Recent Blog Posts

What is the Command Prompt? The command prompt is a tool built into the operating system of your computer that is used to execute various commands. These commands look like brief strings of text that are entered into the command prompt box with the blinking cursor. The command prompt is most notable in the context of old MS-DOS systems, as it was used to navigate the system itself, much like how we use the keyboard and mouse today. Why Do People Use the Command Prompt? The command prompt is also frequently called the command-line interface program, or CLI. It uses executable files to perform various tasks. They will generally include the command name in addition to the conditions upon which the command will execute. Commands can be used for just about anything, with some of the more notable ones being to copy or delete files, format a disk drive, configure network information, ping an IP address, or shut down the operating system. It?s not a question of ?what can I do with it,? rather, it?s ?how do I want to do it??  Will You Ever Need It? Back in the day, computers were more difficult to navigate, as users had to do so through the use of the command prompt. Users would plug in specific commands to perform whatever they needed. These days, there is no such need, as the user interface of modern technology is much more user-friendly. Some tools aren?t accessible through the graphical user interface, but only your IT administrator will really need to use them. Now, if you?ve ever looked into coding, you?ll know that it?s not simple and you need comprehensive knowledge to perform various tasks, particularly where an operating system is concerned. This is why we recommend you steer clear of the command prompt, unless of course you are a trained professional. If you have questions about the command prompt or other parts of your technology infrastructure, we?d be happy to answer them. Just reach out to us at (603) 889-0800 to get in touch!

Who knows? You might notice a couple of new features on your device following the update. Updating Your Android and Samsung Devices First you?ll need the Internet to receive these updates, whether it?s through your mobile service provider or from a Wi-Fi connection. You should also bear in mind that your smartphone will restart during this process. When you are ready to go through with the update, go to your Settings application. From the provided options, select System, then System Updates. After you select this option, your device should start looking for available updates. If any updates are available, they?ll appear on the screen. Depending on how old your device is, there may not be any updates available, but if it comes to this, you probably shouldn?t be worried about updating your device more than actually replacing it. If you see updates that are available, you can tap the Download & Install Now button. This might take a while, so get comfortable and wait for your device to reboot a couple of times to install new updates. If you are using a Samsung device with Android installed, you can go to the Settings app and select Software Update. The screen will tell you if there are any updates available. If not, then you can either check for updates yourself, or download and install them, right from the menu. It?s as easy as that. Now you can use your Android device, properly updated and ready for productivity. What kind of tips would you like to see us cover in future blogs? Let us know in the comments.

A perfect example of this is an ad which was placed on the White Shark Channel of the Telegram messaging service: ?Selling a Chinese man in Sihanoukville just smuggled from China. 22 years old with an ID card, typing very slow.? That ad, listing the sale of a human being, offered a price of about $10,000. Human Trafficking is Connected to Cybercrime Many people in China, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam have become the victims of human trafficking under the guise of promising employment opportunities. They might believe they have an amazing job lined up, when in reality, they are traveling to a different location only to be held against their will and forced to work under the duress of beatings, torture, and starvation. These victims are forced to work by defrauding people online, and they are essentially held captive and forced to engage in this activity until they make enough money to leave. These victims are also frequently moved or sold to other organizations, which consequently increases the price of freedom. The victims are forced to participate in ?pig butchering? scams. These scams entail the scammer ?fattening up? the victim by pretending to be their friend or fostering a romantic relationship, while simultaneously drawing out money into an investment platform. Once the victim has run out of money, the scammer cuts off all contact and leaves with all of the cash. Due to the shame of being fooled in this way, many victims do not report this kind of fraud. These operations are well-oiled machines that have their processes properly outlined and provided to their enslaved workforce. They are even told to create social media accounts to make everything more believable. These profiles are then stacked with photos and interests that give them an air of wealth, like sports cars or posts about investment. They even tap into such precious memories and feelings like family values to gain the victims? trust. After the accounts are created, these trafficking victims then reach out to their victims. One scammer reported working with eight other scammers organized under a leader, who provided them with 10 phones to use for outreach. Scammers then took notes on the victims that might be useful in perpetrating the scams. All of this ?customer mapping? gives the attackers an idea of how successful their attempts at scamming might be. This is all done with the attackers being essentially victims themselves. They cannot call law enforcement, or they risk being sold off to another organization, and they might even be forced to make statements which absolve the company of their crimes. Long Story Short: Coercion is Bad While we never want to advocate for the actions of scammers and hackers, it?s also important to note that in many cases, it?s a matter of their being taken advantage of. You might not be the only victim in this dynamic. The other major takeaway from this is that criminals often treat cybersecurity like a business. They might have several horrific ways to make their ends meet, but it?s very organized and sophisticated in the way it is run. In any case, it?s important to note that your team should be able to identify these types of threats in addition to the more in-your-face and obvious ones. To learn more about how […]

