New Threat: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Explodes In A Woman's Purse

It may interest you to know that the Galaxy Note 9 smartphone has been found to have copied the nightmare Samsung Galaxy Note 7 had in 2016.

The explosive incident of Samsung’s recent Note model is still on the go! Sad as it may seem.

Samsung is being sued by a woman who reported an explosion of her Galaxy Note 9 smartphone

Recently, an American Galaxy Note 9 user reported that the phone exploded inside her purse. Reporting from New York Post, Diane Chung sued Samsung regarding the disgraceful explosion of her Samsung Galaxy Note right inside her purse. She filled a lawsuit against the company and she is currently waiting for the court’s judgement.

Diane Chung explained how the incident occurred, that she was using the smartphone while in an elevator and it suddenly became hot. For safety sake she stopped using the phone and dropped it inside her purse. Not quite long, she heard a noise and found smoke escaping out of her purse, only did she realise it was her Galaxy Note 9 that got exploded and in an attempt to bring it out, her fingers got burnt.

This is not funny at all! A $1234 (£899) Galaxy Note 9 has been found to be a threat to health. And according to her, the Galaxy Note 9 only stopped burning when it was carried with a cloth and dipped into water.

What Could Be The Cause Of This Galaxy Note 9 Explosion?

If one should investigate the cause of a smartphone that got burnt, the battery would be the first suspected part.

However, Kate Beaumont, product director, had a security check on Galaxy Note 9 batteries and concluded that the batteries did not catch fire. Meaning the battery may not be the reason for Diane Chung’s Galaxy Note 9 explosion.

Meanwhile, Samsung unleashed the following statement: “ We have not received any reports of similar incidents involving a Galaxy Note 9 device and we are investigating the matter.”

Still, we are advised to follow these precautions to care for our phone battery

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Apple Launch Event 2018: iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Release Date, Specs And Price

Release Date, Price and Specs of iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR

On 12 September, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR were launched 

What we have been anticipating for has been released and it’s even more than we expected; Apple launch event on September 12 was great! The event prevailed many of Apple’s new products, not excluding Apple 2018 iPhones.

What Actually Got Unveiled Before The End Of The Event?

• iPhone XS • iPhone XS Max • iPhone XR • iOS 12 Software • Apple Watch

What's new in these 2018 iPhones?

There's indeed much difference between these 2018 flagship iPhones and 2017 iPhones.

• One spiking difference is the A12 Bionic chipset in the XS models which promises 30 per cent boost performance than last year’s A11 Bionic Chip, 40 per cent lower power consumption and support for Machine Learning.
• The iPhone XS Models are also the first to feature dual SIM; Apple’s own eSIM technology and a physical SIM Card. However, the iPhone XR supports one physical SIM Card slot and a digital eSIM
• New attractive Colors owing to the iPhone XR

Release Date

Apple still keeps to their yearly date of releasing its iPhones up for sale. The iPhone XS and XS Max will start receiving pre-orders from 14 September, and shipping will begin on 21 September.

For the cheaper iPhone XR, its pre-ordering will begin on 19 October and it will be on sale starting from 26 October.

Price

All these 2018 iPhones are available in varieties of storage capacities which Apple has used as a determinant of their prices.

Each iPhone will be offered in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB configurations.

iPhone XS, XS Max, XR US Pricing

	64GB	128GB	256GB	512GB
iPhone XS	$999	$1,099	$1,149	$1,349
iPhone XS Max	$1,099	N/A	$1,249	$1,449
iPhone XR	$749	$799	$899	N/A

iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Starting Prices

	iPhone XS (64GB)	iPhone XS Max (64GB)	iPhone XR (64GB)
United State	$999	$1,099	$749
United Kingdom	£999	£1,049	£749
Australia	AU$1,629	AU$1,799	AU$1,229

iPhone XS and XS Max Key Specs

• iOS 12 Operating System
• A12 Bionic Chip: 7-nanometer processor to help launch apps 30 per cent faster than 2017 iPhones.
• Display: OLED HDR Screen (Super Retina Displays)
• Display Sizes: 5.8-inch (458 ppi) and 6.5-inch (458 ppi).
• 3D Touch Pressure-Sensitive Screen
• Protection: iP68 Water-resistance rating
• Dual SIM: Yes, via eSIM technology
• Dual Rear Cameras: 12-Megapixel and telephoto lenses.
• Front-facing Cameras: 7-Megapixel, to feature in-depth portrait mode photos.
• Storage: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB Options.
• Improved Face ID; to unlock the phones speedingly.
• Stereo Sound Support: Yes, wider than 2017 iPhones.
• Battery: Apple claims that the iPhone XS should last 30 minutes longer than iPhone X, and iPhone XS Max could last 1.5 hours (90 minutes) longer than the iPhone X
• Colors: Silver, Space gray, Gold.

