through social networking websites. If you’re not exposing everything going on in your life online, then the odds of people bullying you for it definitely go down. So, always tread carefully on the world wide web. Because we never know when, like a spider web, it becomes a sticky trap for the unaware butterfly (you).

AI and the modern world
Business

Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) Make the World a Better Place?

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The recent advances in artificial intelligence have stimulated the debate about its implications on society. As science is dominating every facet of life, AI products and tools are becoming a new norm at workplaces and homes. With resilient robots taking over jobs long held by humans, the AI-innovation game is more than just producing entertainment products. Artificial intelligence is altering the lives of people with savvy chatbots and intelligent machines. These AI-powered products can predict and know what human beings want to achieve and strive to do a better job than humans. This is why the Courthouse News Service states that many experts agree to the fact that AI is going to make the world a better place by 2030.  The fact that governments, institutions, and corporations will use AI significantly by 2030 to boost their efficiencies seems true in the current context. In this post, our discussion is based on the effectiveness of AI for this world and whether these AI innovations will create better equality and opportunity for all or not?  How AI has the Power to Change the World? The researchers at the University of South California show a consensus on the future of AI in terms of benefiting the world. Thanks to computers and software, organizations and AI experts are gathering significant data to study the behaviors of human beings. With AI specialists getting more informed about our everyday purchases, likes, and dislikes, they can create intelligent devices to predict what we want.  The USC researchers believe that AI has a lot to offer in the future. For example, by 2050, AI will dominate and change everything from entertainment, medicine, cybersecurity, transportation, education, and everyday tasks of human beings. This implies AI can be used effectively to solve the world’s complex problems in the next few years.  According to Pew Research, AI is set to have a significant impact on society by transforming businesses and cultures. It has all the potential to improve all areas of life. Since machines can do things faster than human beings, AI can positively influence society, business, and culture.  Forbes reveals that the human brain is the most powerful computer ever built by nature. However, AI should be used to further expand the capabilities of the human brain. Imagine how AI can enhance minds to rethink every single problem in the world. Even in its primitive days, AI can boost human skills and productivity.  AI’s Role in Entertainment  AI has impacted the entertainment world significantly over the past few years. Who would have thought a few years ago that Netflix could allow families to sit on their couches and enjoy custom movies with virtual characters?   Netflix is also helping film studios to build a successful future with predictive software to analyze the script before it is implemented. That improves both the script and the storyline and forecasts the potential of a film to create success at the box office.  Cybersecurity  The Thales Group reveals that there have been more than 554 million cybersecurity breaches in 2016. For example, in the 2016 US elections, the impact of cybersecurity attacks has been evident. The fact remains that security managers are struggling to protect sensitive data worldwide. The good news is that AI can help to enhance the self-learning capabilities of managers and reduce organizational costs.  Moreover, the governments can harness the power of AI to reduce terrorism and identify thefts. For example, Secureworks software allows organizations to combine human intelligence with security analytics to enhance the security operations of firms. Cybersecurity tools such as Deep Instinct have been used already to prevent fraud by enhancing smartphone security. Moreover, companies are using monitoring tools like Xnspy to dramatically improve their employees’ productivity.  These technologies will significantly help organizations to achieve their goals in the future and reduce security breaches.  Medicine  Medicine is vital for every individual to maintain health. Using AI, engineers are developing intelligent algorithms to enable medical health professionals and hospitals to improve their data analysis capabilities. These algorithms can enhance doctors’ capabilities to understand the lifestyles and habits of Patients. That way, doctors are better able to customize their services to a particular patient by analyzing their environment. These tools allow the diagnosis of brain tumors and help doctors to find a better cancer treatment.  This shows that AI can be embraced to drive a revolution in personalized medicine to improve patients’ health.  Transportation From logistics to supply chains to personal driving, AI is going to deliver a substantial impact on transportation activities by 2050. A Medium post explains how AI is quickly transforming the logistics industry with big data analysis and automation. The post states that proper data analysis of the logistics sector allows cost and time savings. Software is allowing drivers to choose the best route that saves companies gallons of fuel. Moreover, the use of robots in the logistics industry will reduce employing more people to save costs.  Since self-driving autonomous cars are already making an impact, they will be ubiquitous by 2030. In many European cities, thanks to AI, now the trains need no drivers to control their movements. While Boeing is already building autonomous jets that require little or no intervention from pilots. These technologies show that AI will offer greater efficiencies in different aspects of transportation. Every day Human Activities and Tasks  According to Web Forum, innovations in AI have created new jobs and destroyed some old jobs. This is significantly raising more concerns of communities about the potential impact of AI on the job market of the US. However, many experts believe that AI will further revolutionize human production, capacity, and problem-solving skills in different industries.  For example, the technology eliminates repetitive activities and handles computational thinking to improve business processes. Since robots cannot get tired, AI helps people to cut down time-wasting and solves overwork problems. Conclusion AI technology provides tools and analytics to businesses and individuals to transform their processes. People should join forces to embrace this AI innovation to solve the world’s pressing problems and make the world a better place.

