Author: Jim O Brien/CEO

CEO and expert in transport and Mobile tech. A fan 20 years, mobile consultant, Nokia Mobile expert, Former Nokia/Microsoft VIP,Multiple forum tech supporter with worldwide top ranking,Working in the background on mobile technology, Weekly radio show, Featured on the RTE consumer show, Cavan TV and on TRT WORLD. Award winning Technology reviewer and blogger. Security and logisitcs Professional.

6 Useful Product Packaging Solutions

Products often go on quite a journey before they end up on the shop floor. Companies often concern themselves with how to promote and package them correctly. The items will need to be kept safe from harm and to feature labels, pictures, instructions, and more.

It may be that you are a business owner yourself, and are currently researching the various product packaging solutions on the market. If so, you should read this article because it discusses 6 major options you may wish to consider.

What Is Packaging?

Packaging is the science, art, and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use/re-use. Packaged goods contain anything from food and beverages to consumer goods of all shapes and sizes. There are many different types of packaging solutions that can be useful in today’s world.

Tamper-resistant packaging includes security features like seals to help prevent unauthorized access to the contents by anyone other than the potential buyer. Childproof packaging helps protect young children from accessing dangerous items while helping manufacturers comply with the regulations set forth by the Consumer Products Safety Commission.

Case Erectors

A case erector is a machine that can take a box, fill it with products and seal it. There are many different types, including those that use shrink film or tape to keep the boxes closed, and that have clamps to hold everything together during the process. Case erectors help to manage the packaging and shipping of products, and they can be used for a variety of containers. They include things like boxes or drums that hold products ranging from food items to chemicals.

As with the other 5 packaging solutions mentioned in this article, more information can be found on the internet. If you’re interested in an automatic case erector you can discover its key features, specifications, safety, and ergonomics. Whether it’s automated LxWxD path generation, opposing-cup case opening, or robotic pick and pass, more details can be found on specialist websites.

Box Packaging

This refers to a box that acts as a container for another internal item. It’s commonly used when mailing products, being highly versatile in its uses. Boxes offer a more durable and convenient solution than many other types of product packaging. They provide an ideal way to protect your products from damage during shipping. 

 

It’s also possible to box several items together for easy storage or stacking capabilities – either in the warehouse (think floorplans), shop, or home. Boxes can be used in many different ways:

 

  • flat-packed so you can assemble them at work/home
  • corrugated plastic boxes that provide extra strength (whilst being recyclable)
  • they can be a lightweight form of packaging where this is a prime consideration (shipping costs are usually connected to weight and size)

 

Practical Packaging

Carry Handles

We’ve just mentioned stackable packages, which are a great example of practical packaging. Some packaging features carry handles, which makes life easier for anyone who has to carry the items/s over any distance. If the product is fragile or particularly large and heavy it may not be practical to carry without some kind of support mechanism. Handles also mean that you can carry something safely with two hands rather than one.

Disposable Packages

Many products require cardboard boxes in order to protect them during transportation but once they’re at their destination there’s no need for the product itself to still be enclosed in its original container. Often these kinds of packages quickly come apart so that everything inside can be taken out easily, and the external material can then be thrown away. This packaging may feature snaps along the side or a simple tape seal at the top for ease of access.

Instruction And Warning Information

Another practical side to packaging relates to the instruction pages or manuals. If your product requires any kind of assembly, you can be sure that it’s going to need this to be included. The same thing applies when there are warnings to communicate. They could relate to not swallowing, touching, or inhaling certain chemicals.

Environmentally Friendly Packaging

As more and more companies are becoming aware of the damage their products cause to our planet, many have begun putting a greater emphasis on environmentally friendly packaging. Reusable boxes can help your company save money on shipping since you won’t constantly have to buy new cardboard boxes. Another alternative is plastic trays which are quite popular

Recyclable packaging is eco-friendly and another option that can help your company save money. Biodegradable options are great for companies that ship food items or other things that need to be consumed right away. They are designed to naturally decompose once their job has been completed, rather than taking up space in a landfill.

