The I-Tech News

Did you know that 500,000 earthquakes are recorded per year? As yet, scientists have not discovered a way to predict earthquakes. Locations that are in close proximity to fault lines are more prone to have them. Initial earthquakes are usually followed by several aftershocks. So wherever you or your friends and family are located, a real-time earthquake notification service should become one of your top sites. Many of these services provide global and regional maps of real-time quakes as well as free email, voice, and networking notification services.
The U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Notification Service (ENS) provides one the most inclusive seismic notification systems in the world. Internet subscribers can customize their notifications to cover any area of the globe. Options include defining geographic region, magnitude threshold, and time threshold. Options for language and device type are included. The ENS home page provides a global map with a unique legend system for identifying past and real-time earthquakes. Clicking on a quake causes a regional map, such as northern California, to open. The user can then focus on specific locations. For a fascinating view of the scientific side, check out the website for the Global Seismographic Network (IRIS-GSN), a collaboration of USGS and IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) that measures all seismic vibrations across the globe.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (CSEM) provides a Eurocentric view of real-time earthquakes with maps of Euro-Med quake locations as well as the largest worldwide quakes. Notifications include email, SMS, real-time phone, RSS feed, Widget, and Seismicity on Google Earth (KML).
Geoscience Australia (GA), provides free subscriptions to its earthquake notification services via RSS, KML-Google Earth, CAP, or Twitter feeds. GA reports tsunami advice based on collaboration with the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Center (JATWC). The home page presents a view of Australia, New Zealand, south Asia and the Indian Ocean. GA focuses on data from New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and China. Information is also gathered from U.S., German, Japanese, German, and French seismic networks.
Alaska has approximately 1,000 earthquakes per month, 11 percent of the world’s earthquakes, and one earthquake of magnitude 7 or 8 annually. It is no surprise that Alaska has its own regional seismic network, the Alaska Earthquake Information Center (AEIC). AEIC receives data from 400 Alaskan locations as well as from Canada and eastern Russia. AEIC maintains a 24-hour-a-day hotline.

Looking towards the future of earthquake notification, did you know that static electricity might someday be used to predict earthquakes? As faults grind away, intense electrical currents are generated that cause static-electricity discharges to spike. Perhaps one day, our homes and offices will be able to receive notification of static-electricity surges and immediately shut down all our tech equipment. In the meantime, consider staying up to speed using notification services from a real-time global seismic network.

Many businesses now need passive fire protection installed into their businesses by law. It does not matter entirely what the use of the building is for, whether it is a public building or an industrial building. If a building is near a nuclear power station or oil rigs, then they will need comprehensive fire protection to ensure they have extra protection to secure their building and to make sure that the fire does not go any further.
Types of Passive Fire Protection

Passive fire protection will include blast wall protection, fire resistant doors and windows, and fire resistant coatings on walls, ceilings and floors. All these different levels of protection will ensure that fire will not spread any further than it already has. Early warning alarm systems are also part of passive fire protection as they will alert businesses of fire before it comes in contact with their building.

If a business is at particular risk from fire, they have usually been specially designed to avoid fires becoming worse and spreading. The building will usually be separated into different areas and have fire resistant walls between each of the areas. Fire resistant walls are made from treated concrete or other treated materials. This will mean that if there is a fire or an explosion in the building which is at high risk, the damage will be minimised and the risk of the fire spreading to other parts of the building or other buildings are also lowered.

It is essential that if you work in a business which is at high risk of fire or near a business which has a high risk of a fire breaking out, that you have the right type of passive fire protection installed to your building. If you have you will find that in the case of a fire, it will stop the fire from spreading across the whole of the building and on to other buildings. It is now a law that you have to do everything you can in your business to prevent fire breaking out and to control the fire if it does. These passive fire protection techniques are all ways of controlling a fire if it does break out.

As well having the right type of protection installed to your business, you should also ensure that you and your employee’s training around fire protection are up to date. Having the right type of knowledge about passive fire protection will make a huge difference is a fire does break out.

