America Recycles Day, November 15, is in less than one week. Communities all over the country are hosting events to spread awareness of recycling’s importance and give back to the environment. One of the easiest ways to get involved this year is to responsibly recycle old electronics that are no longer being used. When rounding…
Local, state and federal officials nationwide are prepared for any potential cyber threat U.S. voters may encounter this Election Day. The Department of Homeland Security and FBI, as well as local and state authorities, have teams ready to respond to small and large scale voting threats. This level of preparedness is comforting, but hopefully these…
Social media enthusiasts around the country are finding Instagram and Snapchat in the voting booth can result in legal action. Taking a “ballot selfie” or any other kind of photograph inside a voting booth can result in fines and/or vote revocation. While there are severe consequences for ballot photos in some states, including California, they…
Here is a recap of the HOBI blog for the week of 10/31-11/4 The most overlooked component of enterprise mobile asset management When considering a mobile asset management provider, enterprises may focus on repair solutions, data security, and future refurbishment and recycling opportunities. While these are all important components of mobile asset management, the most…
When considering a mobile asset management provider, enterprises may focus on repair solutions, data security, and future refurbishment and recycling opportunities. While these are all important components of mobile asset management, the most overlooked component of a mobile asset manager is guaranteed compliance. Securing an environmentally-friendly provider is not only a moral obligation but also…
Last month, Samsung permanently halted the production and sales of its Galaxy Note 7 devices. The company is now under scrutiny by the environmental advocacy group Greenpeace for its future device disposal plans. Samsung says more than 3 million Galaxy Note 7 devices were sold, and Greenpeace reports an additional 1.3 million devices were produced.…
StatCounter reports more people are accessing the Internet through mobile devices than desktop computers globally. Overall, 51.2 percent of users accessed the Internet through mobile phones and tablets, and 48.7 accessed the Internet through desktop computers. This is the first time mobile access has been greater than desktop access since StatCounter began tracking Internet traffic.…
Today is Halloween and families everywhere are getting ready for trick-or-treating trips and parties. While Halloween is fun for people of all ages, coordinating plans can be stressful. Here are four mobile apps for a fun and safe Halloween: Nextdoor Nextdoor is a neighborhood social media app that allows residents to communicate with each other…
Here is a recap of the HOBI blog for the week of 10/24-10/28 Used electronics resale company shuts down in light of federal lawsuit A used electronics resell company, Laptop and Desktop Repair LLC, has been raided and shut down after multiple complaints that lead to a federal lawsuit. Federal court records report the company’s…
A used electronics resell company, Laptop and Desktop Repair LLC, has been raided and shut down after multiple complaints that lead to a federal lawsuit. Federal court records report the company’s office, based in Sparks, NV, was raided by police and court-appointed receiver, Hays Financial Consulting, on September 29. Laptop and Desktop Repair ran multiple…
Accessing unsecure networks in public places can lead to security vulnerabilities, or in the worst case scenario, an unauthorized source gaining access to a device. When protecting smartphones, tablets and laptops, users are discouraged from using public networks. While private networks are more secure, there are certain precautions the owners must take to ensure complete…
Craig Boswell, HOBI President, is contributing to the Smartphone and Apple Refurbisher Insights panel at the 2016 Electronics Reuse Conference in Houston, beginning at 9 a.m tomorrow morning. Smartphone shipments for 2016 are projected to exceed 207 million in the United States alone. As more devices are released to the market, the need for high-quality…
After a device upgrade, users may look into the various resale or trade-in opportunities for older smartphones. Reselling a device that is no longer in use is one of the best ways to get maximum value, but if the owner does not take proper data erasure precautions, their personal information could be stolen. A basic…
Here is a recap of the HOBI blog for the week of 10/17-10/21 New Macs anticipated at Apple’s October 27 event Apple confirmed yesterday a new device event on October 27. The new event, announced by a “hello again” graphic, is expected to showcase heavily anticipated Mac updates. How to ensure enterprise IT is prepared…
“Hello again” was a key theme in both the original Macintosh and the iMac’s debuts. Once Apple revealed the initial event invitation, speculation of new Macs gained even more traction. Two of the main rumors regarding the new Mac update include a “magic toolbar” second OLED display that would replace the function row on the…