The Personalized Touch

This is a great way to enhance your packaging and delight your customers. Whether you choose to handwrite their name or use a beautiful font, it’s the perfect way to make them feel important and valued.

Besides including a thank you note, why not include a freebie (e.g. a sample of another one of your products) to inspire further sales? Failing that, think about including a discount voucher that can be used in-store or online.

Fragile Packaging Solutions

It’s inevitable that some companies will have a number of fragile items that require special care during shipping. For these products, you need to make sure that they won’t get damaged in transit or storage. Whilst there are some standard packing solutions for fragile goods (e.g.bubble wrap and tissue paper) there is also room to create custom options as well. 

Custom foam can be cut and formed into different shapes so it fits around your product perfectly, protecting it from all angles. This material does an exceptional job at absorbing shock without giving way under pressure. Foam stops small parts like screws and bolts from bouncing around freely and potentially causing damage in transit.

This article has discussed 6 of the major packaging solutions that businesses consider for their storage and shipping. In turn, it can be used to make products look more appealing, and encourage further custom as a result.

Tech Review – Vonmählen High Six – The Most Compact 6 in 1 Fast Charging Cable

We have seen many similar attempts at a product like this before and well some have worked and some have not and this one works for several reasons and reduces the need to carry extra cables with you when this does it in one and more and not only that it has a bottle opener built in to the tough stainless steel case. Also note this is a pre release unit and the following is to be noted.

The cable sits too tightly in the stainless-steel casing, cause it to scratch the cable when removing it from the casing. This will be loosened

There are still small gaps when the adapters are connected to the cable, and the USB A adapter. The gap will be significantly reduced.

The stainless-steel casing is shinier than we want it to be. The final color will be slightly more matte, which will also alter the appearance of final color of the product.

The Rose Gold cable needs to be adjusted so that the color of the cable and the adapters are consistent.

The aesthetics of the magnet will be improved: The magnet will be less shiny, and there will be no visible glue.

The lightning adapter speed and data transmission is not functioning as expected. This will be improved to our expected specifications before we go into mass production

The USB-A port size will be adjusted as it sits too tightly in the ports, causing scratches after normal use. The size of the USB-A adapter will be adjusted.

 

High Six offers

  • Data and charging cable with fast charging capabilities (up to 60 watts) for your keychain.
  • USB-C to USB-C connector
  • Includes additional connectors for USB-A, micro-USB and Lightning
  • Stainless steel case doubles as a bottle opener
  • Data transfer rate of 480 Mbit/s
  • Compact size of 12 x 16.5 x 61 mm
  • Weight: 16.5 grams
  • Available in three different colors: Black, rose gold and silver

The charging speeds are

  • USB – C to USB – C = PD 60W 3A
  • USB – C to Micro – USB = 2.4A
  • USB – C to Lightning = 2.4A
  • USB – A to USB – C = PD 60W 3A
  • USB – A to Micro – USB = 2.4

Who is this for

Well anyone really and in particular one who travels as someone who does bringing multiple cables is a pain and you often misplace them, also with other similar products I have tried before you certainly misplace the little tips but this has magnets and you can place the tips on it which is really cool.

If you have more than one product this is also ideal as you can charge just about anything except micro – usb products which is far and few between however there is still plenty of tech on the market and also tech we use today..

Back them HERE

Video Link

 

 

 

Dining out Data, What food apps know about you and its more than your toppings.

In the past 18 months QR codes and apps for restaurants and takeaways have replaced paper menus and card machine payments allowing customers to enjoy their food whilst reducing human contact.

Whether you are a fan of an ordering app or QR code menu, if you are a fan of eating out, there is a high chance you have had to scan your phone and enter your details to order your morning coffee or burger meal. We have noticed just how much QR codes have suddenly became popular again and highly visible even here in Ireland.

Let’s face it, food apps are taking over our phones and collecting our data as they go, but which apps are collecting the largest amount of data from us each time we order?