Identity theft is a growing problem that affects thousands of people each year. It can happen to anyone, and there is no guarantee that you will never become an identity theft victim. However, there are a number of tools out there that can drastically reduce your risk. These five identity theft protection tool are the most effective. While some are free, others require a slight investment or subscription fee.
Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware Software

One of the most common ways identity thieves access and steal your personal information is through the internet. Harmful viruses, spyware and Trojans can make your computer vulnerable to identity thieves and allow them to access important personal information such as your social security number, passwords, credit card numbers and bank information. Using an anti-virus and anti-spyware software program severely limits access to your personal information from identity thieves.
Shredder

Dumpster diving and trash digging is still a popular method for identity thieves to get hold of your personal information. Important information such as your Social Security number, date of birth, and your credit card and bank numbers are usually found on documents you might throw away. A small investment in a shredder can drastically reduce the ability of identity thieves to gain access to your information from personal paperwork. You should shred all personal documents before throwing them in the trash to keep your personal information safe.
Safe or Lockbox

In the event that you are burglarized, documents you have in your home can allow identity thieves to gain access to your personal information. Investing in a small safe or lockbox is a great idea. Placing any documents with personal identifiable information on them in a safe or lockbox will keep burglars from getting their hands on your important information.
Credit Monitoring Services

Most people find out they have been victimized by identity thieves by checking their credit report. Unfortunately, by the time they find out the damage has already been done. Credit monitoring services constantly monitor all three credit reports for any changes, credit inquiries and authorizations, and name or address changes. They then notify you immediately and corrective action can be taken.
Password Managers

Many people either use the same password for just about everything or use multiple passwords they can never remember, thus leaving a paper trail for prying eyes. A password manager can keep your passwords securely encrypted in one place on your computer. One simple combination is all you need to unlock them all.

Identity theft is an increasing problem that too many people fall victim to. There are many tools available that can help minimize the risk of identity theft, but no one tool can guarantee that you will not become the next victim of determined identity thieves. However, using all of these tools in conjunction with one another can definitely reduce the risk of your identity being stolen.

Whether you are moving to a new house, or transporting fragile goods across the country as part of a business deal, proper packaging is needed to keep your possessions safe. Shipped materials encounter a number of different safety issues on the road. There are bumpy roads, fast turns, quick stops, changes in temperature, and potential mishandling. Safely packaging your shipped materials, then, is extremely important. The following five tips will help you find ways to keep your products and materials safe during transportation.

Transporting Liquids

If you are shipping liquids, place them in a container with a sealable lid. If shipping in a sealed container is not feasible, you can use a traditional box as well, so long as you secure the openings of the box with moving tape.

Then, to add an extra layer of security, place the sealed container in a waterproof bag. Seal or tie this waterproof bag, and then place the bag containing the liquid face up in a sturdy moving box. Seal the box, and write in black Sharpie “This Side Up,” to ensure that the liquids do not spill when they are being handled.

Loose Parts

If you have are transporting furniture or electronics, the loose parts – like nails, nuts, bolts, and cords – that accompany these popular household items makes moving furniture difficult. To keep yourself organized, place these loose parts in a plastic bag, and then tape the bag to the underside of the couch or piece of furniture.

Keep the tools, remotes, and electronics needed to assemble or operate these items in a properly labeled box that you place near the couch, television set, or stereo system during transport.

Wood Crates

For heavier loads, wood crates are cheap, effective strategies for safely packaging materials. Not only are wood crates extremely durable, they are easy to arrange in a transport truck, and work well with heavy duty plastic wrap.

There are a number of benefits to using wood crates to safely package your possessions before transporting them. After all, wood crates are constructed out of hard tree bark, whereas cardboard boxes are made of thin pasteboard materials.

Additionally, wooden crates are extremely easy to stack on top of each other, which allows you to transport a lot of material with only a small amount of space. And, for those who are concerned with environmental sustainability, wooden crates are more eco-friendly than cardboard boxes, which need to be recycled or thrown out after only one shipment.

Keep Items in Their Proper Places

When you are packing your forks, knives, and spoons, keep them in their trays or containers. This will save both time and space in your transport vehicle. To keep these eating utensils safe, though, tape a layer of bubble wrap around the utensils tray to keep the contents secure.

Fill Up Empty Spaces

If there are empty spaces or extra room in your wooden crates, fill those crevices with soft fabric items, like socks, heavy duty winter scarves, and pillow cases, to prevent your valuables from shifting too much during the move.

Figuring out how to keep your possessions safe during transit can be a difficult process. These five packaging solutions – using wooden crates, placing liquids in waterproof bags, keeping things in their original trays, filling up empty spaces, and being mindful of loose parts – are all useful ways to keep your products safe while moving or relocating them.

In 2013 it is anticipated that there will be an increase in fake anti-virus scams, email scams and cyber scams. These scams offer to scan your computer with new anti-virus software and post fake numbers of infections on your computer to convince you to purchase and run anti-virus software which is in fact the infection itself. Other scams involve infecting and disabling your computer at a ransom or identity theft through email attachments that pull your contact information sending out emails to all of your addresses to infect them too.

