Pitstops finally come to Google Maps on iOS

There's a new feature on Google maps for iOS. Google map users now have the ability to add a 'pitstop' to their route. While Android users have had this ability for a while, on Apple devices, it was strangely absent.

Well this is the case no longer! Before this feature was available, users would have to plan a trip to their 'pitstop', like a petrol station or something, and then a new rout back to home effectively making two different routes, like a peasant. Now users can add an extra stop into their trip without messing the original route up. Nice!

It pretty easy to use too. While in navigations mode, tap the magnifying glass in the corner and a bunch of options will come up, including 'add a stop'. This will help streamline your whole trip, and any diversions you need to make.

You can even use the microphone to give voice commands to add pitstops. This great cause it means you're not getting all fiddly diddly with your phone while you're supposed to be concentrating on the road.

This new dinner technology might save the planet

The world on large is facing a crisis. Extreme climates and the depletion of the ozone from gasses in the atmosphere are not new concepts and have been an issue for several decades. While the public awareness is going up, there still needs to be a significant change to even begin reversing the effects.

What's all this got to do with your dinner? We'll get there, don't worry.

One of the biggest culprits of greenhouse gas emissions is cows. There are estimated, according to the USDA and NASS (National Ag Statistics Services), roughly 30 million beef cows in America alone. These cows emit a huge amount of methane into the air. This is a big problem, but can be rectified by, you guessed it, less cows. But like, a lot less.

There is also a hunger epidemic across the globe with the Save the Children agency estimating that at least 1 in 4 children are stunted as a result of malnutrition.

This is where Memphis Meats comes in. Memphis Meats is a lab that is currently making lab grown meat. It is dubbed "cultured meat" (which sounds far more attractive than "lab grown"), and could be a massive solution to some of humanities biggest problems.

At the moment, the meatball you are looking at costs roughly $18,000 per pound. So, you're likely not going to see it on your dinner plate any time soon. But, just like most things in a capitalist society, many groups are looking at this not just for the environmental factors, but for profit. This is one of those things where a massive benefit for the planet will also be a massive benefit for someone's wallet, so expect it to gain a lot of attention in the coming years.

Here's a video of a girl named Stephanie, who got a chance to taste the very first "cultured meatball".

Apple's iPhone SE and iPad Pro 9.7" Announcement!

For those of you waiting to see what new devices Apple is announcing on the 15th of March, you're going to have to wait a bit. Apple has pushed back it's announcement date to 21 March, which is confirmed by BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski.

While this date being pushed back is cause for slight annoyance, it shouldn't put a damper on what is rumored to be announced. More specifically, we should be seeing a new 4" iPhone. Dubbed the iPhone SE (no number?), it is the first 4" phone Apple has released since the iPhone 5C.

The specs on this phone look to be an upgraded camera weighing in at 12 megapixels and featuring Live Photos. Don't expect the 3D Touch however, as that technology looks to be reserved for flagship phones only. This new phone should also retain the iPhone 6S' A9 processor and M9 motion co-processor. It may even come in hot pink!

According to my source, two prototypes of the new 4" #iPhone were tested by #Apple. Here's what they look like... pic.twitter.com/RgVblGdCRi

— OnLeaks (@OnLeaks) 24 February 2016

Also rumored to be announced is the latest iPad. Many thought the iPad Air 3 was on the way, but apparently this is not so. The new iPad will be joining the iPad Pro line and will be 9.7 inches, as opposed to the much bulkier 12.9" iPad Pro. The iPad will have four speakers and smart connectors for Apple keyboards and support for the Apple Pencil.

Here's looking forward to the latest from the tech giant! Would you buy an iPhone SE or an iPad Pro 9.7? Let us know in the comments.

If Apple loses to the FBI, then we could all lose so much more.

Apple is in the midst of a fierce legal battle with the FBI over accessing encrypted information stored on iPhones. Apple has always stood for the highest level of privacy for it's customers. But the FBI is not backing down and wants to build a special OS (operating system) that will become part of the iPhone ecosystem. This OS will allow FBI and other government departments to access information stored on phones through a back door. There are growing concerns over giving the government this kind of access, let alone having a back door there for any Joe Blow to try to exploit.

One thing is for sure, should Apple lose in this matter, be prepared for a terrible precedence. With more and more tech and gadgets being introduced into the market that feature internet connectivity, the 'internet of things' could, and most likely, would be next. That means that government agencies could go after your car data, data stored on your security system and personal data on any other device that can store it.