A new study by TechRobot has revealed the top apps and chain restaurants in the UK and US that are eating up our data each time we order:

The study reveals that:

  • Cafe Nero is the drinking up the most customer data of the chain restaurants analysed in the UK
  • There are five coffee chains that feature in the top 15 apps for data consumption in the UK
  • McDonald’s and Dominoes are in the top 5 apps in the UK saving consumers data – including your browsing history and personal ID
  • In the US, Caviar and Grubhub are the dining out apps that know the most about you
  • Dunkin’ and Chick-Fil-A both place in the top 10 most data invasive apps in the US

UK top 10 apps consuming the most data:

  1. Cafe Nero (68%)
  2. Paul UK (65%)
  3. Dominoes (50%)
  4. Wendy’s (47%)
  5. McDonalds (47%)
  6. Brewdog (42%)
  7. Costa (42%)
  8. Noxy Brothers (38%)
  9. Burger King (38%)
  10. Starbucks (38%)

US top 10 apps consuming the most data:

  1. Caviar (71%)
  2. Grubhub (71%)
  3. Postmates (68%)
  4. Uber Eats (68%)
  5. Subway (56%)
  6. Dunkin’ (52%)
  7. Chick-Fil-A (52%)
  8. Sonic (52%)
  9. Jack in the Box (50%)
  10. Whataburger (50%)

Worried about what data you are handing over then? Read more –  The security risks of dining out

 

How to Promote Your Product Effectively?

The success of any business, like the sales rate, directly depends on the quality of the advertising campaign and promotions. But what if all the money is spent on renting a trading platform, purchasing the necessary goods and organizing a workspace? It remains to use free and budgetary ways to drive traffic! In the following article, we will provide you with effective ways to make your product known to the public. 

Cross-Marketing

To begin with, cross-marketing is an affiliate promotion method for the purpose of selling a product or service. Now, this method of promotion is gaining popularity on the Internet. One of the most striking examples of cross-marketing is McDonald’s.

The essence of this method is mutual PR. You find a person or company with the same target audience and exchange ads. We should also point out that mutual PR needs to be dealt with not with everyone you meet, but only with those users whose target audience can potentially become yours.

There is no point in promoting manicure services in a dealership account, but, for example, a fitness club page can become an excellent advertising platform.

Bonuses and Promotions

It goes without saying that bonuses and promotions are an integral part of any business. When you decide to attract a new client the first thing that the company is looking for is offering incentives that will drive the traffic and in the future raise the exposure of a particular product. Frequently, newly-established online casinos and financial brokers on the Internet use the following feature, to attract more customers. 

An interesting case is Africa. When Forex trading was still in its infancy, to get more clients on their platforms, Forex bonuses in Africa started to feature promotions that required no deposit. In such a way, even though the initial amount was very minimal, brokers broadened their base of customers. In short, bonuses and promotions can be used in numerous ways, but offering no deposit bonuses is one of the most effective ways to get more clients. 

Social Media Competitions

Perhaps one of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your business page is to organize competitions. Contests can be very different from simple – you made a repost, you participate in a lottery, to complex – a contest of comments, reviews, poems or stories.

Contests with simple conditions and valuable prizes bring excellent coverage and good engagement. It is also advisable not to forget to add community links wherever possible.

Public Events

This method of promotion is suitable for catering establishments and companies providing activities in the service sector. There are several formats for such events: lecture, seminar, master class.

As a rule, announcements of large-scale urban events are posted in regional media and large publics on social networks – this is a great chance to capture the audience that may not know anything about you yet.

Guerrilla Marketing

Guerilla Marketing is one of the most stylish ways to promote. Advertising campaigns of this type tend to go viral and are shared throughout the Internet. The main characteristic of this method of promotion is an unusual and non-standard approach. Guerilla marketing is widely believed to be one of the most popular methods of promoting your product or service. 

Corporate Blog 

Not many small companies are thinking about the possibility of implementing a multitasking strategy through blogging. Here you can talk about the product, the internal life of the company, the team, news and unusual situations, thereby closing the distance between you and your customers.

