Author: Mike

Providing IT support and solution to small and medium businesses. Servicing Edinburgh, Livingston, Fife and surrounding areas. Responsive, Flexible, Professional and friendly local support.

Virgin Credit Cards: No To Crypto

Shortly after Lloyds Bank announced that it would be banning customers from buying crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin using their credit cards, Virgin Money is now adopting the same policy. Why? The volatility of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have led Lloyds, and now Virgin Money to try to protect their customers from running up large debts…
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Facial Recognition Arrest Claims Via Twitter

South Wales Police have taken to social media to announce news of the latest arrests made using Automated Facial Recognition (AFR) technology. First Used At Champions League Finals Week The AFR system was first used by South Wales Police last June at the Champions League final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. AFR incorporates facial…
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Tech Tip – Timeline For Windows 10

Currently being tested and likely to come out soon in an update is a browser history for your Windows desktop known as ‘Timeline’. This feature will allow you to search through files, apps and sites you’ve previously had open, and jump back and pick up what you were doing. What’s more, it will extend to…
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UK Most Targeted Region For Cyber Threats

The Malwarebytes annual State of Malware report has revealed that the UK is now the most targeted region in the world for cyber threats. Big Rises The UK has been elevated to the unenviable position at the top of the targets table after a huge 165% increase in UK bound ransomware was recorded, and after…
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Military Bases Exposed By Fitness App

A user activity ‘heat map’ published by fitness tracker Strava has unwittingly revealed the location and structure of military bases in other countries. How? The app, made by San Francisco-based Strava, uses a mobile phone’s GPS to track a subscriber’s exercise activity. Although the new version of the app, introduced in November last year, is…
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UK’s Digital Snooping Powers Illegal

A legal challenge by Labour MP Tom Watson against the UK government’s own digital mass surveillance legislation laws introduced in 2014 has led to a court deciding that the laws were illegal. Legislation The legislation that was successfully challenged in court was the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act (DRIPA), which was actually replaced at…
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Facebook Pushes Local News

In a move to improve the quality and trustworthiness of content, and to increase civic engagement, Facebook has announced that it will be focusing on local news sources. Misleading News Problems Even though Mark Zuckerberg has been keen to promote the view that the change to the prominence given to local community news sources in…
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Amazon Announces SMS Messaging Via Alexa

Amazon has announced that it is introducing a service that will allow users of Alexa devices to send text messages to any contact via the digital assistant using just their voice. Builds Upon Alexa Calling The new service builds upon the Alexa Calling service introduced last year, which allowed owners of the Echo Dot to…
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Tech Tip: Malware Protection With Windows 10

As the Malwarebytes annual State of Malware report shows, malware is a popular tool used by cyber criminals. With this in mind, “Windows Defender” on Windows 10 can help you to adopt a multi-layered approach to protect your systems. Windows Defender is a security tool that can be set up to block malware attacks in…
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HP Worldwide Recall of ‘Fire Hazard’ Laptop Batteries

HP has announced that it is launching a worldwide voluntary safety recall and replacement program for certain notebook computer and mobile workstation batteries over safety concerns. Fire Hazard The reason given for the recall is that the batteries, including those for the ProBook, ZBook, x360, Pavilion and Envy, is that HP says they have the…
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