Just have a look around you and count how many microphones or cameras are pointed at you at any given time. Smart TVs, game consoles, your phone, your computer, your security system. All of these devices should be encrypted but with a ruling in favor of the FBI, that might not even matter.

Even Apple lawyer Ted Olsen predicts an "Orwellian" future should the FBI win this case. Big Brother is watching.

You can watch the interview here

Apple files legal response to FBI

Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, is not backing down on his commitment to it's users privacy. The FBI wants to alter the iOS operating system to allow them access to any iPhone. A court order has been handed down to Apple to allow the FBI to make the addition to their software. Being dubbed "Goverment OS", the Cupertino based Apple would need to create an entire forensics lab just to accommodate the request. Not to mention going against their commitment to their user's privacy.

.

Apple has filed a response to the court order to try to get the FBI to back down from putting their own back-door into Apple software. Apple is relying on the precedences set in a 1970s case rejection of United States v. New York Telephone. The prominent order of this case is The All Writs Act, where a judge can order something done despite any clear congressional mandate.

Theodore Boutrous (Apple Lawyer) -

"Apple is a private company that does not own or possess the phone at issue, has no connection to the data that may or may not exist on the phone, and is not related in any way to the events giving rise to the investigation. This case is nothing like New York Telephone Co., where there was probable cause to believe that the phone company’s own facilities were 'being employed to facilitate a criminal enterprise on a continuing basis."

Apple is arguing that the court is taking The All Writs Act much too far and that Apple's 1st and 5th Amendment rights are being violated. Boutrous continues "The Act is intended to enable the federal courts to fill in gaps in the law so they can exercise the authority they already possess by virtue of the express powers granted to them by the Constitution and Congress."; not grant itself a new authority.

If the order is allowed to stand, then there is no stopping federal or local governments from pursuing more complicated orders, going beyond just unlocking the phones. It would also set a dangerous precedence for other governments to go after other companies, slowly chipping away at our privacy rights.

What do you think of the US Court order forcing Apple to unlock iPhones? Let us know in the comments. 

Don't forget to share this story if you like it so that we can keep producing more content for you!

Facebook gets 'Dislike' button! Sort of...

Facebook is launching globally the new 'Reactions' buttons. For years, Facebook users have been asking for the ability to show something other than 'like' for various posts. You're best friend just posted about how he broke his leg, his dog just ran away, and that inheritance from the distant relative turns out to be a box of old toe nail clippings...

LIKE

Doesn't quite send the right message. But the 'like' button has morphed into this sort of validation tool for what people are writing. It means that people do have the ability to take the context of the post and understand that someone is validating the message. But there is a lot of room for further interpretation. This is why users have been asking for a way to express another emotion.

The idea of a 'dislike' button makes sense. Someone posts bad news, you can 'dislike' it as the original poster probably dislikes what they are writing. It would properly validate the context. But the glaring problem with having a button as blatantly negative as 'dislike', is it's usage as a tool for bullying. Imagine someone works really hard on some sort of creative project, pours their heart and soul into it, but since they aren't that popular in school perhaps, the 'dislikes' roll in. Not a very positive message.

"Not every moment you want to share is happy. Sometimes you want to share something sad or frustrating. Our community has been asking for a dislike button for years, but not because people want to tell friends they don't like their posts. People want to express empathy and make it comfortable to share a wider range of emotions. - Mark Zuckerberg" 

Facebook didn't want that to happen. So they have decided on 'Reactions'. This way the users of Facebook can show so much more emotion and empathy towards a post. The new 'reactions' are

Love, Haha, Yay, Wow, Sad and Angry

So far, Love is the most popular reaction!

Samsung and LG are adding Virtual Reality features to their phones.

The progress of new gadgets in smartphones seems to have died off in recent years as most new generation phones are simply improvements on the features of it's predecessor. Well, LG and Samsung  are looking to add some pretty cool, brand new features that are sure to blow your mind!

The Galaxy S7 is just over the horizon and with this offering, Samsung is also releasing the Gear VR headset. Remember just over a year ago when Google released a nifty little gadget called Google Cardboard? Well, this little bit of cardboard folded out into, essentially, a VR headset for your phone, by placing a pair of lenses into a cleverly designed little box.

So Samsung has stepped it up a notch and created the Gear VR which is pretty futuristic looking and promises to be pretty darn sweet!

LG also has a similar offering coming out shortly and both companies are improving their camera hardware to take advantage of the cool new tech.

The future is now!

Like this article? Give it a share on Facebook! SHARING is CARING!

This rugged phone could be perfect for tradies

A new phone is coming to market. No, we're not talking about a new iPhone from Apple, but rather a device from an unlikely source. Construction and tools manufacturer Caterpillar is coming into the mobile phone market with the Cat S60. And it can see through walls. No really!

