Computer Technology can be a good friend but sometimes a bad Master.

Computer Technology can be a good friend but sometimes a bad Master.

Young people and technology have gone hand in hand since the dawn of time. When the first iPhone hit the market, teenagers and 20-somethings lined up around the block to try out the new device, while their parents sat at home gawking at the unbelievable price tags. When Snapchat decided to tackle the social media landscape on its own, it was younger demographics that kept them in the fight, while their older counterparts got into arguments on Facebook. Young people have been the solid foundation on which technology is built, providing all the market research and buying power that budding companies need to make an impact.

But what is it doing to them in return? With 85 percent of parents allowing children to use technology in the home and kids under 9 years old averaging two hours of screen use per day, understanding the effects of technology on kids is more important than ever. While keeping an eye on a child at the playground is easy, monitoring online behavior and media intake is no simple feat, particularly when your child is more prone to understanding the intricacies of tech than you are.

“It’s been getting harder for parents to really monitor a lot of what their kids are seeing and doing,” said Douglas Gentile, a psychology professor at Iowa State University to CNN. “At the same time, they’re relying on the seeming benefit of being able to quiet the kid at a restaurant with a device. We may be building a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster, because we’re using that power for our benefit, not for the child’s benefit.”

There’s no denying that technology is having an effect on kids. But what exactly are smartphones, selfies, and social media accounts doing to them?

The Effect

As a generation more immersed in technology than any generation before it, kids nowadays are experiencing a whole new set of technology-fueled problems that could make growing up a whole lot harder. What kind of problems? Oh, just about all of them.

Depression

Technology is designed to make life easier. Unfortunately, the link between depression and screen use has been well-documented in adults, making life decidedly less easy for any one suffering from this national epidemic. To make matters worse, technology seems to have an increasingly powerful effect when it comes to depression in young people, leading to a bevy of tragic statistics that will make even the staunchest of technophiles reconsider their stance.

According to a survey from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there has been a 60 percent increase in the number of adolescents who have experienced at least one major depressive episode since 2010. Data from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention shows that suicide rates in people age 15 to 24 have risen by 31.5 percent since 2008, the year the first smartphone came into existence. And if you aren’t sure that these numbers reflect the increase in technology, here are a few more.

A study from the Association for Psychological Science discovered that “adolescents using electronic devices 3 or more hours a day were 34 percent more likely to have at least one suicide-related outcome than those using devices 2 or fewer hours a day, and adolescents using social media sites every day were 13 percent more likely to report high levels of depressive symptoms than those using social media less often.” And while this is could fall victim to the “correlation, not causation” realm of studies, it does raise of few important questions.

Parents must understand that computer technology in-as-much-as we call it a changer maker, it can also become a bad master. Linus Torvalds is genus in computer technology. He even developed the Lunux Operating, with a fortune of $150M through technology, He still restrict his children in the use of IT tools. Same applies to the late Steve Jobs the former CEO of Apple.

Thank you for reading.

Ref: TechCo

HACKERS, THEIR REASON TO HACK, AND HOW TO PREVENT HACKING

Definition of Hacking

Computer hacking refers to the practice of modifying or altering computer software and hardware to accomplish a goal that is considered to be outside of the creator’s original objective. Those individuals who engage in computer hacking activities are typically referred to as “hackers.”

The majority of hackers possess an advanced understanding of computer technology. The typical computer hacker will possess an expert level in a particular computer program and will have advanced abilities in regards to computer programming.

Regardless of the definition, there are unwritten rules or principles that a hacker will ultimately live by. The belief that information sharing is a powerful exercise and that is the ethical duty of hackers to share their expertise through the creation of free software and through facilitating access to information and to computing resources is a fundamental code for which the majority of hackers follow. In addition, computer hacking as a practice revolves around the belief that system-cracking as a hobby or for fun is ethically okay so long as the hacker commits no vandalism, theft, or a breach of confidentiality.

Unlike the majority of computer crimes which are regarded as clear-cut in terms of legality issues, computer hacking is somewhat ambiguous and difficult to define. In all forms, however, computer hacking will involve some degree of infringement on the privacy of others or the damaging of a computer-based property such as web pages, software, or files.

Computer hacking possesses a mixed perception. Due to our reliance on computer technologies and the critical information shared on networks, the art of computer hacking has been skeptically viewed. That being said, there is also a “Robin Hood” mentality attached to the practice, where free programs or facilitated measures have been awarded to the average computer user.

The primary issue attached to computer hacking stems from an individual’s ability to access crucial or personal information that is found on a computer network. The ability to retrieve and subsequently tamper with such information will give way to the potential to commit heinous criminal acts.