A side view of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max

Key Specs Of iPhone XR; The Cheapest iPhone

• CPU: A12 Bionic chip
• iOS 12 Software
• Build: Aluminum body with glass back
• Display Type: LCD screen (Retina display)
• Display Size: 6.1-inch (326 ppi), 1792 x 828 pixel resolution
• Haptic touch screen, like a trackpad
• Protection: IP67 certification (water resistance)
• Camera: 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, featuring Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
• Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB options, Portrait mode photos through software
• FaceID: Yes, with True-Depth camera system
• Battery: It claims to last 1.5 hours more than the iPhone 8 Plus
• Colors: White, Yellow, Product Red, Black, Blue, Coral (pink)

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Best 10 Ways You Can Secure Your Gmail Account From Being Accessed By Cyber Criminals

Read the Top Best Methods To Secure Your Gmail Account From Being Accessed By Cyber Criminals

Gmail security

I have come across several methods that can be performed to prevent your Gmail Account from getting hacked.


Gmail accounts which are controlled by Google Inc are now vulnerable to hackers and the rate at which Gmail accounts are being hijacked by hackers is to a very high extent. We all know the usefulness of Gmail accounts being one of the best Email hosting platforms that can be used to access all Google Products with all in one username and password, yet all of a sudden it's gone. Sad as it may sound but do you know that we are actually the one creating room for hackers to access our accounts?

Let's go into the proper business for today.

Top 10 Tips To Employ To Secure Your Gmail Account From Cyber Threats

1. Avoidance of Phishing Mails.

Avoidance of phishing emails

Try never to open any phishing emails which are usually found in the Spam folder. You know, spam messages are automatically moved into the spam folder for safety purpose. Though if you think the messages are not really spam, then you can view the mail and follow the link. But if the mail doesn't attract any sign of trust from you please don't try clicking on the link as it may be a way of accessing your Gmail account.

You may receive an email carrying the following headlines...

• Your BVN has been deactivated.
• Your Amazon Shopping has been shipped.

WARNING>>> Do not click on the provided link.

Recommended: See how to recognize phishing Emails

2. Using Ugly Email

This is the type of Gmail usually used in recognizing tracking emails. To get this;
Just make a search for “Ugly Email“ in your  Google Chrome browser ( i recommend you should make the search in Chrome Web Store). Having seen the Ugly Email from your search result, just click “Add to Chrome” and a new tab will be opened.
This Ugly Email will be added to your Chrome and you can find it at the top right corner of your Chrome browser.

Now to know if your Ugly Email is rocking well, log into your Gmail account and open existing emails or even new emails and if you should ever see a nasty eye that is somehow devilish in any of the mail you opened, then you should know it is a tracking email.

3. Try Using A Secure Connection

This a very important task you must carry on when logging in your Gmail account.

Try using the secure connection that is seen as HTTPS usually before the web address.

To do this:

Go to Setting»»General»»Browser Connection or better still, you should try using VPN like UltraSurf or VPN Robot for login.


To get UltraSurf on your browser, it's an extension so just go to Settings»»Extensions, scroll down to the end and click “add more extensions”, from the displayed interface make use of the search bar by searching for UltraSurf and from your result click “Add to Chrome”.

So whenever you are browsing with the browser, your connection becomes anonymous, though you can disable the UltraSurf if you wish not to use it for some websites.

4. Always Check Filter Forwarding and POP/IMAP

You really need to take this so serious as hackers may try adding filters to your Gmail account. These filters can secretly pass on emails so long the filter remains in your Gmail account.

To be on a safer side, try getting rid of any filters that look suspicious to you.

5. Try Using Incognito.

Chrome incognito mode

This may sometimes be useful most especially when you are surfing the internet with public devices found in places like Cyber Cafe, hotel and/or others. The usefulness of this Incognito or Private browser is to help you secure your connection so as not allowing cookies to store your web activities.

