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As an IT company, we’ve always been fascinated by science fiction, due to its portrayal of new and exciting futuristic technology (and we know that technically Star Wars took place in the past). As we watch these movies, there’s a part of us that thinks, “Wow, maybe one day we’ll get to fly the galaxy in starships and shoot laser blasters.” With Star Wars being around for more than two generations, we have a unique perspective when it comes to the technology of this science fiction franchise. Did you know that movies like Star Wars have inspired the development of technologies that we have today? In fact, the United States military has been weaponizing Star Wars-like laser systems since the 1980s, meaning that it’s only a matter of time before we finally get lightsabers.   One of the most prominent technologies in the Star Wars universe is droids. These are robots that follow humanoid characters around, essentially acting as personal assistants equipped with an arsenal of gadgets. Having a prominent role in all six previous Star Wars movies is the blue and white droid known as R2-D2; a fan-favorite character whose lovable antics have caused movie watchers for years to say, ?Aww, I want an R2-D2 too!? With technology developing by leaps and bounds since 1977, we feel it?s a worthy question to ask on this glorious Star Wars Day, “How close are we to having our own R2-D2 droid?” Devices like smartphones can do several different tasks that R2-D2 can do. This is likely the reason why Android mobile OS software is nicknamed ?droid.? To get to the bottom of this question, let’s take a look at the R2 unit, compliments of Wookieepedia: R2-D2 was a diminutive droid, standing 0.96 meters tall. He rolled on three legs, one of which could retract into his body, and had a silver and blue domed head. His white, blue, and silver body housed many arms, sensors, and other apparatuses, many of which were not readily seen by the typical humanoid eye. This often made the droid seem like a box of tricks, unexpectedly pulling out some previously unseen but very much needed device at a critical moment. Features of the R2-series astromech droid include (bolded are the tasks that we can do on our modern ?droid? devices): Rocket booster Cable gun Oil injector Claw arm Fusion cutter Holoprojector / Recorder Internal comlink Periscope Electric pike Propeller Hidden lightsaber compartment with ejector Fire extinguisher / Smoke Screen Small Saw Air Cannon Crashmat Lariat Submarine Mode Collapsible Umbrella Flea Remover Distracter Headdress Detangler Droid Deactivator Computer Interface Arm Charge Arm (electric shock) Life-form Scanner Breakdance Mode Polarity sink Water pump/hose Inflatable mattress Media copy / storage disc drive Jukebox Small red “tongue” ribbon “Confetti-creation device” Lubricant Application Arm Motorized, all-terrain treads Power recharge coupler As you can see, we’ve still got a long way to go before we’re able to have a single device that can do everything that R2-D2 can do, but, just the fact that we can now carry in our pockets a ?droid? that can do SOME of these tasks is very telling about the direction of technology since Star Wars was first introduced ?a long time ago.? Frankly, we wish our modern-day mobile devices had confetti-launchers. What are some of […]

As you can imagine, social engineering involves exploiting the people who work with the technology rather than the technology itself. This particular method allows those who might not be as tech-savvy (or those who aren?t particularly known for their common sense) to obtain important information, like passwords or dates of birth, from unsuspecting foes. Those who are more skilled with technology can perform more elaborate social engineering attacks, like replicating websites to infect systems with malware upon visitation, or download infected software. The most well-known social engineering hacking attack comes in the form of a phishing attack. These are typically the type of emails which appear to be the genuine article from an institution you might have relations with, such as a bank. These emails request that you update or confirm your personal information. It can be difficult to discern these from the real deal at times. Other, more focused attacks are called spear phishing attacks. These are designed to target a specific individual, or multiple specific targets. Sending emails personalized to get users to fork over financial information, or even going to lengths such as contacting your business posing as someone from a media outlet. According to HowToGeek.com, this method isn?t limited to being used remotely. Social engineering hackers can also get up close and personal with their attempts: An attacker could walk into a business, inform the secretary that they?re a repair person, new employee, or fire inspector in an authoritative and convincing tone, and then roam the halls and potentially steal confidential data or plant bugs to perform corporate espionage. This trick depends on the attacker presenting themselves as someone they?re not. If a secretary, doorman, or whoever else is in charge doesn?t ask too many questions or look too closely, the trick will be successful. How To Prevent Social Engineering AttacksIn the end, keeping your business safe from social engineering attacks comes down to identifying them from the genuine article. In order to minimize the risk of falling prey to these hacks, keep these tips in mind. Some suspicion is better than none at all. If you?re receiving strange emails, messages, or phone calls from users you don?t recognize, it?s best to be on the safe side and not respond until you?re sure that you?re dealing with the real deal. It?s better to call the institution at the number you have on record before handing over any information you feel is suspicious. If something seems suspicious, such as poorly worded emails and strange links, it’s best to question it. Avoid links in emails to websites which gather sensitive information. These websites could be fake phishing sites designed to look like the official institution website. For example, you receive an email asking to update your bank information, and the link leads to a sign-in form. This is a fake site designed to fool you into entering your credentials. In this case, it?s best to try logging into the official site rather than through the email. Look at the URL and scan it for subtle differences which might hint at trickery. Enable spam and phishing filters for your email and browser. Some browsers have built-in phishing and security filters, which should always be active. These can prevent your employees from accessing a known phishing site. One particularly powerful […]