Let?s examine this developing technology and consider a few ways that the same concepts could eventually make their way into modern businesses. Researchers at the University of Chicago are Developing a Health Monitor Housed in an Adhesive Patch Under the leadership of Assistant Professor Sihong Wang?who, incidentally, was named one of MIT?s 35 Innovators Under 35 in 2020 for precisely this work?the team at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering has been generating a chip that uses machine learning to process data collected from various biosensors. By creating this chip using flexible polymers, it effectively becomes a sticker, capable of utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to draw conclusions about the wearer?s health. As Wang puts it, ?With this work we?ve bridged wearable technology with artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a powerful device which can analyze health data right on our own bodies.? Should their work pan out (as it seems to be), this will mean that wearable biosensors will one day be available to assist us in managing our health, helping us to keep track of various health indicators like blood sugar, oxygen levels, and other metabolites. So far, they?ve shown that this technology can accurately track electrocardiogram data, and the potential for these devices is considerable. It is important to recognize, however, that this data is inherently sensitive in nature. This means that it will be important to focus on how this data is to be secured. There?s a Lot Here That Could Play into Business Operations While a flexible diagnostic chip may have limited functionality in the office space, it demonstrates how capable technology can potentially be?largely independent of human interaction in many cases. Instead of a neuromorphic computing chip meant to collect and analyze health data, businesses now have access to tools that can independently track data, kicking off workflows based on certain inputs and automating many processes. In short, while the team at the Pritzker School are focused on proactively monitoring human health, your business has the opportunity to use IT to proactively monitor your technology infrastructure. We?re here to help you embrace this opportunity, ensuring that you do so securely and effectively. Learn more by giving us a call at (603) 889-0800.

In this blog article, we?ll be covering how you can print on both sides of your paper, assuming that your printer has the capabilities to do so. If it doesn?t, well, maybe it?s time for an upgrade! This is something our trusted technology professionals can assist with; just reach out to White Mountain IT Services for more information. Without further ado, let?s print something out double-sided. How to Print Double-Sided in Microsoft Word Printing double-sided in Microsoft Word is one of the easiest things you can do. All you have to do is go to the File tab. From here, select Print. This will open up the Print options (you can also use the Ctrl + P keyboard shortcut to get here). Under Settings, you should see a dropdown menu with various settings related to printing, one of which will default to Print One Sided. This is the key to double-sided printing. Now, you?ll see a couple of different options for Print on Both Sides. There are options for Flip on Long End and Flip on Short End. This basically dictates how you want to print the content on the other side. If you are printing something like a brochure in landscape mode, we recommend flipping on the short end. If you?re printing out a normal document that is viewed in portrait mode, then we recommend sticking with flipping on the long end. There is also the option to manually print on both sides, but if you have time to waste doing that, then you have time to waste calling us and to get hooked up with a better printer. Printing double-sided can be a great way to reduce your office?s paper consumption, but an even better way to do this is by going paperless altogether. If this sounds like an idea you want to pursue further, we?re happy to help; just give us a call at (603) 889-0800! For more great tips and tricks, be sure to subscribe to White Mountain IT Services?s blog.