1. The FBI Virus also known as the Dept. of Justice Virus or US cyber security virus locks computers preventing access until a ransom is paid to creators of the virus. They trick people into thinking they have committed a crime and owe a fine for the violation. There are similar viruses throughout the world with different names respective to local authorities.

2. Vista Anti-Virus 2013 overrides your computers operating system and reports that your computer is infected and prompts you to purchase the pro edition of their software to repair the infection. Vista Anti-Virus displays fake scan results, false security alerts and hi-jacks your web browser. When you try to remove the virus it will tell you that any software that you run is infected and prompt you to run the software to remove the fake viruses.

3. There is an increase in identity theft scams in 2013 as email addresses are increasingly made to look more legitimate. Avoid clicking on links and attachments from unsolicited emails and use caution when you don’t recognize email addresses.

4. XP Anti-virus 2013 deceives infected users for money. It will display a fake system scan showing you made up threats to worry you into purchasing their software. The virus is being spread through free download applications and spam email attachments.

5. Viruses are increasingly using Adobe Reader, Flash-player and Java to infect computers. Make sure you are installing updates to these programs as they often have security patches to combat the new viruses.

Older operating systems are more susceptible to external viruses due to their auto run feature making it easy to install software from external devices such as USBs and external hard drives. It is advisable to change the settings on your computer to prevent auto run and to scan all external devices for viruses prior to installing or using them.

Always purchase legitimate well known and paid for anti-virus software. While there are legitimate free anti-virus programs out there they are not as advanced as the paid ones in combating these new viruses.

Creating a budget for yourself and for your household is certainly a great step towards financial freedom. Following that budget, however, is one of the harder tasks that usually stop savers dead in their tracks. Below are a few tried and true tips that have helped even the biggest spenders stick to their budget and save money for their long term needs.

First, if you are an impulse buyer, then you must make plans to stop!

Impulse buying is difficult to start because it is just that – impulse. In order to counter an impulse, you need a plan. You must go into each and every store that you patronize with a written list. This is a known strategy that will keep you from buying those little trinkets at the front of the line.

Use cash as much as you possibly can. There is definitely something about the reality of cash that focuses your attention on the actual amount of money that you are spending. Keep your debit cards at home. If you cannot, stop by the bank and take the cash for your trip out of the ATM before going to the store.

Second, you should always be looking to improve on your budget.

As any successful investor can tell you, trying to hold steady when it comes to money is the worst strategy to use. You must always be trying to improve your position; this is what will keep your head above water. No matter how good your budget is, you must always look for ways to save and pinch another penny. This will constantly challenge your financial mind and keep you focused and disciplined so that you will never have an excuse to fall off. If your steady speed is always accelerating, then you will never fall back and rest on your laurels.
Improving a budget means improving both sides. Always look for a way to increase your income and decrease your expenses.
piggybank
Third, give yourself a long term reward as a goal!
There should be no reason that you save in order to just save. Give yourself a goal like an incredible vacation or your dream car. Why should saving be a chore? It does not have to be if you are actually putting that financial power to use for your benefit. Money is, after all, meant to be used as a tool for the improvement of your life in the present as well as in the future.

Many of the best investors and savers have chosen early retirement as their goal. This is certainly a difficult goal, but choosing it makes it impossible to become lax on any part of the budgeting process. The reward, however, is one of the absolute best goals out there and it is certainly worth it.
Fourth, get the right help!
There is no reason that you have to take this goal of saving on by yourself. Either get your family members to go in on your goals with you or get some professional help, even if you have to pay for it. If you are paying in order to save, you will take it much more seriously.

IPhones are extremely popular today, seen in the hands of all. However, many people tend to drop their iPhones and have complications with it, such as a broken or shattered glass screen. This may seem like a huge issue, but you can actually get that glass replaced and fixed with a few simple details and steps. For some that aren’t so handy with tools and handling electronics, there are some great local and virtual iPhone repair shops worth checking out. If you believe you can fix and replace your screen yourself, and the damage is not that bad, try the steps below (do this at your own risk, this isn’t endorsed by Apple and if you break your phone doing this it’s your own damn fault, we are not responsible):
1. Purchase a front panel and LCD screen:

