Tech headlines of the week
In today’s tech talk with CBS, we’re talking Google Pixel, Amazon shipping and cyber security.
Hey Google, Pixel 4’s face unlock really needs an eyes open requirement! Google pixel axed the fingerprint scanner so face unlock is the only form of biometric defense. Strange because fingerprint biometric ( secure way to get into your phone without a password). Makes me wonder about their other flaws in facial recognition implementation.
I am going to give Apple kudos because they really treat biometrics as a trustworthy security and computing layer, whereas other companies in the mobile space treat biometrics as proof of concept. Sort of like a sales pitch and are eager to rush out features before they’re ready.
So why did Pixel rush with this feature? It would have taken away from the seamless experience of unlocking your
phone, that blink of an eye really counts.
For those users who want the phone and are concerned that someone may take their phone and try to unlock it while their eyes are closed, they can activate a security feature that requires a pin, pattern or password for the next unlock, called Lockdown Option.
Everything inside Amazon has passed its prime (no pun intended). The problem does not appear to be with Amazon itself selling expired food items. Rather, the company is failing at policing its third-party sellers from selling food items past or near their expiration dates.
As someone who Primes everything and I mean EVERYTHING! I worry that as the marketplace grows, the problem will only get worse. In cases where multiple vendors are selling the same product, it's not always clear who you're buying from or whether or not it's fresh.
Amazon says it uses a mix of human reviews and AI to study feedback, helping it flag products or whole seller accounts if it catches violations. They really need to devise new strategies to police the marketplace more effectively.
In honor of Cyber security Awareness month, here are some tips below. Watch this video for more..
1. Open public Wi-Fi networks are everywhere: coffee shops, airports, restaurants, shopping malls. But turns out, public Wi-Fi is rarely private so use it only for public information. An open network can be just as tempting as an open wallet.
2. Social Sharing: Keep your online identity as safe as your offline identity. When you over share with people beyond your circle of friends, those who you don’t trust might learn personal information like your new purchases or vacation schedule. Keep these tips in mind next time you give your followers a look inside your
life.
Avoid sharing info like your full birth date or personal email address that can be used to reset your password.
If you’re married, make your maiden name private to prevent would-be identity theft.
Make sure your photos don’t contain sensitive data, like a credit card in the corner of that birthday dinner snapshot.
3. Lock your phone when it’s not in use. Even if a malicious attacker cannot get into your phone, they can try to get the sensitive data stored inside, including contacts, places visited and e-mails. Imagine how readily accessible all that info is to a person on the street who picks your phone up.