Ways to Prevent Computer Hacking

These days, it seems that no one is completely secure online. Cybersecurity threats are everywhere, from the hacks on Yahoo and Sony Pictures to WannaCry, a ransomware that affected 150 countries and more than 200,000 computer systems including the UK's National Health Service (NHS), FedEx, and a number of U.S. hospitals.

Educational institutions must clearly establish use policies and delineate appropriate and inappropriate actions to all individuals who access information via a computer. The use of filters or firewalls may be considered to reduce access to unauthorized software serial numbers and other hacking-related materials.

Don't use email for the sensitive stuff.

1. Email is a common target for hacking and phishing scams. Keep conversations private with Messenger's Secret Conversations or Signal Private Messenger.

2. Use a VPN when necessary.

If you're not at home and need to get online, use a virtual private network (VPN). However, be careful. Most of them are not as secure as you hope. Unless you can set up your own VPN, which you can do with Algo VPN from Trail of Bits, you may want to look into Cloak,

Freedome, or PIA.

3. Replace an old computer with a new, simpler one.

Old computers simply can't be secured. There isn't any security software that you can buy to protect them. Get rid of your old clunker without seatbelts and upgrade your equipment. If you are really concerned about security use a Chromebook, iPad, or Windows 10 S device. They each come with security measures built in that put you ahead of hackers

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TRENDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

Halid Ibrahim is a Tech Entrepreneur

The 21st-century evolution is built on a highly-paced technologically driven foundation. If you want to be ahead of the competition, you will need to know the latest trends and events occurring within your industry.

However, having a good knowledge of your industry is not enough as there is one key external factor that is important and will dictate the direction of the industry – the IT sector. The Information Technology Association of America defines IT as the study, development, designs, implementation, support, and management of information systems that are computer-based. Today, IT has become a huge agent of change in different business aspects of the society. It is a game changer when it comes to the resolving of social and economic issues. Some of the major trends in the IT sector are obvious.


The Internet of Things (IoT)

Industry experts say that while the Internet of Things (IoT) had a false start particularly in regard to the augmented technology, in 2018, we should expect to see it improve our ways of doing things at home, work and even during leisure activities. This is why we expect to see it be among the biggest IT trends of 2018. The IoT is usually driven by the industry and will succeed the most if it focuses on getting solutions for some specified problems. The industry focuses on firmware and software that is hardware-centric and suits those who love creating solutions and meets the demands of the engineering field.

Big data

The technologies that are related to the big data will continue rising in importance in 2018. Due to its great return on investment, impact speed and measurability, digital marketing are now more popular as compared to the traditional marketing. This means that big data is now applied to the big business as many of the digital marketing campaigns can rely on the huge data quantities to ensure effectiveness and a greater reach. This is why companies are now relying on the data management to ensure conversions from online connections.

Mobile web performance

A website that hasn’t been optimized for the mobile devices is now getting penalized by the search engines. Nowadays, more users are expecting better online performance from mobile devices. This has resulted in a race for the improvement of the mobile performance. This means that the 2018 web trends will include user-triggered animations, mobile-only development, secured apps and pages and natural language processing. There will also be an increased usage of white or negative spaces.

ABOUT TECHMINDS - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STARTUP

Halid Ibrahim, Founder of TechBase Lab

TechBase Lab is Tech StartUP that is based in the Northern Region of Ghana, Tamale. We are in business to develop software for general purposes and for specific purposes to our clients. We shall have in place training services and also offer technical support in line with our business.

Our location will be very strategic in the sense that we will be close to Tamale Technical University, University for Development Studies Graduate School, as well as the technology school, called New Life College.

We are in business to not only make a profit but to also compete favorably against other Information Technology companies in the industry and attain our vision of being the preferred software development company for clients all over Ghana.

We intend to ensure that we demonstrate fair business ethics at every point of our business. We shall hold ourselves accountable for our high standards and ensure that all our employees are not only attuned to but display this standard at all times in order to positively promote the company.

As a result of this, we are willing to go the extra mile by putting in structures, processes, and plans in place to ensure that we get the best professionals who not only have the expertise but are also competent and know how to take our company from where we are to where we intend to be.

Even though we are still at the startup stage, we plan to have welfare packages for our employees. A welfare package that will be amongst the best in the whole industry amongst similar start-ups such as ours. We will also provide a conducive environment for all our employees in order to ensure that they remain productive at all times in order to improve the bottom line of the company.

We will offer excellent customer services that will be enough to retain a high number of clients and also make new ones. All our customer service executives will be trained to know how to respond to customers and are also updated as regards the industry trends in order to ensure that reliable information is passed on to our clients.

Finally, the brain behind TechBase Lab, Halidu Ibrahim is a well-traveled young entrepreneur with international exposure. Halid Ibrahim have a solid background in software development, network engineering, graphics and animation and business management skills. This is a great plus as I am willing to work with a competent team to deliver to the general public.
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