You see, the Cat S60 is going to be one of the most rugged and tough smart phones out there. Not only that, it's going to sport some pretty great features that even some major flagship phones lack. Specifically, it will have a huge battery, drop proof, water resistance, expandable memory and runs stock Android. Wow! That's a pretty full on phone. But there's more! Being aimed at tradies, Caterpillar as included a Flir thermal imaging camera, which can take measurements from up to 30 meters away and through walls!

And the phone can take a beating. It's rated to survive falls onto concrete from a maximum height of 1,8m. It's also water resistant, being able to take a swim for up to 60 mins up to a depth of 5 meters.

The Cat S60 will be available later in the year and should be about $875AUD.

If you know a tradie, why not share this phone with them?

Boston Dynamics is at it again!

Good old Boston Dynamics, piorneers of some of the most advanced robotics in the world. While some of their robots are somewhat terrifying, they are all still pretty darn cool!

Check out the latest creation, named Atlas, from the robotics company, which is something else!

Hackers shut down a hospital and hold it ransom. And they got paid!

A group of hackers recently managed to gain access to a Los Angeles area hospital, rendering their systems useless unless the hospital paid them a hefty ransom. The amount they were asking for? about 1.5 million dollars, to be paid in bitcoins.

Somewhat mercifully, the hackers did not interfere with any life sustaining equipment, but still rendered the majority of the hospital useless. Hospital employees were forced to revert to fax machines and hard memos to get any work done. Many patients, who's treatment relied on access to the computer systems, had to be moved to other locations.

The disruption from the hacking group caused so much trouble, the hospital was basically forced to pay the ransom, albeit, they did manage to pay significantly less than the asking price at about $17k worth of bitcoin. Still the prospect of this kind of attack is actually terrifying and this act sets a very dangerous precedence for other would be cyber terrorists.

Study finds that people will connect to any free Wi-Fi, regardless of risk.

We have all done it. We've all been travelling somewhere, found that free Wi-Fi signal and connected to it. Well, unfortunately, doing that may be riskier than we thought.

Researchers from Avast, one of the leading anti-virus and security software companies, set up an experiment during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. They set up free Wi-Fi hotspots with names like "Starbucks", "Airport_Free_Wifi_AENA", and "MWC Free WiFi". Of course these all look like pretty legitimate names, so you could expect a few connections.

Well, they got more than a few. They managed to capture over two thousand connections in four hours.

The researchers were able to pull up all sorts of data from users connected to their signals. They found out what websites they had been browsing and even what apps they had installed on their phones. Someone with ill intentions could easily capture much more information, even potentially sensitive information.

It's a good reminder to use caution when connecting to random Wi-Fi signals. The security conscious will  certainly want to use a VPN on their phones. So if you do connect to an unknown free Wi-Fi signal, maybe don't do your internet banking.

It's finally happened...

Morgan Freeman has been an iconic figure on the big screen for decades. His dulcet tones have moved us in epic performances ranging from prison inmate to God himself. But now, through the magic of Google's Waze app...

...(I still can't believe it's true)...

...you can have Morgan Freeman as your GPS voice.

How does life get any better than this? What a time to be alive!

Just imagine Morgan Freeman, gently guiding you to your destination...

"When I was a boy, I used to play in the park just over there. Well, you can't see it now because someone, somewhere along the way, decided a parking lot would fit better. But I can still hear the birds in the trees and the laughter all around. It was on a warm summer's day, just like this, that I first met Henry Gilford. We became fast friends and... oh, by the way, you need to turn right in 200 meters"

Ok, so it probably won't be as involved as all that but the man himself will still be guiding your home. But don't be mistaken, this celebrity voice over isn't just a random addition. It's to promote Freeman's newest movie London Has Fallen, the sequel to Olympus Has Fallen. Freeman plays the Vice President in the movie, and addresses YOU the driver as the president...  ...which is funny because it's actually my private dream to do exactly this if I ever had the chance to go driving around with Morgan Freeman.

Woman jumps into freezing lake to save her iPhone!

A woman in Bejing China has braved the depths of an icy lake to save her iPhone.

Without hesitation, she dove in after her dropped phone, going as deep as 2 meters to retrieve it. It is estimated that the water temperature that day would have ranged from -2 to 9 Celsius.

Many people on the internet have questioned the woman prioritising her phone over her own life after the pictures went viral.


Would you jump into a freezing lake to save your phone? Let us know in the comments!