Android 12 news leaks
iPhone, NEWS

Android 12 Leaks Indicate Google Is Copying iOS 14 Features

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The rivalry between Google’s Android OS and Apple’s iOS is no news. However, with the upcoming Android 12 release, some leaked builds have been seen copying more than one iOS 14 feature. Apple introduced a user privacy feature in iOS 14 that mainly focuses on notifying the user when an app is accessing their phone’s location, camera, microphone, or clipboard through a pop-up. Apparently, Google has copied and pasted the same feature with Android 12. “Some Privacy Features Are Copied,” Claims the Source According to the leaks from XDADevelopers, Android 12 might have similar features as its biggest competitor iOS 14. As the source has claimed of using the unreleased version of the upcoming Android OS and figuring that the new features are similar to the ones the latest iPhone provides. The source further talks about the first feature that will allow enhanced privacy controls to users in Android 12. Revealing once a user enables the “show clipboard access” option in the privacy settings, they will be able to know which apps are accessing their clipboard. The only difference, according to the leak, is that the notification will appear on top of the keyboard in Android OS. As opposed to the notification that pops up at the top of the screen for iOS. Another feature, related to privacy as well, is where the user can choose to provide apps with an approximate location instead of the exact location when prompted. Basically, you can give the precise location you are at, the approximate location of where you think you are or even let the app decide to automatically choose from one of these two options on its own. So far, the source has only uncovered these features to be similar to iOS 14. However, more is yet to come with the Android 12 full release soon. What More to Expect from Android 12? Android Central, in its recent post, talks about how Google is developing new features to limit resources to various apps with the latest Android OS release. So, you can expect to see more features that will stop different apps, installed on your smartphone, from allocating much-needed resources. As there are tons of apps installed on our phones that we don’t even use regularly. But they are still there. Eating up phone’s memory, storage, and other processing power. What’s more, they even collect your personal information while being of no use to you. So, limiting resources to “Unused Apps” will definitely help to make the upcoming smartphones, running on Android 12, much faster, reliable, and secure. Android 12 Developer Previews Currently, three developer previews have been done for the masses to introduce the latest Android OS version. XDADeveloper, reviewing Android 12 developer preview 1, said in addition to the features (discussed earlier) Google has announced some distinctive changes in the upcoming release. There are going to be several changes like the addition of rich content insertion, multi-channel audio enhancements, Image support for AVIF Codec, Project Mainline through ART, audio-coupled haptic effects, and much more. While Preview 1.1 was an update on the bug fixes for the first developer preview. So, offered nothing new as such. Recently, the second preview introduced all the new user-facing (interactive) features. That included: Dark Theme (Using Light Gray Color Contrast) With the latest preview, Google seems to have lightened the gray color used in its dark theme. The backdrops are a much lighter shade of gray than compared to Android 11’s dark theme, which was almost completely black. One-Handed Mode The feature was under development at the time of Developer Preview 1. But with the second preview, the one-handed mode was made live for the public. Users can now enable one-handed mode to easily use an app without having to use both hands. There’s an automatic timeout option that can be set to 12 seconds, 8 seconds, 4 seconds, or never depending on your requirements. Swipe Down Gesture for App Notifications Yet another feature, now up for use in Developer Preview 2, the swipe-down gesture gives the user the ability to open any app’s notifications after swiping down near the navigation bar. You can swipe anywhere between the gesture navigation bar and the bottom end of the phone’s display. However, both one-handed mode and swipe-down gesture cannot be used at the same time. Because they are triggered in the same manner. Other features include a new widget picker, notification listeners that intercept notifications for other apps, smart call forwarding, turn screen darker settings, tweaks to pattern and pin lock screens, etc. There’s More! You can expect XNSPY to keep on working on its services to adapt to the Android 12 release as well. So, the latest release can have little to no effect on our monitoring app. While the result of the iOS vs Android battle is yet to be reached. No one knows which operating system is going to win. But it certainly will not be the one copying the other. After all, in the end, only innovation prevails!

Social Distancing
Everything Else - New

How Social Distancing Has Increased Dependence on Technology?

