Tag Archives: New Technology

Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

This Popular Fitbit Watch Has Been Recalled

Do you own an Ionic smartwatch?  If you haven’t heard yet, be advised that Fitbit has issued a voluntary recall of the devices produced between 2017 and 2020.

It’s also worth mentioning that at the start of this year (2022) FitBit was acquired by Google. So if the contact information you see on the FibBit website is no longer accurate, Google will be able to point the way.

Based on company statistics, more than 1 million Ionic smartwatches are impacted by the recall. If yours is one of them, you can return your device for a $299 refund.

The company cited burn risk as the reason for the recall. Although at present, neither the FitBit engineers nor the engineers at Google have been able to get to the root cause of the issue.  All they know so far is that “in very limited instances the battery in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat, posing a burn hazard.”

In addition to the offered refund, users impacted by the Ionic recall will be given a special discount on select FitBit devices, bands, and services for a limited (but unspecified) time.

The easiest way to determine if your Ionic smartwatch is impacted by the recall is to simply check the back of the device.  If it displays the model number as “FB503” then it’s included in the recall.

The company released an official statement regarding the matter which reads as follows:

“Customer safety is always Fitbit’s top priority and out of an abundance of caution, we are conducting a voluntary recall of Fitbit Ionic smartwatches. We received a very limited number of injury reports – the totals in the CPSC announcement represent less than 0.01% of units sold – of the battery in Fitbit Ionic smartwatches overheating, posing a burn hazard. These incidents are very rare and this voluntary recall does not impact other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.”

And now you know!  If you have one of the affected devices, take full advantage of the refund and offered discounts.

0
Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

These Medical Devices Are Vulnerable To Security Threats

Thanks to the fine folks at Palo Alto Networks we have a better view of the relative safety and security of network-capable medical devices.  Unfortunately, the news is grim.

Based on their findings after examining more than 200,000 infusion pumps, about half are vulnerable to critical security issues.

Yes you read that correctly. That’s 100,000 infusion pumps that are critically vulnerable to hacking attacks. To put it another way, that’s 100,000 chances every single day that someone is going to initiate a hacking attack that will actually kill someone.

What’s worse is that of the eleven security vulnerabilities identified by their research, no one is making it a priority to fix the issues. Even if they did try to fix it, it’s anyone’s guess how quickly those devices would be updated or if they would be updated at all.

This is not unique to the world of “smart” medical devices either.  In fact, as the Internet of Things (IoT) grows, one of the biggest security challenges we face will be how to better secure those legions of “smart” devices. That is because most product manufacturers send them out the door with little to no protection, and often in the cases of devices with protection it’s so marginal as to be practically nonexistent.

Of course, part of the problem lies in the fact that product manufacturers aren’t on the hook if a product they sell without security or with fatally flawed security gets hacked.  That will likely change but it hasn’t so far. So there’s very little incentive for manufacturers to improve.

In any case, if you or someone you know uses a “smart” infusion pump be aware that based on Palo Alto’s research more than half of them (52 percent) are incredibly easy for hackers to take control of and that’s terrifying.

0
Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Chip Makers Are Already Planning For WiFi7

We barely got to know Wi-Fi 6 but companies like Qualcomm are already making plans for the next generation of Wi-Fi technology. They are working on Wi-Fi 7 which is otherwise known as 802.11.

Granted, the new standard is a long way from being ready to roll out, so don’t expect to see any equipment on the market that’s capable of supporting it until late 2024 or early 2025.

Even so, the fact that companies are already developing and designing around draft releases of the new standard shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Although we don’t have many details about Wi-Fi 7, we do know that it will be faster and increase bandwidth by a significant amount. We don’t have a firm handle on exactly what that means, though.

The best guess is that based on early drafts of the standard, the maximum nominal throughput of Wi-Fi 7 will be nearly five times faster than Wi-Fi 6 and marginally faster than a Thunderbolt ¾ connection.

Naturally, those are theoretical upper limits. So in the real world, once actual gear is in place, we won’t see anything quite so lofty.  Faster is faster though and based on what we know about latency improvements, we can expect it to be at least twice as fast as the current standard.

One of the most significant changes coming will be the fact that Wi-Fi 7 will transform routers into multi-link devices. So as far as your Xbox or smart speaker is concerned, they’re all the same thing.  That’s good news for end users because it will require a lot less in terms of configuration.  The router will simply pick the frequency with the lowest congestion and send data over that channel.

There are still many details to be ironed out. Between now and the ratification of the standard, there will undoubtedly be a whole host of changes in the months ahead but this is great news indeed.  We can hardly wait to see what the future holds.

0
Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

 Skype Gets New 911 Calling Feature In The U.S.

Recently, Skype announced a change to its 911 calling feature.  Previously the feature was only useable in the UK, Finland, Denmark, and Australia.

Now, the company has unlocked it for the United States as well and will even allow the software to share the location of the caller with emergency services.

It’s a welcome change and one that’s long overdue but there are a few limitations to be mindful of.  Users will get a “Notice and Disclosures” warning if they opt in for location sharing.  This notice cautions users that the service doesn’t work quite the same way as a traditional phone call and users are urged not to make emergency calls via Skype when they are outside of their home region, as those calls could potentially be re-routed elsewhere.

The company also warns that during a Skype outage, or when users are having internet or power issues the calls may be cut off in situations where a traditional landline or cell phone may still work.

Even with the provisions and warnings it’s a great feature and something US users should be mindful of.  Having an alternate way to make an emergency call may not be something you’ll ever have occasion to use.  Then again it could literally be a lifesaving feature.

In any case the new capability will be available to users in the US with the release of Skype 8.8. In addition, when you update to the latest version you’ll be able to leave voicemail messages of up to five minutes in length as opposed to the two-minute cap users currently have.

Users will be able to put Skype in either light or dark mode as they prefer, they can send custom reactions, and even zoom in or out when they share their screen.  Be on the lookout for Skype 8.8 and make updating to the latest a priority.

0
Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Windows 11 Is Now Able To Run Some Android Apps

Recently, Microsoft announced that they were adding support for Android Apps to Windows 11.  The company first began testing that new functionality back in October of last year (2021).

Now, the public preview has been unveiled in the US, allowing users to run some Android apps acquired from the Amazon store right from their Windows 11 desktop.

For the most part, the apps available from the Amazon store are games designed for children but there are a few productivity apps also available.

If you want to venture beyond the Amazon App store, several developers and power users have already created ways of installing apps from the Google Play Store. That is along with various methods to sideload apps in Windows 11 which greatly extends and expands the App functionality.

If you’re already running Windows 11 you can start taking advantage of the new capabilities today although you will need to first launch your Microsoft Store app.

Once you do, go to “Library” and “Get Updates.”

This will download and install the latest version of the Microsoft Store App. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to install the Amazon Store app which is the trigger to also install the Windows Subsystem for Android.

This isn’t the only new Windows 11 feature available today.  If you’re an early adopter you’ll also be able to play around with the newly redesigned Windows Media player and get a first look at the re-vamped Notepad application.

Microsoft had this to say about their most recent update:

“As today’s release shows, we’re committed to delivering experiences into Windows 11 that enrich and inspire people’s lives. Over time, you’ll see us release new features into Windows 11 for end users more frequently in addition to our annual update.

We will leverage the variety of update mechanisms we have in place including servicing and Microsoft Store updates. Our goal is to deliver continuous innovation, providing you with the best experiences year-round.”

These are exciting changes indeed.  Grab the latest and start experimenting today!

0
1 … 5 6 7 8 9 … 26