Posts By: David Firth

Deciding when to pay up: How to respond to hackers in ransomware attack

Posted by & filed under bitcoin, Cyber attack, Cybersecurity.

Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ont., has managed to regain control of most of its computer system after hackers infected the network last Thursday with a virus, and demanded electronic money in the form of 30 bitcoins, which is equivalent to approximately $54,000. Although the administration claims it has not given in to the ransom demands… Read more »

We sold our home to build a social network

Posted by & filed under Careers, FaceBook.

The Hughes family in Manchester have quit their jobs and put everything they own into building a social network aimed solely at sports fans. But can they take on the giants?  “We see ourselves sitting at the top table with the big boys,” says father Perry Hughes confidently.  “We don’t think we’re taking on the… Read more »

Facebook’s ‘Town Hall’ is probably the best thing the social network has ever done

Posted by & filed under Competitive advantage, Consumer Technology, Emerging Technologies, FaceBook.

Like it or not, Facebook has an impact on politics. The social network contributed to President Donald Trump’s successful election, as much as CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to lessen the blame on the rise of fake news. More recently, Zuckerberg started to acknowledge Facebook’s role in politics, and on Monday the social network introduced its… Read more »

The next big thing in construction robotics is building big

Posted by & filed under 3D Printing, Automation.

<iframe src=”//www.cbc.ca/i/caffeine/syndicate/?mediaId=930016835781″ width=”460″ height=”” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe> Think of it as a souped-up self-driving 3D printer on wheels. It built the scaffolding of this unfinished structure in just 13.5 hours, and all it’s waiting for now is concrete to be poured. While robotics and automation have revolutionized the way factories build cars and computers — helping… Read more »

‘Shot Spotter’ a key technology in arrest of Fresno shooter

Posted by & filed under Ethical Issues, Internet of Things, IT and Politics, SaaS.

Fresno Police Chief, Jerry Dyer, says his department’s ‘Shot Spotter’ technology detected gunfire on Tuesday that led to the quick apprehension of Kori Ali Muhammad, accused of fatally shooting three men. Source: Toronto Star Date: April 25th, 2017 Link to video: https://www.thestar.com/news/2017/04/20/-shot-spotter-a-key-technology-in-arrest-of-fresno-shooter.html Discussion 1) “Shot spotter” technology means that very high fidelity microphones are placed in an area… Read more »

Smartphone fingerprint sensors may not be as secure as you think

Posted by & filed under App Economy, Cybersecurity, Electronic Surveillance.

New research suggests that smartphones can be easily fooled by fake fingerprints that have been digitally composed. Source: New York Times Date: April 25th, 2017 Link: https://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2017/04/11/smartphone-fingerprint-sensors-may-not-be-as-secure-as-you-think.html Discussion 1) Biometrics has been touted as a very secure way to ensure the security of technology.  What could we do better now that we know fingerprints are so easily falsifiable?… Read more »

YouTube ad controversy was a gift for Google rivals

Posted by & filed under Competitive advantage, Ethical Issues.

Weeks after scores of advertisers boycotted YouTube, Google is still trying to mitigate the damage. Meanwhile, long-struggling competitors in the digital ad market are seizing the moment.  MediaMath Inc., a New York-based seller of software for automated online ad buying, is introducing a new service to ensure that ads only run alongside hand-picked, “high quality” content. The “curated market” offering… Read more »

Outdated office technology could be lowering your productivity

Posted by & filed under IT and History, IT Trends.

Outdated hardware and operating systems slow down many workers, and that’s when they aren’t paralyzed by connection issues. Source: Bloomberg Date: April 25th, 2017 Link: https://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2017/04/20/office-technology-could-be-lowering-your-productivity.html Discussion 1) Over 10% of all computers worldwide use an operating system first launched in 2001 and which has been let completely un-updated since 2014.  Does this figure surprise you?  Why or… Read more »