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Social distancing has become a new norm due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, officials have urged all the citizens to keep a distance of six feet from each other to reduce the risk of coronavirus. This is because infected individuals can transfer the virus into healthy people within seconds, social distancing at the workplace or public places has become indispensable. The world as we know it is changing rapidly due to social distancing. Recently, we have observed that shopping malls, offices, and buildings are never going to be the same with new social distancing rules. With new rules and standard operating procedures to safeguard people’s health, technology has also played a crucial part in improving the social distancing experience.  Due to growing lockdowns and COVID-19 cases, society’s dependency on technology and the Internet is increasing. As more and more US institutions are shutting their doors to comply with social distancing rules, it’s making more and more people rely on technology to stay connected. Since millions of individuals are forced into isolation every day, the World Wide Web and digital technology open a new window for them to look into the outside world. People are attending online social events and engaging with friends over social media. The new normal reminds us how much we have to rely on technology to survive and thrive amidst the pandemic.  Technology has a Huge Impact on Social Distancing  The world can use technology in myriad ways during the pandemic and social distancing. One example is that it can help to improve social distancing in buildings. Engineers and employers can use software and apps to streamline their teams’ behaviors. Proximity apps and software are also used by companies to show how people are interacting with each other while complying with social distancing rules.  Technology is also helping architects to design new buildings from a future perspective. For example, to ensure social distancing in buildings, technology is used to create spatial awareness in new and existing buildings. Personal distancing systems (PDS) are also being used in the United States that generate a proximity warning to help people keep a distance.  Moreover, these apps and gadgets can be tied to workers’ belts working at construction sites. Technology also supports social distancing with wristbands and smartwatches. Such devices produce an alarm or vibrate when people don’t keep an appropriate distance.  Technology can also be useful at shops, warehouses, and logistics sites. It allows people to work in a highly digital environment to focus on the work targets and let the digital software handle the social distancing measures.  The entrepreneur states that technology has also changed the future of building management. Software tools can help people understand how they can optimize the available space efficiently. Technology is also assisting building management and environmental sustainability. The innovation of smart sensors for buildings helps engineers to detect the number of individuals in space. That limits too many people to gather in one place.  Social Distancing and the Growing Role of Social Media  Social distancing is also elevating the role of social media in our lives. Massive attention is turning to social media platforms and networking sites to keep people informed and engaged with others. People have always used social media for entertainment in the past; however, amidst the global pandemic, with changing routines, everyone is relying on social media unprecedentedly. For example, according to Forbes, the next era of digital marketing is here with social media marketing taking over traditional marketing amidst the pandemic. Organizations and small businesses are posting innovative content on social media at a dizzying pace to attract customers. More content on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube is also helping communities to reach out to new clients.  Instagram Live is also changing the way businesses communicate in the current era. For instance, as a business owner, you must have noticed a spike in Instagram Live notifications. If you are relying on Instagram or Twitter for your business promotion, you are not alone. As companies are working from home, there are more people on Instagram than ever to reach out to their followers.  Similarly, Facebook live meetings and streams are also gaining popularity. It is quickly becoming a platform of choice to gain more likes and rankings. A great thing live streaming offers is no barrier to entry; anyone can create a Facebook account and go live without wasting time.  The platform provides options for multiple users to actively engage in conversations and join hands to boost their profits. Therefore, social media is also helping several communities to come together and enhance their followings.  Another honorable mention is TikTok. With a growing user base of Gen-Z, TikTok content has increased significantly in recent months. With parents, siblings, and grandparents all involving in this endeavor, video challenges are becoming popular with many people involved in dancing and singing. What better way to entertain yourself than TikTok when you are bored due to social distancing?  Communication Apps  The global pandemic and social distancing rules have increased the role and effectiveness of technology in the lives of the masses. Another popular technology that is becoming important in this era of digitization is video-communication apps. These apps have become important for both individuals and businesses. Facebook live, Skype, WhatsApp, and Viber offer innovative ways to stay in touch with your loved ones. Ever since the social isolation started in 2020, entrepreneurs are eager to maintain their connections with stakeholders using communication apps.  For example, in 2020, Zoom had more than two million downloads. The utilization of the app has increased significantly to assist people with communication.  Finally, the rise of smartphone monitoring apps such as Xnspy has surged significantly due to this new normal. With more managers, entrepreneurs, and leaders concerned about the progress of their organizations, employee monitoring software has become a necessity in global firms.  For instance, managers have more control over employees’ social media activities with Xnspy allowing them

Events & Deals, Infographic

When is Easter 2021 and How to Celebrate It Safely? [infographic]