The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge have been announced by Samsung

The latest flagship phones for Samsung have been announced. The S7 and S7 edge both refine on the visual designs of their predecessors. Samsung is quite obviously making a big push into the VR space as other areas of the smart phone market slow.

The key improvements of the S7 over the S6 include a 12 Megapixel camera that is supposed to take pictures with 95% more brightness capabilities, faster auto focus, an 'always on' display that uses less power and a bigger battery. This gorgeous new phone also comes with the usual updates of a faster processor and graphics processor. Also, expandable memory is making a comeback, likely due to backlash from consumers who missed it on the current generation of Galaxy phones. Oh, if you want to take your phone swimming, it's going to be dust and water resistant as well.

Probably one of the cooler things coming out is the Gear 360 VR camera! This nifty little camera can shoot videos in full 360, which is pretty cool when you upload it to Youtube and can move your phone around in the air the view all the parts of the video. The camera has two lenses on either side that shoot 180 degrees of action.

Samsung has been accused quite a bit of copying the market, but with these moves, it's quickly becoming a leader in market innovation.

You can pre order your Samsung S7 or S7 edge in March, right here at Techrevive!

Ever wonder what the 'i' in iPhone stands for? Here's what it is!

Apple has a product range that spans phones, tablets, music players, computers and more. Many of them have the prefix 'i' before them, but have you ever wondered what it stands for?

Most people would probably guess 'internet' and they wouldn't be too far off. But there is more!

The naming convention for Apple products that include the 'i' first landed on the scene in 1998, with the iMac.

The internet was still in the early days of widespread adoption and many device marketing strategies were to focus on the device's ability to use the internet. So Steve Jobs wasn't wrong when he correctly predicted that a device's main feature would quickly become it's ability to surf the interwebs. In a stroke of genius that resonates to this day, he added the now iconic 'i' to the device names.

So what else does it stand for?

During the iMac's launch, Steve show slides which explained what the 'i' in the new computer actually meant; internet, individual, instruct, inform and inspire.

‘i’ also means some other things to us… We are a personal computer company, and although this product is born to network, it also is a beautiful stand-alone product. We are targeting it also for education. They want to buy these. And it is perfect for most of the things they do in instruction.

But nowadays, Apple is slowly moving away from this naming convention with devices like the Apple Watch (which was originally rumoured to be called the iWatch), the set top box AppleTV, and the Apple Pencil.

Denoting Apple devices with the 'i' has definitely lost it's meaning when relating to internet connectivity as this is no longer the huge new feature but rather a bare essential in electronic devices.


Bonus!

Speaking of the Apple Pencil, here's a video of Steve Jobs saying he doesn't like the Stylus. My how times change.

Failed to fix your phone? Make a Robot!

So, you have a phone that you tried to fix, but it's didn't go so well? Well, Mehdi Sadaghadar, who owns the channel ElectroBOOM over at Youtube has a great solution! Turn your old phone into a robot!

Ok, so maybe it's not the coolest robot, but this guy sure is entertaining!

Check it out!

Jack the worst ever end user. Part 4.

Here it is! The moment you've been waiting for! Part 4 of 4 of the Worst Ever End User! This a recount of Reddit user u/Clickity_clickity's interactions with a particularly snobby new intern.

Check out Part 1 HERE
Check out Part 2 HERE
Check out Part 3 HERE

To:Boss@company

From:Steve@client

Subject: Out of office

Dear sir:

I apologize for the inconvenience, but I need to request file XYZ from you. My phone is having trouble receiving emails, however, but I can receive the file by facebook message.

Steve

Jack had been out of the office about twenty minutes when Boss forwarded this to me. I called him at his desk. "Hey Boss. I just got the email you forwarded me. You need me to send file XYZ for you?"

"Yes. Can you...can you send people files on facebook?"

"Yes, I can. But I'll have to use the computer Jack's been using, though. It's the only one that can access facebook."

"Right, right. I'll meet you in my wife's office."

I hung up the phone and launched a single .bat file on my desktop. it ran its commands and then deleted itself as I walked away.

*

I got to Boss' Wife's office a few minutes later. I smiled to her and Boss before crossing to the computer. 

"Give me a second to bring up facebook and then--" 

I turned the laptop around to face us and Boss's wife reached over, moving the mouse. The screen flared to life.

Boss stared. Boss' Wife gasped. A soft moan, followed by the neigh of a horse, emanated from the laptop. She frantically closed the video window...revealing a second window underneath it; a Bing search for "best places to buy weed near me". She closed that one, too...revealing Buzzfeed's "10 signs you're over your job".