Reducing your data usage can have a positive influence on your wallet, in addition to improving the battery life of your device. Here are four ways you can get started. Start by Monitoring Your Data UsageNaturally, the first step toward limiting your data use is to examine your current data habits. How much do you use out of your current plan? If you find yourself not going over your limit, you probably have little to worry about; but if you are, you can see where most of your data is being allocated to. You can then proceed to limit your use whenever possible. Use WiFi Whenever PossibleOne easy way to cut down on the amount of data you use while mobile is to use WiFi whenever you can. This gives you all of the benefits of mobile data without using up your data plan. However, it should be noted that you don?t want to connect to just any WiFi network. Make sure that you turn off your autoconnect feature so that you have to manually connect to wireless hotspots. It?s important to only use secure connections that take advantage of passwords and encryption. Otherwise, you might connect to a network which is filled to the brim with threats. Limit Your Use of Music/Video StreamingOne of the biggest wasters of data is using your device to stream music or videos. Due to the immense amount of data processed by doing so, you can bet that your data plan will go up in smoke real quick. Instead of streaming music, it?s usually easier on both your battery and your data plan to play music stored locally on your device through its default media player. Prevent Apps from Updating in the BackgroundUnless your device has been configured otherwise, your applications will automatically update throughout the day. Unbeknownst to the user, this happens in the background and eats up a bunch of data. Instead of allowing your apps to do as they please, set them to update automatically when connected to WiFi, or update them yourself manually. This will help you avoid an increase in data usage. If you find that not even these tips help you (which is unlikely), it might be time to increase your monthly data plan. This should be considered only as a last resort, as it can help you avoid expensive overage fees. With these four basic tips, you can limit how much data you expend during the average workday while saving money from not going over your monthly data allotment.

Without a doubt, your office coffee pot is one of your business?s most treasured features. However, coffee (and caffeine in general) only offers a pseudo-performance increase that comes with steep side effects shortly afterward. What Caffeine DoesIt?s true that caffeine does have its merits, albeit temporarily. A study performed by researchers at John Hopkins Medical School showed that caffeine has the ability to improve task performance and cognitive abilities over the short term; yet, the effects of caffeine can?t be felt without caffeine withdrawal immediately afterward. This naturally tempts the user to go for another cup to remediate the issue and get back up to speed? which, in reality, is the result of being reliant on it for maximum performance. Furthermore, caffeine builds adrenaline when it?s consumed. This is the same response that occurs when you?re faced with a life-threatening situation, commonly known as the ?fight-or-flight? syndrome. Basically, your brain and body emotionally respond to issues rather than logically. Those in business know that this can be a threatening prospect, as it can turn responding to email or customer complaints into an absolute nightmare. Finally, at the end of the day, you?ll feel exhausted; yet, when you want to get to sleep, you might find it difficult to let go and drift off into blissful respite. This is because caffeine, according to Inc, has a six-hour half life: Have a cup of joe at 8 a.m., and you’ll still have 25 percent of the caffeine in your body at 8 p.m. Anything you drink after noon will still be at 50 percent strength at bedtime. Any caffeine in your bloodstream–with the negative effects increasing with the dose–makes it harder to fall asleep. As you can understand, this makes it difficult to get the full night of good, quality sleep, that allows the brain to rejuvenate and get back to full capacity. You?ll wake up feeling tired, go for the caffeine almost immediately, and drink more in the afternoon as the withdrawal kicks in. The Side EffectsUnfortunately, it?s been proven that caffeine can produce several adverse side effects that can be detrimental to your cognitive thought process and overall health. According to Inc, some of the most hampering side effects of caffeine include: Irritability Anxiety Headaches Insomnia Sleep deprivation Of course, there are plenty of other consequences of prolonged caffeine exposure, but these are the ones that directly affect the thought process; which is the most imperative part of getting just about anything done in the workplace. Other problems, like frequent urination and gastrointestinal issues can arise from too much coffee ingestion, and can negatively affect your physical wellbeing, in addition to your mental state of mind. Overall, caffeine addiction is no small issue. Cutting yourself off from coffee and similar beverages can lead you down a path to a better lifestyle, but it?s not a simple task to remove it from your life completely. So many people worldwide are in the habit of enjoying their morning cup of joe that it?s not a viable possibility. Rather than immediately cut yourself off from caffeine, try a staggered approach and limit your intake over an extended period of time. Whether or not you want to do this is entirely up to you, but research suggests that it can improve both your way […]