AT Tech News

Technology and the Older Generations

Myths are always common when new things are developed. Technology has seen its fair share of myths and misunderstandings over the years. One of the greatest technology myths is that teenagers and younger adults are the ones that benefit most from technology and that they know better how to use it than the older generation. Many feel that the technology age has completely bypassed Generation X’ers and Baby Boomers

This could not be further from the truth. In fact, while teenagers and young adults are mostly tech savvy in this day and age, they are not the only ones that know how to use current technology. A few years ago, many believed that older people could not program a VCR or that women did not know how to properly use their microwaves. As technology grows, so does the knowledge that consumers develop as to how they should use this technology. Teenagers may be able to text their friends faster than their parents or grandparents but studies have shown a stiff increase in the number of older consumers who are learning how to use various levels of technology.

Some older consumers find that having a cell phone is a must in this day and age. Many use their cell phones to call for assistance when they need it or to simply keep up with family and friends. Some use various health apps that are designed to help them to take better care of themselves. There are a number of smartphone apps that are designed for the older generation and although obsession with cell phones do not normally reach into older age groups, many have begun to find joy in playing games and performing other tasks on their smartphones.

Studies have also shown that the number of older people, generally those over 60, who are using various computer applications has also increased. In today’s internet age, it simply makes sense that consumers will learn how to use basic computer applications. Studies confirm that many of the older generation have taken classes or have watched video tutorials online that give them instruction on how to do certain computer related tasks.

Technology is a growing industry and as it grows, so do the numbers of people who are learning how to use these newly developed apps, devices and gadgets. Several years ago, many had no idea how to use a video cassette recorder or VCR. Today, there are Blu-ray players that make television viewing nearly as profound as watching movies on the big screen. The myth that only the younger generation knows how to enjoy technology has been dispelled many times. As technology grows, so will the ages of those who are using this technology. Many of the middle class generation remembers certain technologies as they were introduced while they were teenagers. Teenagers today will know how to use certain technologies when their own children become teenagers. Technology is a growing field and consumers who learn to grow with it will find it much easier to understand newer developments as they are released.

Technology Used in ADHA Brain Monitoring

The diagnosis and treatment of ADHD has changed significantly over the past few decades. Today, many technologies are used to better diagnose as well as treat this condition. In the past few years alone, great strides have been made in the field of biometric measurement on a personal level. Technological tools are available today that allow for better monitoring of many health concerns from fatigue and food sensitivities to calorie ingestion and brain monitoring.

New technology in the field of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder today even includes smartphone applications that can help to detect and even improve many of the problems associated with worsening ADHD symptoms. Lack of sleep, food sensitivities and stress can all trigger symptoms of this disorder and these new technologies offer better ways of dealing with these symptom triggers.

Single channel EEG bands can now be used to send wireless signals to computers that allow users to learn more about their current state of attention. This neurological feedback tool is now available for home use by patients and allows them to better train themselves to overcome certain symptom triggers. Future technology could see applications designed to consistently monitor the brain and send updated feedback directly to smart phones that contains detailed information about fatigue and individual attention levels. The smartphone applications would notify the user by beeps or chimes that will instantly alert them of periods when they may be falling asleep or losing their attention grasp.

Emotiv Life Sciences as well as NeuroSky currently provide EEG monitors that are available for home use. The products are inexpensive and require no special skills to set up and use. These two companies are also currently working on attention and brain health applications that can be used on smartphones for alerts of certain symptom triggers or effects.

Hoffmann-La Roche has developed a monitoring device that is called iBrain and is a personal brain monitor that is designed to be used for monitoring and diagnosis on a professional level. It is a single channel EEG device that is very similar to the headsets provided by Emotiv Life Sciences and NeuroSky. The device is designed to monitor brain activity and provide healthcare professionals with wave data and feedback regarding how certain ADHD medications are working in patients. The company has announced that the device can be used for diagnosing and monitoring sleep disorders and the use of iBrain for ADHD diagnosis and monitoring is still currently being studied.

Technology in the healthcare industry has provided a number of great strides toward better patient care and diagnosis. Personal monitoring tools are being developed at a rapid pace, encouraging those who suffer from ADHD and other disorders that better means of monitoring and treatment are soon to be available. Devices in the future will be made much smaller than what is currently available and be a bit more affordable so that patients who need them can easily access them. As technological advances in the healthcare industry increase, so will the technology behind ADHD monitoring devices.

Keeping Your Email Private

If you are unsure of whether or not your email is private, now is the time to find out. CIA Director David Patraeus thought that his email was protected and he was proven wrong. You certainly do not want just anyone having access to your mail and your privacy settings are essential in protecting you and those that you communicate with through your email account.

The best and easiest way to begin is to hide your location. Every email that you send out includes a header that has your IP address. This IP address can be used to reveal who you are and where you are. Using a VPN or Virtual Private Network is a good way to mask your location. When you connect using a Virtual Private Network, the IP address that is associated with the email that you send out is the IP address of the server and not your location.

You can also simply hide the communication that you are engaged in. You can find a number of free services that encrypt email communication. Some send your messages in plain text while others completely encrypt and decrypt your messages on local computers so the only person who is able to read those messages is the person that you send them to.