Recommended: How to Protect Your Android Smartphone From Hackers

6. Google 2 Step Login Verification

Google 2-step verification

This is one of the best security provided by Google. Each time you try to log in from another device, having given your login credentials, you'll be asked to take any of the following google login verification process;

• Text me a code
• Provide your backup Gmail account ( if any)
• Using google authentication app and others.

But I'm only in support of the text code as it is the safest means of verifying you are the one trying to log in. Of course, the hacker can never provide the security code sent to your device to log in.

7. Track your Account Activities

Google - My activity

This is a very important task you should always do. You should always keep an eye on your Gmail account to track every activity going on in your account.

To do this, just log in to My account and at the lower right corner of the platform, you will see “Last Account Activity” just click on details. There, you will see the devices accessing your account as well as the time and location they logged in. So if you notice any unauthorized login, all you have to do is change your password at that moment before the hacker does something else.

8. Avoid ignoring Gmail security alert.

Most of us usually make this nasty mistake of ignoring security alerts sent by Google. You should know that Google only send those security alerts when they feel it's necessary for you to update your security. It may be that they noticed something fishy concerning your account and to make sure it's not hacked, they'll send you an alert to update your security.

9. Try removing apps connected to your account

Do you know that apps are connected to your Gmail account? Whenever you use your Gmail to sign up for any third-party app, they are automatically connected to your Gmail account. Hackers can even try to connect an app to your account via play store and other means. So I recommend you should always remove unauthorized apps from your account by logging into www.accounts.google.com.

10. Always update your number.

Never forget to always keep your mobile number up-to-date and if you should ever lose your phone number then try getting a new one and link it to your Gmail account because that's what google will always use to send you a security code.

Other Tips include:

• Do not disclose your password.
• Use a recovery email, that is, a secondary email.

So above are the methods of securing your Gmail account from getting accessed by hackers. I hope I've been able to provide adequate security tips for securing your Gmail account.  Please kindly share this post with others using the share buttons provided below.

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How To Effectively Recognize A Phishing Attack

In the technology world today, cyber fraud is the most occurring activities performed by so many people who claim to be a computer guru. It's now as if being a black hat hacker is what tells one to be a computer wizard which is absolutely wrong.




So many devices’ users have fallen victim to this cybercrime. There are many ways to which these attacks come into your devices,  but one of the methods is via Phishing.

The phishing attack is the most used method for hackers to gain access to one's social login credentials or even your bank account details.

You might have received emails from scammers containing links such that when visited, will automatically redirect you to a scam web page that looks similar to an existing popular website. For example, the redirected webpage might seem to be facebook login page, asking you to input your facebook email, or phone number or username, and password associated with your Facebook account, claiming to be partners of the Facebook team.  And immediately you input those credentials of yours, it will automatically find its way to the attacker, thereby granting the hacker access to your facebook account and might steal any relevant information found on your Facebook account. The same thing is applicable to Emails, where you will be asked to renew your email via a link that will be sent to you.



So for this, I’ve published this discussion and reading it through will help you prevent yourself from all these cyber attacks. All you have to do now is to read them carefully.

You may be wondering, what is Phishing attack?

The phishing attack is a type of cyber attack in which an attacker sends a spam link such that when visited, will open a webpage that will look the same as an existing and popular website page, it may even be social websites or any other.

Now haven known what Phishing attack really is, you now need to know how to detect their spam message whenever you see them.

How do I identify Phishing attack?

Identifying them is quite easy and needs no technical procedure. Read the methods below.

Identifying their emails:

Identifying phishing emails is very easy. At first, you will need to do the following.

» Check the source of the email, I mean their email address, their addresses are never real. Most times they use email addresses that are similar to a popular email address owned by a company ( it may be a bank, Place of work ) or a social network.

For example, you may receive an email from the email address >>>> Manager@GTbank.com or gtbank02@GTbank.com instead of gtbank@gtbank.com  which is said to be the official email address for GTbank Nigeria.  You can only identify their fake email address only if you know the actual address they tried to copy.

» Most times their messages contains forceful language which is the number two proof to detect phishing attack. These scammy and forceful languages can be seen in their emails, forcing you to input some kind of your details in relation to what they are trying to steal from you. But these forceful languages are often seen on their webpage where they redirected you to, they mostly use pop up messages forcing you to input your credentials.