As she slammed the laptop shut, Boss shook his head, red and shaking with anger. "How...How was that--I mean, I thought--WHO WAS USING THIS COMPUTER?" he roared.

Boss's wife shook her head. 

"Jack was using it about a half-hour ago..." 

As as if on cue, Jack appeared in the doorway with the leftovers from lunch in a carryout bag in his hand.

Boss's back was to him. 

"THAT KIND OF THING SHOULD BE BLOCKED!" He yelled at me, pointing to the laptop.

I nodded. 

"I agree. Jack said he needed to use the unrestricted computer for some important projects. That's why he asked you to retrieve the key to my desk last week, right?" 

I pointed to the door with my chin and Boss saw Jack.

Jack blinked at Boss. He looked at me. He looked at the computer. Then back to me. I could see it dawned on him what was going on. 

"Y-you did something to my computer, didn't you?!" He demanded.

Of course I had. I had copied a hidden batch file onto Jack's desktop from a USB drive when I "fixed" his computer the other day. A file that would send me his browsing history without remoting into his desktop or alerting him. Then, all it would need would be a remote command, which I'd set off from my own computer. The file would then delete itself after launching three web pages as soon as the mouse moved...three of the most incriminating web pages Jack had ever visited on the computer. All it needed was a remote command, which I'd set off from my own computer. Granted, it wasn't entirely untraceable, but the only person who'd know what to look for was in this room, looking with as angry a face I could muster at the awful end user who had become the bane of my existence.

Boss's wife chimed in. She was, at least, slightly more computer-savvy than her husband. "No. Clickity didn't do anything. He just exited the...you know. The screensaver. Whatever was there must have been what you were...um...working on when you rushed out of the office for lunch." she glared at Jack and then addressed Boss. "He must have forgotten to close out the evidence of his blatant misuse of company property."

I shook my head solemnly. 

"And I trusted you with this unrestricted computer, too, Jack. I even gave you your own email address for the company because I thought you'd be an asset. Clearly...clearly I was wrong." 

I tried my best to sound hurt.

Boss's Wife nonchalantly picked up the laptop and handed it to me. 

"Jack, I am rather upset that you'd do something like this. I hired you as a favor to your mother. And you can be certain she'll hear about this. Now go home."

Jack stood there, shaking. He probably had an idea of what I had done, but he'd have no way to prove it. 

"But...He...I..." He pointed at me wordlessly.

"GET OUT!" Boss yelled.

Jack burst into tears and ran from the room.

*

Now, as I write this, it's been four weeks since Jack was terminated. I "patched" the "security hole" from Spotify and the interns are listening to music again. I didn't give the spare desk key back to the office manager. As for Jack...I saw him the other day when he stopped by with his mother. He came and knocked on my door.

"Um...Clickity?"

I looked up and narrowed my eyes. 

"What."

"I just...I wanted to say I'm sorry for...for saying that stuff and...acting like I did..."

I blinked.

"...and...um...now that I've apologized, I was hoping you could tell my mom that I didn't really look up any of that stuff. You...You know you're the one who did it. Not me. I mean..." he took a breath. "I mean, I've learned my lesson...so..."

Seriously?

"Come on, Clickity. She's made me get another job...and she cut my allowance...COME ON!" He looked at me pleadingly. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Actually, not even almost.

I shook my head and went back to typing. Jack continued standing there, and after a few long moments I looked at him.

"You can go now."

And then he was gone.

Broken touchID sensor bricked your iPhone with error 53? This update from Apple is going to fix it!

The TouchID on the newer generations of iPhones and iPads is a great bit of hardware. Pressing your thumb into the home button is well and truly easier than having to input your password into your device every time you want to unlock your phone or make a purchase.

Apple takes the security of your device very seriously. So, they have designed the TouchID hardware to be paired with it's respective phone. Basically this means that if someone steals your phone, they can't replace the sensor with a fraudulent one the gain access to your phone. This all sounds pretty great and secure for your phone and personal data.

But what happens when you break the sensor? Well, first off, and this is the obvious one, you won't have the TouchID functions any more. But this isn't the real big problem with a broken TouchID sensor. You see, if you go to update your phone's software, you will get an error 53 message. This also causes your phone to get stuck at boot, effectively bricking your phone. This happens because part of the code in the update process looks for the operating TouchID sensor and rejects the update if it's not perfect.

Well that's all changing now with the latest update from Apple. The new iOS 9.2.1 is designed to still restore your phone to working order, albeit, without the touch functions. You will be able to get a replacement home button if you break it, but at that point, it will be for aesthetics and click functions only.