People will definitely come to see your blog and, if they are interested in it, they will read it and recommend it to their friends.

Referral Programs

Make the client want not only to come to you again but to bring someone else with him.

We can consider a simple discount system in which the customer receives a bonus for every purchase. On the accumulated points, you can take a free product or get a discount.

Attracting a new customer costs 5, and sometimes 10 times more than retaining an existing one!

Are There Other Methods? 

There are hundreds of ways to promote your product over the Internet. It only depends on which one is the most effective and suitable for you.

There are also options for those wanting to continue promotion of the product in-person. Consider your packaging and whether this is branded packaging that showcases your company’s logo and brand assets. These magnificent printed metallic stickers are worth investing in if you want to add a stamp of colour to the packaging.

Of course, there are no guarantees that these methods will work all the time but you can definitely raise the effectiveness. All of these methods work great in combination. Use them and you will be able to increase the awareness of your brand or service and, as a result, increase sales.

Tips To Identify Forex Broker Scams

Late last year, the FBI made their largest catch yet – 47 illicit Forex operations that had previously caused traders to lose millions of dollars. 

Among those targeted in the FBI’s most recent global sting operation were financial institutions of various kinds as well as private investors. Even when divided 47 ways, “millions of dollars” still seems like a substantial sum. But take into account that the worldwide Forex market transacts $5,1 trillion per day. 

Considering how many transactions are taking place daily, across different international boundaries all over the place, it seems sensible that the seas are full of “a lot of sharks,” as U.S. Attorney General James Comey recently warned reporters. 

You should keep in mind that at any given time, the market might erupt and spew lava all over your cash. You should also be aware that every investment with significant risks also has the potential for huge profits. Also, it should be noted that as the Forex market is the world’s largest financial market, there are many scammers who want to misappropriate investors’ money. In order to prevent those kinds of malpractices while trading Forex investors need to be careful. What, then, are these so-called Forex scams? Because trading in the forex market, also known as the foreign exchange currency marketplace, is such a dangerous and unpredictable venture, it has been dubbed a hoax on occasion. The kindest thing investors can say about Forex is that it resembles gambling more than “real” investment, although even this is harsh. 

 

There are several ways to identify Forex broker scammers, including Forex broker reviews, like XM Forex broker review which allows investors to get more information about the regulations of the brokers and the way the service providers work. In this article, you can get more information about Forex scams and how it works. It’s interesting to know for what reasons are there so many scammers and fraudsters working in the Forex industry? For obvious reasons, such as the great potential for payoff. In other words, why do criminals choose to operate in the frantic, hectic, unpredictable Forex market rather than other, more steady, staid investment and trading venues?

How Do Forex Brokers Scam Investors?

Traditional forex scams and developing scams are the two main types of forex fraud. Data security may serve as a good comparison in this situation. When it came to stealing confidential information, thieves had only one option: break into the building where it was being stored and take the physical copy files!

Data breaches are being reported on a regular basis, and the vast majority of them occurred online. Cybercriminals don’t even have to leave their sofa to steal confidential information that’s half a globe away. Scams that adapt in reaction to new technology or FBI raids are known as evolving scams. For the sake of this article, we’ll examine each form of forex scam one by one.

A list of bogus forex brokers or a list of the worst forex brokers would be fantastic. Scam Forex brokers, on the other hand, change their names, identities, and virtual locations on a regular basis.

Using a stop-loss order, stop hunting is a frequent risk management strategy in the world of investments. An order with a stop-loss condition isn’t limited to foreign exchange trades. It’s fairly frequent across a wide range of investment categories.

The point-spread fraud is a “classic” that may be seen in many other kinds of investment trading, not only forex.

In order to pull off the point-spread scam, brokers adjust the spread between the bid and ask prices using the forex platform. This raises the broker commission and eats away at any gains made by the unwary forex trader. While point-spread forex scams aren’t as common as they previously were, it doesn’t mean they’re gone.