These are both attached to one another. You’ll be able to find these parts online for around 80 dollars. Other tools you will need include a thin metal blade and a plastic spudger, tweezers, a Phillips #000 screwdriver, a tiny flat-head screwdriver, and a special pentalobe screwdriver. You’ll want to back up your data before carrying on with this and make sure you have a place to store all of the pieces you will need to put back together.
2. Remove the back cover and internal hardware:

Remove the back cover by unscrewing the two back screws. Slide the back off carefully. Then, remove any hardware the phone has such as the battery. There are steps to removing each part you can find elsewhere, but you want to remove the camera, metal shields, and docking cable.
3. Remove the motherboard screw:

Once you have the back of the phone completely open, remove the hidden motherboard screw. Then remove the whole motherboard. Finally, you’ll want to also take out the
speaker enclosure and vibration motor. You should then see the broke case and screen.
4. Remove screws:

The frame that keeps the glass intact is screwed on with 3 screws along all sides and one in each corner. Remove these screws, and then pry the panel loose with a gentle stick or tool. The cracked pieces of the screen should come off. When you pull the panel off, thread the two attached cables through the metal frame.
5. Install new display screen:

Remove the plastic film and thread the cables through the frame, then press the panel onto the frame and put it back together with screws and the washer.
6. Reassemble:

Put your iPhone 4s back together, doing the steps you did before but opposite. Be careful not to damage any small parts. Remember that the battery is the last piece that should be going in.

Use these steps to replace your broken or shattered iPhone 4s screen and see great results. Be careful with the process, and be sure to unscrew and put the pieces back together accurately.

The technological fight against spammers continues to evolve as hacking methods grow exponentially in power. Advanced security protocols are constantly needed to battle automated attempts at unauthorized database access. The core defense against mechanical manipulation is the Completely Automated Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, or CAPTCHA for short.

Unfortunately, this format has become exceedingly plagued by difficulties ranging from slight inconveniences to complete failures. As such, the future of CAPTCHA credential management utilities is murky, but the need for a protective log-in mechanism will always be present. This overview analyzes the coming changes that are in store for CAPTCHA software.
Becoming Unreadable

As computerized image mapping software becomes more effective, CAPTCHA text required extra vector layers to remain obscured from automated interpretation. The new need for entry commands that were extensively difficult to crack created illegible garbles of contorted alpha-numeric nonsense. The casual computer user commonly has to repeatedly refresh a CAPTCHA image before they can find one that is even worth attempting to mimic. In the meantime, computers still find ways to extract the word file for easy access. This means the current test has reversed the results to exclude humans in favor of robotic entrants. This status quo desperately needs a fix.
Math Equations and Riddles

Visual symbols share a common weakness that has grown over time. Increased user participation is clearly needed to filter out the computerized responses. Recently, a new form of CAPTCHA was rolled out. Instead of using a mere reentry protocol, this software poses a simple language problem or math question. It worked wonders for a few days, but an inevitable propensity to be cracked by machines rendered this path obsolete from its onset.
Auditory Commands

A common solution to the absolution of CAPTCHA entries has revolved around typing responses to sound files. Clips can simply declare the numbers and letters to be submitted, but they can also pose simple riddles that humans would easily comprehend. This replacement route has yet to gain momentum, mainly because the public perceives playing sound as an immense inconvenience; plus, access is limited in a variety of settings. Overall, verbalized commands benefit the disabled community, but widespread implementation seems unlikely due to associations with the handicapped community. Overall, this avenue naturally bans users that lack speakers or sound capabilities.
CAPTCHA Games

Interactive entertainment is the key to saving CAPTCHA from extinction. Fun games will convince users to put in the extra effort for the content they want to access. Aesthetically engaging puzzles will eliminate computers entirely without discouraging human audiences. These complex systems are much harder to compromise than basic text defenses. The enjoyable nature of these programs will even boost site clicks by users that simply want to play again. If the game runs fluidly enough, Web browsers will sync automatically and users will not notice. The tedious interim phase between access points can be seamlessly replaced with a virtual treat.
Final Word

As it stands, games are the most viable option left to save the CAPTCHA from being dismantled by machines. Still, there are a few hurdles to overcome. Any users that lack necessary software for gaming will be blocked from their services, and extra bandwidth can be costly. Web developers hope to simplify the format to make credential security universally safe and sound.

Hiding your handgun from your children is of a great importance. Here are some ideas of where you can hide your gun and your gun safe away from your kids. Maybe this will be a bit predictable, possibly even cliché, but hey, if it keeps it away from the kids I’m all for it!

Whenever there is a firearm in a home with children, it is important that the children are taught basic firearm safety. They need to be taught that they are never supposed to touch guns without parent permission.