If you are using encryption, certain people can obtain and then decrypt those messages if they gain access to your inbox. There are services available for a small charge that will encrypt your messages and then eliminate them completely after one week so they are eliminated from your computer altogether. Various communication tools will also give you communication that leaves absolutely no trace so just as soon as your recipient reads the message that you send, it is completely eliminated from your system. Higher prices systems will eliminate your messages and make it impossible for your recipients to forward, print or even copy those messages.

Why you want to keep your email messages private is your own business. If you are afraid that someone may be able to hack your system and read your messages or if you are avoiding subpoenas or other legal issues, there are things that you can do to ensure that the messages you send are never seen by anyone other than who you send them to. One way to ensure that you never get mixed up in a legal battle is to simply never send emails that you should not send. If you have sensitive data that should never be shared, then simply do not share it. Even the best service in the world is not going to stop someone who is really set on getting into your mail so if you are sharing private information that should not be shared, there is no way for you to really hide it. If you are simply looking to ensure that someone does not make off with private data that may have to do with your business or personal life, these steps can help you to better protect your email privacy.

How to Protect Yourself on the Internet

The internet allows us to open the door to new and exciting worlds. We can reach out and touch almost anywhere in the universe with a few clicks of the keyboard. For all of the benefits it offers, there are dangers too. Entering unsafe websites can cause viruses or malware to affect your files and damage your entire computer system. Opening attachments that accompany emails can also allow dangerous files to enter your computer.

Virus Protection
How can you prevent unwanted intruders from entering your computer? People store all kinds of important and confidential information on their computers. A virus can destroy every file on your computer in less than 5 minutes if allowed to run unchecked through your system. Installing virus protection programs will help prevent this kind of damage and keep your system safe from crashes and corrupted files.

Installing virus protection is only a small part of protecting your files and computer system. Another key way to protect your files is to limit the amount of personal information you share with others online. Never reveal passwords or information concerning online email or cloud accounts. Keeping passwords confidential protects hackers from getting into your email and including attachments that could infect your email recipient’s systems.

Never reply or open emails you believe to be spam. Once you acknowledge your email account as valid by opening an email, it allows for more emails to be sent from various other spam accounts. While spam may be just a nuisance, some spam emails may contain harmless files that can corrupt files and harm your system. High speed internet companies report an increasing number of spam emails sent over personal and professional emails. With a high speed internet connection, a hacker can break into an email account and compromise your files in a short amount of time.

Security
Be aware of a website’s security. Financial websites take great pains to make sure their site is secure. Many websites have copies of their security certificate posted on their website so customers can view it for themselves. A few of the major search engines have indicators showing the level of security of each website. Most anti-virus programs will flash a warning if a dangerous or questionable site is about to be accessed. Search engines can spot dangerous sites no matter how fast the high speed internet connection.
Depending on where you access your computer files will determine the level of security you can be assured of. At home your security level is high. You are using your own system and you know what your anti-virus program is capable of. If you access your personal files at work, it is wise to remember that some companies monitor the sites their employees frequent while on the job. Accessing files from a public internet provider, like that used at a coffee shop or public library, can leave your computer open to hackers and other internet predators. High speed internet connections that are rated as public are commonly known to have limited security at best.

Protecting your computer and the confidential files it contains is easy if you take necessary precautions. With an effective anti-virus program and a common sense approach as to who you provide your personal information, you can keep your files safe and your computer running smoothly.

What Is an EPOS System?

An EPOS or Electronic Point of Sale is essentially equipment that a business has in place to process checkout tasks such as credit and debit card transactions. Many retailers now use POS or Point of Sale systems which are simply the location where the process takes place. The EPOS system can secure various types of different transactions as well as printed sales reports and any other data that is provided by the company.

EPOS touch screens are the visual display screens that allow employees to navigate the system. This technology is not used in a number of industries from hotels and restaurants to retail stores, libraries and many other establishments. The system allows businesses to perform many tasks with more efficiency and accuracy.

The touch screen technology that is included in EPOS systems will allow businesses to quickly and easily keep track of their financial flow. Many of the processes required are fully automated which helps to provide for higher levels of productivity. When using an EPOS system, businesses can quickly create sales reports and other documents needed to make quick decisions about business dealings. The system can assist management in knowing what specific products need to be ordered or which ones are not selling and should be dropped from the inventory altogether.

The technology itself is very easy to use. Most touch screen systems offer customizable interfaces so the system can be completely simplified and it can provide data that is specific to the business’s needs. Employees can easily operate the EPOS system where the older POS system versions may have been a bit more difficult to maneuver due to complicated key bars and screens. EPOS technology allows for much more accuracy because stores that have consumable products can utilize the barcodes and keys to input information into registers for a much more accurate transaction. This virtually eliminates human error which ultimately stops losses altogether and offers more security over products.

Businesses that have large warehousing needs can check the availability of individual products easily. The EPOS system will provide automatic updates of ledgers, data and other information to provide timely information and the touch screen technology offers real time accounting that will provide a much more accurate sales and inventory projection.

The actual type of EPOS system that a business will use depends on the type of operation that the business performs. Retail stores will have different needs than restaurants. Smaller businesses or vendors will use systems that offer a more basic range of features simply because their operations are not as complicated as those of larger retail establishments. These smaller systems are just as efficient and very effective for the business that has it but larger businesses will need systems that can handle a higher range of tasks. Those interested in EPOS systems can do a bit of research on the topic and learn more about the benefits and operation of these systems as well as what specific system may be best for their individual business needs.