The Lökwest "Digital Life" - June 2020
Welcome back to The Digital Life. We hope you're settled in for the start of this unusual summer. Despite ongoing health concerns, there's still time for relaxation and a few interesting projects! We'll keep bringing you articles to keep you informed and inspired, from the hundreds a month we read.
This month we wanted to re-iterate that scams are shifting and preying on the anxieties around the health crisis. We challenge you to take the scam spotter quiz below.
Moving on from there, take a little review of the iCloud if it's still a little....well...cloudy. And, learn to save some money on your phone bill. The health department has us looking at wearables and the medical id on your phone.
Finally - the department of smiles - you'll just have to read on to find out!
Have a great start to June - DON'T FORGET DAD THIS MONTH! 🙂
Department of Scams
Did you notice your phone hasn't been ringing as much? Call centers are overwhelmed and understaffed due to the health crisis, and that goes for the robocallers too. Where have the scammers turned their attention? Online and to your inbox.
Bookmark and share this site with friends, from Google and the Cybercrime support. Learn the three golden rules to thwart scammers: Slow it down, Spot check, and Stop! Don’t send. Take the quiz and see just how scam-savvy you are!
Take Jigsaw's Phishing Quiz — phishingquiz.withgoogle.com
An ENCORE link - let's shift to e-mail. Think you're pretty smart at spotting when you’re being phished? Identifying phishing can be harder than you think. Take the quiz to see how you do. When we took this a year ago, even we missed one!
Sextortion emails and porn scams are back – don’t let them scare you! — ow.ly
Whether you "indulge" or not is irrelevant. What's happening is this - your password gets leaked in one of those data breaches you hear about nearly every month. Someone makes a mailing list out of it. You get scared because you see a "real" password that is yours indeed. There is no video and the whole thing is a scam to prey on your fears. Just make sure you're still not using the password they sent you!
Department of Education
What Is Apple’s iCloud and What Does It Back Up? — ow.ly
A great "Back to Basics" article from HowToGeek. If you're still a little confused about the iCloud, you won't be after this quick primer. [TLDR] iCloud is Apple’s umbrella term for every cloud-syncing feature. Basically, anything that is backed up or synced with Apple’s servers is considered a part of iCloud.
Want an alternative to your phone carrier? Here are the best options. — ow.ly
This article was written towards people switching from Google Fi. However, we found it could apply to ANYONE looking to save money and get the same great service on their mobile phone bill. Disclaimer - we've been a Mint client for 3 years plus. Service is great - bill is $180 A YEAR. Read on.......save cash.........
Department of Health
All in the Wrist: Wearables Help Treat Disease, Disability — ow.ly
The first wave of wearables brought us step counters, activity trackers, and smartphone substitutes -- the second wave has an even more health-focused agenda. We're reading some amazing stuff, from detecting strokes to helping those with mobility issues to even detecting illnesses like COVID-19!
iOS 13.5 can automatically share your Medical ID in an emergency call — ow.ly
Scenario - You get cracked in the head. The paramedics find you and your phone on the ground. They try to call someone you know or find out who you are. But no - it's LOCKED. You really need to know the emergency features on your phone. On Apple, it's called Medical ID. The next release of iOS 13 will include a feature that will allow you to automatically share your Medical ID with 911 call center operators. Set it up now!
Department of Smiles
Try to dock with the International Space Station with this SpaceX Crew Dragon simulator — ow.ly
You watched the launch. Now you're thinking OK, it's pretty easy to dock a spaceship! Wait, maybe you didn't. Either way, it's HARD. Give it a hand here, and see what the computers on the Dragon capsule are dealing with as they dock with the ISS at 17,000 miles per hour.
Instagram introduces new features to help create a more positive space — ow.ly
With all of the negativity and decisive content on social media, it's nice to see someone trying to introduce positivity back into the system.
Why You Should Stop Watching the News - and what you should do instead — Joseph Wells — ow.ly
Probably my favorite article of the month. Next time you wonder why you're so stressed, take a few pointers from this one. Here's a starting salvo: Want someone else to think for you? Watch the news. Want to be distracted? Watch the news. Want something to get mad about? Watch the news.
Exploring Technology Zoom discussion
We conducted a great Zoom session with the San Clemente Village last month exploring safe browsing techniques. We plan to follow up soon with more Zoom discussions, both in conjunction with San Clemente Village and independently. The next topic - safe e-mailing. You can even prepare with the phishing quiz we included above. STAY TUNED 🙂