This is the official statement from Apple:

“Some customers’ devices are showing ‘Connect to iTunes’ after attempting an iOS update or a restore from iTunes on a Mac or PC. This reports as an Error 53 in iTunes and appears when a device fails a security test. This test was designed to check whether Touch ID works properly before the device leaves the factory.

Today, Apple released a software update that allows customers who have encountered this error message to successfully restore their device using iTunes on a Mac or PC.

We apologize for any inconvenience, this was designed to be a factory test and was not intended to affect customers. Customers who paid for an out-of-warranty replacement of their device based on this issue should contact AppleCare about a reimbursement.”

Well, it sounds like Apple let a bit of testing code slip through to final production software and that's what caused the problem. Just one problem with that; we've been aware of this problem for a very long time and it's only being resolved now. I won't speculate why this wasn't sorted out earlier, but phone repairers around the globe will now be rejoicing as a many phones that could have been deemed un-repairable have suddenly become potentially repairable.

Do you know someone who has had their iPhone or iPad replaced under Applecare because of this? Let them know! They may be entitled to a reimbursement!

The government wants to access the private data on your phone. Apple says NO!

Apple has published an open letter it's customers in response to the US government's attempts to access user's private information.

Apple CEO Tim Cook explains basically, that while they have the ability to do this, they will not. Apple, with it's end-to-end control over their operation environment, has also held security as one of their top priorities. Apple devices are some of the most secure devices around.

For many years, we have used encryption to protect our customers’ personal data because we believe it’s the only way to keep their information safe. We have even put that data out of our own reach, because we believe the contents of your iPhone are none of our business.

So, while Apple has gladly cooperated with law enforcement agencies when asked to help solve acts of terrorism, they will not allow the FBI to rewrite a new operation system that would circumvent several important security features.

The letter goes on to make several meaningful points about precedence and how one small change could snowball into something far worse, and Apple is not having it.

Good job Apple, for sticking to rights of privacy!

To read the whole letter, follow this link:

https://www.apple.com/customer-letter/

Jack the worst ever end user. Part 3.

This is part 3 of Reddit user u/Clickty_clickity's story of the worst ever end user.

Check out part 1 HERE
Check out part 2 HERE

There's a real sense of smug entitlement coming off of this Jack. Read on to find out what happens next!

"Dude...your self-control must be like Gandhi." My friend Steve, who works for one of my company's clients, heard me ranting about Jack while we had a coffee.

I shook my head. 

"I know. But what am I gonna do? Slap him? Get myself fired?"

"Sounds like it'd be worth it."

I sighed and took a steadying sip of my coffee. 

"I have a plan, though. But I need your help."

He perked up and then scowled. 

"My help? Oh, no. I don't like this guy much, but--"

"I'll put the whole story on reddit if you help me."

He thought about it. 

"Alright, but on one condition: You tell everyone that I am the hero that made your evil plan possible."

And so, for the record, Steve became the hero who made my evil plan possible.

*

Day 11. 

I got a call from Boss. 

"Clickity, I just got a call from Jack."

Of course you did. 

"What seems to be the problem, Boss?"

"He says you've made his new computer not work."

I blinked, staring at the speaker phone. 

"His new computer? You mean our unrestricted computer that he's...using?"

"Yes, yes, that one." I could almost see Boss lean in to the speakerphone. 

"I don't know what your problem is, Clickity, but Jack complains that you're preventing him from working. So i need you to fix his computer now." Click.

As if on cue (or more, as if he had been outside the office listening) Jack appeared at my doorway with the laptop. 

"So I need you to undo whatever you did." He opened the laptop and sat it in front of me, on top of my paperwork as if to say You know...Regardless of whatever you were doing ten seconds ago.

I seethed, pulling out a usb drive and plugging it into the laptop. I grumbled wordlessly as I clicked a few buttons on the laptop and then a few on my computer. I unplugged the USB drive and closed the laptop. 

"There. Have a nice day."

Jack picked up the laptop and turned for the door. 

"You better not screw with me again."

As soon as he was gone I smashed my pencil sharpener with my fist.

*

Day 14. 

It was the perfect day. Boss's wife was in the office so Jack was sharing her desk and, from the looks of my remote viewer, doing absolutely nothing at all.

I sent out an email.

To: Internemail@company

From: clickity@company

Subject: Intern Appreciation day

Hiya interns! I just cleared this with the office manager. For your hard work, I'm treating you guys to lunch. Go see the office manager and pick up a (Local Pub and Burger Joint) gift card and have a great day. Thanks for your hard work!

A few minutes later the phone rang. Boss's wife's office.

"IT, this is Clickity."