Another traditional Forex scam is the signal-seller scheme, which is practiced not only in the world of forex but also in other industries. According to the scam’s theory, certain people (human or automated) are “Forex experts,” and they are privy to information regarding currency pairings, Forex patterns, and market movements (the “signal”).

A forex broker will only acquire access to churning-type activity if a customer enables the broker to trade on the customer’s behalf (for example, by signing a discretionary agreement). The forex broker may then say they were only doing their job and blame the client’s losses on the usually turbulent currency market.

It’s important to remember that churning is difficult to detect and much more difficult to demonstrate. Nevertheless, if the fraudster is discovered and proved guilty, he or she will be subject to hefty penalties and SEC repercussions. Meanwhile, you’ll have to come up with creative ways to make up for the financial damage caused by churning.

Scammers that prey on the currency market are evolving along with it. FX fraudsters have had plenty of new chances open up with the emergence of online forex brokers, automated digital algorithms, and computer technology. However, you may be shocked to learn that only some of the most recent and sophisticated forex scams make use of sophisticated technology to achieve their objectives.

 

Useful Tips That Can Help You Manage Your Employees Better

Managing employees is the key challenge every employer has to face to ensure smooth operations in their company. More so, you have to learn how to manage employees better for your business to stay competitive. There are a lot of things that an employer needs to keep in mind to make sure that they can manage their employees more efficiently and effectively. By paying attention to the following tips, you will learn how you can better deal with your employees.

Use Text-Based Platforms For Hourly Workers

Most hourly employees work at a distance from the company, and this means that they might not be able to interact with you or your staff if necessary. This is why employers need to use efficient communication tools so that employees can quickly respond whenever there are questions or concerns about projects. Using text-based platforms will help ensure that everyone stays on track during critical tasks, even when workers are doing jobs in remote areas. This is why more business owners are deciding to try Teamsense and use their tools to communicate effectively with workers. it also allows you to track what your workers are doing at all times as well as update tasks as needed.

Try Productivity Tracking Software

If you have a lot of employees who work on various projects, using productivity tracking software is a good idea. There are a lot of available programs out there that can help employers track how much time they spend working and if they are meeting their targets or not. These tools also allow the company to monitor workers’ progress from afar, which makes it easier for employers to keep everyone accountable for their tasks at hand. In this manner, the business owner will be able to set deadlines according to project milestones as well as provide feedback whenever necessary. This way, your workers will know what’s expected of them and stay motivated at the same time.

Encourage Collaboration Between Workers And Teams

When you can encourage collaboration among your workers, it can help improve their productivity by leaps and bounds. The ability to work together will allow workers to bounce ideas off one another when it comes to completing tasks. Moreover, each worker is unique in his/her way, so allowing them the opportunity to be creative can also help broaden their horizons regarding problem-solving skills. Additionally, most teams have “idea leaders” who are known for coming up with solutions most of the time. A good team leader should always let every member of the team voice out their thoughts no matter how ridiculous they seem at first glance. This allows everyone’s opinions to be heard even if they are not relevant in any way. This way you can reduce leaks that come from a “design by committee” approach.

Conduct Regular One-On-One Meetings With Every Employee

As an employer, taking the time to hold regular one-on-one meetings with your staff should be a priority. More so, you need to dedicate time every week to sit down with individual employees and check how things are going with their work. You can then provide feedback or advice if needed, but you have to give them the chance to voice out any problems they are experiencing in regard to their tasks. Another important thing is that by holding regular meetings, it will allow both the employer and employee to get a good idea regarding how much time should be allocated for each task. This way, workers are able to schedule their own priorities which will help them achieve better results in the long run.

Do Not Micromanage Your Workers

Micromanaging your employees is one of the biggest challenges employers have to deal with today. In most cases, most employers micromanage an employee because they feel that they cannot trust him/her enough to complete a certain task. However, micromanaging a worker will lead to a loss of motivation and feelings of resentment that could cause problems in the future. As an employer, you have to understand that no one likes feeling like he/she is being watched at all times, so providing them with enough room to make decisions based on their judgement can help reduce the number of errors they make while doing tasks.