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Christians celebrate Easter each year to mark the resurrection of Jesus three days after his crucifixion. The “Passion of Christ” starts with 40 days of fasting (known as Lent) and ends during the Holy Week on Easter Sunday. In 2021, Easter Sunday falls on April 4. According to the Gregorian calendar, Easter will always fall on Sunday between the dates March 21 and April 25. As it’s supposed to be celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon appearing after or on the spring equinox. Having A Whole Week Off Before the COVID-19 pandemic happened, families used to get together and go away for vacations on Easter. This year, however, things might be a bit tough. Some countries, like Germany, are imposing stricter lockdowns during the Easter holidays. There might be no hope for family members when it comes to gathering in big groups at one house. However, the US Government is yet to announce any specific details on the matter. (https://symboliamag.com/) So, this doesn’t mean that you and your kids won’t have a week-long holiday on your hands. You might not need a monitoring app, such as XNSPY, to keep an eye on your kids. But you still need to keep them entertained and safe.

Android, Announcements

Android vs iOS Security – Which One is Better at Keeping Your Data Secure?

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With each passing year, countless new phones are introduced. It’s hard to even keep track. And if you’re in the market to buy a new smartphone. You must be wondering which is better when it comes to keeping your data secure: an iOS-based device or an Android phone? Let’s just say, you are not the only one who wants to know that. It’s the most basic question every smartphone user ponders over before switching to the latest model. Historically iOS Is Known to be the Most Secure Thanks to Apple’s strict privacy and security policies for all its preinstalled features and apps. Nothing goes by the iOS without its knowledge. A few years back, the iPhone maker put up this huge ad, on a building right next to the Las Vegas Convention Center, saying: “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone”. The purpose of the multi-story billboard was nothing else but to mock its largest competitor (Android OS). Because Apple wants everyone to know that the company likes keeping things completely private and secure all across its family products. Currently, iOS 14.x is powering all the iPhones and iPads available in the market. Google Owns Android Now When Android OS rose to the surface back in 2003, it was supposed to revamp the digital cameras’ operating systems. However, with a declining market for smarter cameras, Android looked towards bettering the mobile OS. And, we all know how that went. Currently, the tech giant Google owns Android. It first launched Android 1.0 in November 2007, after acquiring the company in 2005. Since then, Android OS is evolving with each passing day. Today, Android 11 is powering the latest Android-based smartphones. Which OS is Safer? When it comes to iOS, Apple has very strict rules in place. Firstly, iOS is what we call a closed system. So, the company does not release its code to app developers or iPhone owners. That means no one can alter the code themselves, making it difficult for hackers to find vulnerabilities. On the other hand, Android OS is all about ease of access. It has an open-source code. So, it offers high adaptability and easy implementation for all new devices. But, this means hackers have complete access to its code, making it easier for them to manipulate (alter) the operating system for their own gains. With the fierce competition between the two, Android vs iOS, they have both come to appreciate the things they lack. Apple’s operating system is getting better and better with its adaptability. While Google Android is constantly strengthening its OS security. Android OS Becomes More Secure with Each Release The Google Android OS is surely getting more secure with its every new release. The decider came in when Zerodium, a renowned OS exploits acquisition platform, started offering a maximum payout of USD 2.5 million for Android hacks in September 2020. While the maximum payout for iOS exploits was capped at USD 2 million. This payout difference, for both mobile operating systems’ exploits, indicates that bypassing Android security is getting somewhat harder than it was in recent years. Because, in 2019, Zerodium offered a USD 2 million reward for anyone who can jailbreak iOS without any interaction by the user. While performing the same feat on Android OS-powered phones would get one USD 500,000 only. The easier Zerodium thinks one can find an exploit the less the payout, and now it’s a very different game for the Google-owned phone operating system. These exploits are also known as the 0-day (zero-day) vulnerabilities, present in either the software or hardware, which are not yet discovered at the time of a device’s release. They can be a great threat to a device’s security because they can be exploited to hack into the device. Enabling the hacker to steal your data, invade your privacy, or do whatever they desire with it. And, most probably it’s not something nice. What Should You Expect in the Future? Over the past years, cybercriminals have targeted and successfully attacked Apple devices. That means even its closed system is not impervious to hacks. And now, everyone knows that including the iPhone maker itself. So, at the moment, both famed phone operating systems are competing for being the most secure mobile OS day in and day out. Even though Android will always be more susceptible to threats being an open-source platform. While iOS might have many zero-day exploits hidden within its code because only several of them have come into the light just yet. Yet one thing is for sure that Android is much more popular in comparison to iOS. It has more users being an integral part of many smartphone companies. And the number of Android users will only keep on increasing. On the flip side, iOS is merely being used for Apple products such as iPhones and iPads, etc. That’s a limited amount of people in a limited amount of countries. Final Take on iOS vs Android Mobile technology is improving exponentially. So, who knows what new smartphone operating system we will be talking about in the next ten or even five years. But for now, let’s just take it as it is. In the fight between iOS and Android, there is no clear winner. If you want adaptability with okay security, then go with an Android phone. In case you require the least amount of known threats with less customizability, then go with an iOS-based device. It’s your choice in the end.