"This is Jack. I just saw all the interns walk out...what's going on?"

"Oh, it's intern appreciation day. Didn't you get the email? I sent it to the...oh." I sighed. "I completely forgot to send it to your email because it's separate. Yeah, all the interns are getting lunch."

"Thanks for letting me know," Jack said with audible edge to his voice. 

"If I hadn't called you, you wouldn't have told me at all, would you--" He's cut off by a disapproving "tsk" from Boss's wife.

I cleared my throat and ignored Jack's I-Own-You attitude. 

"Go quick and you can still catch them--"

"Fine." Jack hung up the phone.

I took a few reassuring breaths and texted Steve.

Check out part 4 HERE

iPhone 1970 Bug Explained

The latest internet prank circulating at the moment is the iPhone 1970 bug. Basically, some user of the infamous site 4Chan have designed a pretty convincing graphic that promises groovy retro graphics for your phone if you set your phone's date to 1 January 1970. Unfortunately, this does not give you cool new graphics, but rather it completely bricks your phone.

Luckily, there is a fix, which you can check out by clicking HERE

So why does this happen to your phone? Well, it's all got to do with binary and how your phone processes it's dates. Check out this video from Tom Scott on Youtube. He explains why this happens very well!

Enjoy!

Jack the worst ever end user. Part 2.

We are continuing the adventures of Reddit user u/Clickity_clickity, an IT manager who is having a bit of trouble with a new intern at his work. If you have not read part 1, you can CLICK HERE to check it out. 

This is edited slightly from it's original form because of curse words.

With out further delay, here is Part 2 of Jack, the worst ever end user:

The email was pretty self-explanatory. "Due to recent reports of alleged security problems by an intern, I have had to temporarily block access to spotify. I apologize for the inconvenience."

It got around relatively quickly that Jack was the one responsible. Two of the interns quit. They stopped playing music out loud. None of them talked to Jack.

He wasn't in the intern room for very long anyway. About a week after his hire, Boss's Wife decided to let Jack just use her office while she wasn't there, presumably because he complained about how the interns were all being so very mean to him.

*

Day 8. I got an email from Jack. "I'm having issues accessing Buzzfeed."

I didn't even move from my chair, emailing back a simple reply: "Due to management concerns, Buzzfeed is not allowed per our firewall settings."

His email was immediate. "Please? I just want to check some things while I'm on lunch."

I replied back a simple "No" and went about my day. and that was the last I ever heard from Jack.

I'm kidding. Of course it wasn't.

*

Day 9. Someone had opened my desk. See, I have a laptop in my desk. The laptop is set up to bypass the firewall if we need it, like if we need to find a business by looking them up on facebook or read a news article on a usually-blocked news site. It's common knowledge I have it.

Someone had unlocked my desk and taken the laptop.

I stormed down to the officer manager's desk. She and I have the only two keys to my desk. I told her that my desk had been opened and that a company laptop was missing.

"Oh?" she said, confused. "Boss came down here and needed the key to your desk."

"Boss!?" I was taken aback. "I...alright." Maybe Boss needed the laptop for something, I told myself. But that didn't stop me from going straight to Boss' Wife's office.

There, sitting at the polished hardwood desk, sat Jack, with my laptop. And my desk key next to it.

I approached. "Jack, I need you to give me that back."

Jack shook his head. "I got approval from Boss. The computer in here was acting funny, so I asked if I could use your spare laptop and he said yes."

I was completely stunned. "So you asked Boss to get you the key to my desk--" I picked the desk key up and put it in my pocket--"then take my laptop, and use it for..." I looked over the screen. Two windows docked side by side: Facebook and Cheezburger. "...this?"

He shifted the laptop so I couldn't see the screen and cleared his throat like I was intruding on his private data. "Thanks. You can go now."

You can go now.

You. Can. Go. Now.

Nope. Nope, nope, nope. S*** doesn't work like this, man. I felt like I wanted to just slap the child sitting in front of me, but I steadied my hand and took a breath. The only laptop with unrestricted internet access was in the hand of a spoiled intern.

The only laptop with unrestricted access.

I smiled at Jack. "Alright, no problem. Have a good day." I walked out of the office.

I had a plan. Jack was f****** going down.


Read part 3 by clicking HERE!

Apple iPhone 1970 retro bug. Beware!

Currently circulating the interwebs is a not-so-funny prank that promises to add some groovy new styling to your iPhone. Some clever so and so's over at 4Chan discovered that by setting your phone's date to the 1st of January 1970, you would actually brick your phone (render it useless). There's some pretty good reasoning behind why it does this, and it all has to do with binary and how the iPhone handles it's date/time. But we won't bore you with that stuff.