Know When To Hire New Workers

Running a business is no joke, especially one that deals with people daily. This means you need to make sure that all the workers in your company are properly staffed to ensure timely deliveries of goods and services. According to some business experts, it’s important for employers not to over staff their firm since this can be financially straining, especially if they have difficulty laying off staff. This means that you must know when new hires are necessary, so you can always see to it that projects are completed on time while finding ways where existing employees can be better utilised or assigned other tasks instead of being idle. For special events, more staff is needed, so you can consider posting event staff jobs or seeking help from hiring agencies.

Managing your workers effectively can go a long way in ensuring that your company will grow at an optimal pace. Although there are many challenges involved with managing employees, it’s still important for employers to always make an effort in dealing with them correctly. All the guidelines mentioned above should help you successfully manage your staff without driving them away due to any managerial issues.

Tech Review – Urbanista Lisbon True Wireless earbuds

The Urbanista Lisbon is the latest on offer from the company and these are small earbuds in comparison to other out there and being so small I thought they might be an issue in my ears but there is a wing built in on these that make them a secure comfortable fit, they will feel a bit niggly to begin with and fitting them but once in the ears you are good to go and masy as well forget they are there because that is how it feels wearing them.

Fit and Comfort

Ok so yes these fit really well you might struggle if you are use to having bigger earbuds at the start but you will quickly adjust they are comfortable will not fall out and are easy to control given their size. These are the smallest earbuds I have used in a while and probably for me they felt a bit more awkward to begin with due to having big hands.

Controls

Controls are easy to use as mentioned and we have all you might expect from a pair of earbuds at this price point the tap area works well considered its size though and those with smaller fingers would find it easier overall but you will get the hang of it. The controls are simple and we go through this and how they work in the video review below.

Sound

When it comes to sound these deliver for the price, Urbanista have always had a good sound signature and this continues here, they are punchy with some base and overall with my usual test look did great, no lag latency and great on calls, highs lows and mids on point and a general good listening experience for the price you pay here, you cant really complain.

 

TRUE WIRELESS – Experience 9 hours of full freedom with our smallest true wireless earbuds yet.

COMPACT SIZE – With a portable case and earbuds weighing only 4g each, Lisbon is the perfect audio companion to carry with you wherever you go.

27 HOURS PLAYTIME Keep on going in style with up to 27 hrs of total playtime.

CASE CHARGE (2X) Small and compact charging case holding up to 2 extra charges.

Buy here 

 

 

7 tips to avoid scams and protect your money when shopping online this Christmas

While most people are aware that there are dangers associated with shopping online, many are unaware of how their data is used and what the consequences could be. Cyber criminals can use your personal data to open credit card and bank accounts in your name, make purchases using your accounts (including illegal items), obtain credit cash advances and even steal your identity.

This holiday season could be a lucrative time of year for these criminals who anticipate that consumers may lower their guard slightly during the rush to bag the best deals on sought after items.

Tom Gaffney, Security Consultant from F-Secure, is issuing advice to consumers on how they can stay safe when shopping online in the run up to Christmas and beyond…

 

  1. BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU SHOP

You may be desperate to get hold of that best-selling toy that’s at the top of your little one’s wish-list, or the new PS5/Xbox Series S/X for your teen, but be careful where you buy from as scams can take place on any kind of online platform, from Amazon to Facebook. It’s also not uncommon for fraudsters to set up fake ecommerce sites.

Firstly, keep in mind that if anything online seems too good to be true – it probably is. If a seller is actually selling a very high-demand item, expect the price to be high.

If you’re wary of a site, do your research – Google is full of retailer reviews. Saying that, online reviews can be faked so if you see nothing but positive feedback and can’t tell if the writers are legit, follow your instincts. Also, check the website for a physical location and customer service information and see if their social media channels are active. Another key feature to look for is the little lock symbol that appears in the corner of the URL field. This indicates that the website you’re on is safe. Also make sure that the website you’re on is “https” not “http” as the ‘s’ stands for secure.