Employee Monitoring

Study Shows Employee Monitoring Only Helps When Done Right

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With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the work environment completely changed overnight. People were expected to work from home, entirely. But home is where you are the most comfortable. And you do not want to bring your work troubles there. Almost all the middle- and lower-level work staff has the same train of thought. Business owners, however, being in charge of things, cannot have that kind of perspective. They need work to be done. No matter what’s the situation. And that’s why they looked towards its solution—remote employee monitoring. Now, looking at it again, with a broader point of view. Some say it helps, while others disagree. So, let’s just go over all the aspects and figure out how tracking employees can affect the betterment or detriment of company goals. The Positive Impacts of Monitoring Your Employees Bringing in some positivity to the matter, for businesses, tracking employees cannot only mean keeping an eye on them. There’s more to it than better productivity. Employee monitoring can also help secure a company’s critical data and trade secrets. Here are the good aspects of tracking employees in detail: Easily Monitor Employees’ Productivity The best benefit of tracking your worker’s every move, during work hours, is that you know how they are managing their time. If they are not utilizing their time for your company’s progress, then they are just working against you. And, businesses do not want that. Better Team Management Another way how digitally monitoring your staff helps is that you do not have to be there watching them all the time. Technologies like this enable you to do online and offline tracking. So, you can take a hands-off approach to manage your workforce. Your employees will definitely appreciate it because no one wants to be monitored like a hawk at all times anyway. Tighter Security One more good reason, to implement employee monitoring, is that it improves an organization’s overall security. Data breaches from within a company can be devastating. The company’s secret strategies, clients’ personal data, or other valuable corporate information can be leaked, leading to a financial risk and loss of reputation. As it is monitoring, we are talking about, some workers might take an offense to the practice. So, let’s also see in what ways it can put off your employees. Negative Response Expected from Staff Members No one actually wants to get monitored. Note it down. Some will even get enraged. So, here are some of the details on how employee monitoring can go wrong for you or your business: Lack of Trust from Workers The biggest drawback of tracking your workers is that they might not trust you when it comes to their privacy. Digital monitoring can be highly invasive and that means the company can peek into their personal activities too. Or at least that’s what an employee would believe if your company’s digital monitoring policy is not clear on what’s being tracked and what is not. Uncomfortable Employees Might Resign There is a big chance that if a worker does not want to be monitored, then they would just up and leave the company. As it’s easy to find a job in another organization, which does not impose staff monitoring, while almost impossible to get a company’s initiative overturned. Losing your workforce can never be ideal and, if nothing else, this is a fair warning. Employees Can Feel Constantly Anxious Being aware that their every little movement is under surveillance, your employees can get stressed over time. The constant pressure of not knowing how the company may react to their work routines could be too much to handle. Especially, when the employees are adhering to digital tracking for the first time. So, once again, explaining your company policies to them in detail will be the right step. As it will answer most of their queries and calm their unnecessary anxiousness. The results of a study have shown that aggressive employee monitoring can be harmful to both the staff member and their company. So, you (and your company) must follow the best practices to track your workforce. Best Ways to Digitally Monitor Employees Here are some great practices your company can follow to ensure safe and healthy employee monitoring: Make sure whatever metrics you choose are relevant and necessary, while involving all stakeholders concerned with the tracking process. Be very clear with the employees on what’s going to be monitored and for what reasons. Do not use the tracking policy as means for oppression. So, do not just fine the workers for their inefficiencies but also offer rewards to the performing ones. Avoid putting surveillance in place for lower staff members only. Upper management should not be exempt from the company’s monitoring policies. Know when to stop a tracking process if it’s not required any longer. Because reducing the surveillance can also encourage your employees to improve their productivity. Always respect your employees and their boundaries, as they rightfully deserve. After all, they are your employees not felons in a jail block. If you follow similar practices for implementing your company’s monitoring policy, then you will have nothing to worry about. Why? Because the same study that showed aggressive surveillance is detrimental to your company, also showed an increase in productivity when employee monitoring was done right.

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