Back to 4Chan, instead of warning people or Apple about the bug, the users there decided to play a prank. Much in the same vein as previous pranks of this style, someone created a very convincing image in photoshop that looked like an Apple ad. Here is the ad (remember, it's fake and following the instructions WILL brick your phone!)

Pretty convincing right?

Luckily, there is an easy fix for this if you have fallen for the prank, but you will need the special tools to open the phone. Disconnecting the battery from the iPhone's main board will reset the date/time on the phone and you'll be back to normal, albeit a bit wiser.

If you don't have access to these tools, or want it done professionally, bring it to Techrevive! You'll be in and out in less than 10 mins.

Jack the worst ever end user. Part 1.

IT managers have the difficult task of being the conduit between man and machine. Sometimes that relationship is simple. Employees make a reasonable request and the IT manager fixes it. The following story is anything but.

What follows is an account of Reddit user u/Clickity_clickity presented in four parts. It regales a story of a particularly troublesome young intern named Jack, who's sense of entitlement is making Clickity's job a lot harder than it should be. So, here is part 1 of Clickity's story.

Trust me, it's worth the read!

Be sure to check out part 2 tomorrow!

I had been working as a small office's sysadmin for a little over two months when Jack was hired. Jack was a paid intern whose mother was friends with my boss's wife. Jack grew up in the wealthiest county in the state (where my Boss lives) and has had everything he ever wanted. A sense of entitlement that hung around him like the smell of five-day-old socks was the first thing I noticed upon being introduced to him as he went around the office.

"Jack, this is Clickity, our, erm...uh...tech...guy..." My boss introduces me, in that way that old bosses who don't use computers often do.

Jack extends his hand. "Oh, cool. Nice to meet ya."

I shake. "Welcome aboard."

Jack is very eager to get started doing...whatever. "Will I get a business email?" as if this is the most interesting thing ever. Adorable, I think.

"Eventually, yes. For the moment though, we have a shared email for interns on staff. I'll get you the credentials shortly." Most of the interns use the shared email for a while until getting their own. just standard procedure.

"You run the firewall, right?"

"Yes."

"So you can block and unblock sites?"

"Yes." Jack's eager smile is contagious.

"Cool! Nice to meet you." He waves and the Boss and Jack leave to go be introduced elsewhere.

Now, dear reader, you might be wondering why I would call Jack the worst end user ever given his politeness and general smiling demeanor who has some understanding of what a sysadmin is, and what a sysadmin does. That's above average when it comes to end users.

Well, we're only getting started here with Jack.

The first thing jack did was complain the moment he was out of earshot. He apparently explained to the Boss that it really would be professional to have his own email given his experience and the fact that he was really more than just an intern. See, Jack knew his shit and that was that if he complained to Mother, she would complain to Boss-Wife, who would complain to Boss. And Boss, figuring an email is a small thing to ask for, had a request to set up a personalized email account for Jack on my desk within the hour.

This was not to be a good start of a relationship with one's IT Guy.

Day 2, I got an IT ticket for the room where the interns work. it's a large open office with a bunch of computers and printers where the interns print stuff all day long. Because it's such mind-numbing work, they tend to play music off of Pandora or Spotify in there. The ticket says:

"From INTERNEMAIL@companyemail: Hey, we're having issues with spotify. Not super important, but please help if you're free! thanks"

Aw, those guys are always nice to me. Maybe it's because I leave reddit unblocked on our firewall so they can reddit at lunch.

An hour or so later I have a few free minutes and I head down. I check out spotify and find the issue and fix it. Jack is there and watches closely.

"We can use Spotify here?" he asks.

"Yep," I reply.

"Pandora works, too," another intern adds. Everything checks out and I leave the happy-again-they-can-play-music interns and Jack.

A couple hours later, I got a note on my desk. See, Boss knew I allowed people to play music and such at the office. He believed was that Spotify is a HUGE security risk, leaving holes in our firewall through which everything from viruses to malware to cyberterrorists could come through. Boss was unhappy that I would allow such a threat to exist in our system, and ordered me to close it up.

I called Boss. When I asked who told him these incorrect things about Spotify? Oh, Jack did, of course.

I explained that Spotify was not a threat, and that Jack was simply mistaken. Jack, however, was on the other end of the line, in Boss's office, on speakerphone, and interjected: "Dude, it's alright if you didn't know about the security issue. But don't try and make me look bad for your mistake."

I'm stunned as Boss hangs up the phone after demanding I fix it.

Read part 2 by clicking HERE!