Once you’ve checked that it’s a legitimate site, use a credit card where possible for added safety as most offer consumer protection against fraudulent sites.

If you’re buying directly from someone i.e. via Facebook marketplace make sure you talk to the seller and ask for more information if necessary, for example the pictures of the product itself with a handwritten note to prove legitimacy. Never give out your details directly to the seller over email or messaging apps, but use the marketplace’s functionalities or services such as PayPal to do the transactions. Never use PayPal Friends and Family transactions when buying things online as PayPal does not reimburse payments sent using this functionality, or transfer money directly into their bank account.

 

  1. CREATE STRONG UNIQUE PASSWORDS TO PROTECT YOUR ACCOUNTS

Most ecommerce sites will require you to set up an account to make a purchase. The average person has 18 password protected accounts and worryingly, recent F-Secure research found that 41% of people use the same password on multiple accounts and 56% use the same password with only slight variations. This means that if your login information gets stolen on one website, it’s likely that your other accounts will also be compromised.

It’s vital to have strong, unique passwords for accounts to be protected and that you regularly change these. A password manager such as F-Secure ID PROTECTION can help you remember all your login details so you don’t need to worry about losing or forgetting them.

To give your online account additional protection, where possible you should also turn on two-factor authentication (2FA). This is a way for the service you’re using to check you really are the person you claim to be when logging in.

 

  1. REGULARLY DELETE COOKIES FROM YOUR BROWSER

Cookie banners pop-up every time we visit a website and most of us will click ‘accept’ without thinking. Cookies are small files that websites send to your device that the sites then use to monitor you and remember certain information about you i.e. what’s in your shopping cart, or your login information. Basically, cookies track you as you browse.

It’s important to delete cookies because:

  • They pose a security threat whereby hackers can potentially gain access to your browser sessions and steal your personal data

  • Over time you could accumulate a lot of cookies which will slow your browser down

  • Cookies store your personal information and enable websites to track and follow you round the web, developing a profile of your online habits and targeting you with ads

  1. AVOID SHOPPING IN PUBLIC – YOU CAN ENJOY A HOT DRINK BUT NOT THE PUBLIC WIFI

 

Using public Wi-Fi to shop online while at your favourite coffee shop may be convenient but it’s not cyber safe. Avoid making purchases via public Wi-Fi as you could end up compromising your data and financial information. Cyber criminals often target these hot spots to steal confidential information from unsuspecting users, such as passwords or credit card details, leaving them susceptible to identity theft and fraud.

If you must use public Wi-Fi then make sure you have a VPN installed such as F-Secure FREEDOME. VPNs offer you complete privacy for your activities online, no one will be able to track you or see what you are doing, not even your Internet Service Provider. A VPN will block harmful websites and hacking attempts, encrypt data to protect your real IP address and online traffic and protect you when you’re using public Wi-Fi.

 

  1. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU CLICK ON AND STAY ALERT TO PHISHING SCAMS

Between April 2020 and March 2021, online shopping scams were up 65% on the previous year, with a whopping £69.9m lost to fraudsters. Beware of adverts which encourage you to click on links. If you receive an enticing offer, rather than click on the link, go directly to the website to verify that the offer is legitimate.

Phishing scams, where online criminals trick you into handing over personal details which are then used for account takeover or identity theft, are especially common during Christmas and Black Friday seasons. Consumer group Which? recently reported that three in five of us have had fake delivery company texts over the past year. The message often contains a link that takes you to a scam website and may warn of a failed parcel delivery and ask for payment. They are often sent using a fake appearance of huge brands that you trust and expect communication from like DPD, Royal Mail or FedEx.

To avoid being caught out don’t click links in SMS messages, especially if they say you have limited time to respond as this is a common tactic scammers use to pressure you. Check the URL of the link to make sure it matches the company website address. Do not call the number provided and under no circumstances hand over personal information such as your card details.

