The following is a weekly snapshot of the recent e-waste, IoT, and technology related news that HOBI’s blog reported on during the week 5/14-5/18.
U.S. Invests $30 Million into New Longer Lasting Battery
We’ve come a long way from using double-A batteries to power our favorite gadgets, but we’re still constantly having to tote our chargers around and plug our devices in at night. But it looks like we might be able to make our device’s batteries last longer in the near future. The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced they will be funding up to $30 million towards research into producing a battery that can last for several days at a time. Researchers will begin on making improvements to the national power grid first, so unfortunately we’ll have to wait before they make their way to mobile. Nonetheless, the thought of a battery that can withstand normal daily use while keeping a charge that lasts for days is an exciting idea.
IoT Security Risks in an Increasingly Connected World
We’re living in a truly connected world. From smart thermostats that we can control from our phones to connected toothbrushes designed to help improve brushing habits, IoT technology is all around us helping create a more efficient way of life. But with this connected convenience, there are various security risks that we need to be aware of. The more we become dependent on this technology, the more we open ourselves up to attacks from cyber-criminals. Provided are a few ways to not only decrease your organization’s chances of being attacks but how you can create awareness of IoT security.
What It Really Means to Recycle E-Waste
We’ve all heard of e-waste, but do we really know what it is and how it has impacted the environment? E-waste is much more than just your big ticket technology items like televisions, laptops, and smartphones. One e-waste experts says that if you take the time you can probably count up to 80 different pieces of technology that you surround yourself with on a daily basis. And just think, if you have that many then surely your neighbor does too. And unfortunately a good majority of these devices clog up landfills despite there being so many benefits to recycling unwanted electronics. Recycling e-waste can conserve natural resources, can create jobs, and of course helps keep our environment clean among many other benefits.
Detecting, Recovering, and Preventing from Cryptojacking
The rise of cryptocurrency has brought about a new wave of cyber thievery. One of the latest new malicious online act has been cryptojacking, where unauthorized users hack into someone else’s computer to mine cryptocurrency. Adguard reported that last November a nearly 31 percent growth rate for in-browser cryptojacking. The company found that nearly 33,000 websites running crypto mining scripts. And while cryptojacking can be pretty hard to detect, once it has been spotted there are a few ways that victims can recover and prevent being further attacked.