So you have to be aware of this!

Recommended: How to protect your Android from hackers

Check if the email contains grammar mistakes and misspelled words.

Most of their emails contain grammatical misspelled words, though not all are perfect phishing attackers does this mistake often.




Note: You may also receive phishing link via your phone message inbox. Like the one I received some time ago, I was told that my BVN has been deactivated, and a link was provided to reactivate it and I was threatened that if it exceeds 72 hours, they will have my BVN permanently deactivated. Isn't that a scam?  Yes, it is because only the bank you are operating on has the right to send such message with no threat, and if they were to give you a link, then it should be their official website and not others.

So be aware of these tricks used by phishing attackers to keep you and your credentials protected.

Recommended: How To Secure Your PC From Hackers

Please share this with others too using the share button given below.

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How To Temporarily Lock your PC If An Unknown User Tries To Guess Your Password

Still on privacy protection matters, today we shall be revealing to you some ways of securing your PC from physical access by an unknown user. Last week on this blog, we dealt with some security tips on how to protect your PC from floating malware/viruses and other malicious content which may download itself into your PC from the internet and I mentioned about subsequently downloading of your System (PC) update and setting up a strong antivirus.

But what if the bad egg you are trying to prevent from bursting into your PC is designed by a neighboring friend near you? This is why you need not to only employ cyber (internet) security but also setting up a physical privacy of your PC like what this post is talking about.

Recommended: Tips To Help You Secure Your Android From Cyber Attacks

Set up your PC to automatic lock when someone tries to guess your password. There could be many ways to achieve this, but this post governs two safe methods.

How To Temporarily Lock Your PC From Unknown/Unwanted Users

Method 1. Command Prompts (CMD)

The Command Prompts (CMD) is always there to help you communicate with your PC on what you want to be configured, and this is done by serving it some command lines.

Step 1. Launch the Command Prompt Windows on your PC; to do this, go to startup menu and search for Command Prompt (CMD) or from your desktop interface press Windows Key + R simultaneously to pop up the “Run Window” and input “CMD” in the text field and hit “Enter” from your keyboard

NOTE: CMD or Command Prompt window is always dark, be sure you are running Command prompt window before proceeding to the next step.

Step 2. In the CMD window, type in the command “net accounts”. This command would list your current password policy of your PC. By default, the password policy is set as “lockout threshold: Never”; this implies that your user account will remain unlocked regardless of how many times you filled your password incorrectly.

You can modify these default settings by implementing the below commands on your Windows PC

Step 3. Exit the previous command prompt and relaunch (re-open) a new one and input the command “net accounts/lockout threshold:3”. This is an example, if you input exactly the command, it would set up the incorrect password filing limit to 5 times and once it exceeds 3 failed trials, your Windows PC would be locked.

Step 4. At default, the lock duration after exceeding the number of incorrect password fillings is set to 30 minutes. To change this, you should open and type in the command prompt the following command “net accounts/lockout duration:15”. This would set your PC to lock for 15 minutes after exceeding the configured number of trials. You can change the “15” in the command line to whatever number you may find comfortable.

NOTE: The set time is always in minutes.

Recommended: How To Get Avast Antivirus (Premier) For Free With My Activation Code

Now you are done configuring your PC to lock after a limited failed user login attempt. This would help lock out spies/unwanted users from your PC.

Should you come across any difficulty prior to this method? Look down for the next method👇👇👇

Method 2. Using Local Security Policy

The Local Security Policy could help you accomplish the command on your PC. Follow the below steps to get it done.

Step 1. Open your start menu, type “local security policy” and open the app. Note that it's a system (desktop) app

Step 2. Navigate to Security Settings>>>Account Policy>>>Account Lockout Policy

Step 3. Doubleclick on “Account lockout threshold” and enter the number of invalid login attempts you wish to set and click OK. By default, the account lockout duration is set to 30 minutes, so click OK again to save the change in lockout threshold.

Step 4. If you wish to modify the lockout duration, go back and double-click on “Account lockout duration” and modify the time.

You are done!

I believe this second method is much easier to execute than the Command Prompt which seems much like you are writing a program, hahaha….

Well, the above are the two best methods that can be used to set a temporary lock on a user account on windows PC after exceeding the configured number of invalid login attempts. Cheers...

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