Once your children are old enough you can teach them the rest of the gun safety rules. Especially when it comes to handling guns.
Teaching Gun Safety

Teaching gun safety when they are old enough is a great way to keep accidents from happening. Be sure to teach your children these rules when they are old enough to handle guns.

Never point the barrel of the gun at anyone or yourself
Wear the proper eye and ear protection when shooting
Store guns unloaded
Use the correct ammo
Always shoot with an adult by your side

Safes

If you have a gun in a home with children, you need to have it in a safe. However, you should keep the safe hidden in addition to putting your gun in a safe. Double protection is always good when it comes to keeping children safe.
Hiding Places

Here are the promised hiding places for your handgun safe in your home. You want to keep the gun safe hidden from your children, but you also want to be able to access your gun if needed. Remember all of these hiding places are only if your handgun is kept in a safe.

The guns that won the west 3

Imbed the safe in the cement in your basement. No one will ever walk off with your safe, will they? This can easily be covered by a chair or any other furniture object in your home.

Bolt the safe to the floor of your closet. It can be easily covered with clothes, a suitcase, or shoes.

Access to the crawl space? This is a great place to hide your safe! Especially if the crawl space access is in your room.

Hide the safe under your bed. This is a great place because it can be easily accessed if your house is broken into.

Create a false bottom to a drawer in your nightstand, which is easily accessible in the event of an emergency and your children will never find it or even know it’s there.

Keeping your gun in a safe keeps it out of the minds of your children. When your children are old enough periodically have chats with them reminding them that gun safety is important, and review the rules. Remember that safety comes first when you have guns in your home.

By Chanelle Furner

Chanelle Furner is a professional writer who has written for many blogs advocating the proper use and storage of guns and the importance of a handgun safe in the home.

With the new console generation having finally arrived and online console gaming bigger than ever, the time is right for an honest comparison of the security strengths and flaws in the online platforms used by Microsoft and Sony. Since the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 debuted in 2005 and 2006, Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network have bloomed into enormous revenue streams. The sheer volume of users and transferred money has naturally drawn thieving hackers looking for potential victims, and neither company made it through the last console generation without major setbacks. Spurred on by these past failures, Microsoft and Sony have each made substantial efforts to improve customer security, but it seems as though one of them is ahead in the race against hackers.

Microsoft periodically demands account information updates from Xbox Live users, temporarily locking accounts that aren’t compliant within two weeks. Security proofs add a powerful layer of protection by sending one-time security codes to a user’s phone and email address to verify login authenticity from non-trusted devices. These security methods give current users a substantial layer of protection from cyber criminals, but their existence, unfortunately, seems largely consequential to a trend of compromised accounts. In late 2011 and early 2012 in particular, hackers victimized Xbox players on multiple fronts. Some were phishing Live accounts while others were using accounts to buy tradable digital cards for the game FIFA Soccer 12 and turn them for significant profit.

While a significant number of Xbox Live users have suffered identity theft, Sony owns the dubious distinction of having experienced one of the largest data breaches in history. Hackers besieged the PSN servers between the 17th and 19th of April 2011, stealing credit card numbers and vital personal data from every one of Sony’s 77 million registered users. Although the stolen information was supposedly never used, the attack shook the confidence of the PlayStation community, cost Sony approximately $171 million, and left the company scrambling to rebuild customer goodwill.

Sony claims to have heavily bolstered its security infrastructure in the wake of the 2011 breach. A significant portion of the aforementioned $171 million was devoted to various measures to improve security by adding higher encryption levels and extra firewalls to slow down hackers. They also invested in security experts to perform penetration and vulnerability tests to determine potential weak points. The improved infrastructure was demonstrated successfully when hackers attempted to breach the network again in October 2011. Armed with data from compromised lists, they attempted to sign into the network but were able to access less than a tenth of the accounts, which were quickly locked. Unfortunately, these infrastructure upgrades weren’t accompanied by any additional layers of login protection similar to Xbox’s security proofs, and logins are still a simplistic password-and-user-name affair with a secret question on top.

Both Sony and Microsoft have made heavy reactionary investments in improved security, but the layered login protection and the fact that there still hasn’t been a catastrophic mass breach gives Xbox Live an advantage in its current state. Regardless, your best defenses as a gamer are common sense and diligence. Complex passwords that are frequently changed, up-to-date security contact methods, and use of point cards over credit cards all help to minimize the chance that your information winds up in unwanted hands.