 

  1. BROWSER SECURITY – DOWNLOAD F-SECURE TOTAL AND START BROWSING THE INTERNET SAFELY AND SECURELY

Many people are unaware that they should configure security settings within their browser to enable safer internet surfing. Regardless of which browser you use (Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome or Firefox), each gives you options to disable cookies and block security risks such as malicious software (malware) that can sneak in through infected pop-ups, plug-ins and extensions, compromising your security.

Default browser settings leave your data exposed so at a minimum you should:

●      Disable pop-ups and redirections as cyber criminals could use these to spread malicious software

●      Don’t allow automatic downloads as these could contain malware and viruses. Ask to be prompted before downloading anything

●      Turn on “Send a do not track request” to help prevent websites from tracking you

●      Don’t allow browsers to save passwords as although it’s convenient it creates a security risk. Malware that captures keystrokes can steal information. Also, if a laptop falls into the wrong hands, it doesn’t take much for a hacker to find the stored password information

At the very least, make sure you update your browser on all your devices regularly as using old software can provide a way for hackers to break into networks. Updates will address security issues and also help your browser run better. F-Secure TOTAL will give you all the protection you need to secure your online activities, your devices and yourself.

 

  1. KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR CREDIT CARD AND BANKING TRANSACTIONS

If your credit card information gets compromised, there can be charges without you knowing. Review your monthly statements to find any suspicious activity. Contact your bank immediately in case of anything unknown.

A good way to protect your money online is to restrict which countries your credit card will work in. Just remember to change the settings back when you need your card abroad.

Lime powering Simon Community in Dublin with donation of e-bikes to staff and volunteers

Lime, the world’s largest and most experienced micromobility provider has partnered with homelessness charity Dublin Simon Community to provide e-bikes for its staff members and volunteers.

Lime has initially donated 10 e-bikes, which will enable staff and volunteers to travel for free in a safe and sustainable way between the homelessness charity’s services. The bikes will also be used to transport food and supplies to those in need, helping Dublin Simon Community to prevent and address homelessness in the run up to Christmas.

The partnership is part of Lime’s “Lend Me a Lime” initiative, which supports local charities and good causes by providing access to Lime’s vehicles, time and operational resources free of charge.

Following the legalisation of e-scooters in Ireland, Lime will also be able to give Dublin Simon Community staff and volunteers free access to its latest Gen4 e-scooters alongside its e-bike donation.

Hal Stevenson, Lime’s Public Affairs Manager for UK and Ireland said: “Lime’s commitment to cities goes beyond providing green, shared, affordable transport. We are proud to be partnering with Dublin Simon Community to support their tireless efforts to prevent and address homelessness and can’t wait to see our bikes on the ground in the city making a positive impact.”

As Lime prepares to launch its e-scooter services in Ireland, it has also appointed Dublin Simon Community as its “Lime Hero” partner, which means local Lime users will be able to round their ride to the nearest € to provide a donation to the charity, which Lime will then match.

Lime has similar “Hero” charity partnerships with the Felix Project in London, to tackle food waste and food poverty, and the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity in Manchester, to fight homelessness, with thousands raised so far.

Stephanie Nolan, Dublin Simon Community’s Corporate Partnerships Manager said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Lime for this wonderful initiative. Our services are incredibly busy, especially at Christmas time. The donation of these e-bikes will support the transport of staff, volunteers and supplies between our services in a sustainable and efficient way, enabling our team to focus on making home a reality for our clients and residents.”

The charity partnership follows Lime’s recent investment of €10million in its Irish operations ahead of the legalisation of e-scooters. The e-scooter provider recently raised $523m in convertible debt and term loan financing, which will be used to invest in decarbonising efforts, refresh its bike and scooter fleet with the latest Gen4 models and scale into more markets.

Relevant charities and organisations can apply to Lend Me a Lime via email, at  lmal@li.me.