ransomware, the new theft

There has been a lot of hype in the “lamestream” media concerning ransomeware attacks and I am sure you have better things to do with your time than get sucked into the media hysteria? So here is a quick way to protect yourself easily using “RansomeFree”

Ransomware is where as a result of opening an email attachment, clicking on an internet link, connecting to a public wifi or somehow your Windows computer has become compromised; files on your Windows computer are locked and you are forced to pay a ransom in Bitcoins (a brilliant alternative to pounds and dollars!).

I presonally haven’t seen any computer infected with ransomeware but that might be because all my clients have “Ransomfree” installed or it may simply be a piece  of proganda designed to discourage people from using Bitcoin…who knows!
If you haven’t installed “Ransomefree” please click on the link below, install it and in future when it prompts you to update, please do immediately:

Click here to install RansomeFree on your Windows computer

To check wether you all ready have it installed, take a look at the bottom right of your screen, left of the clock and you should see a blue owl icon – this means you have ransomfree installed.

Disclaimer – You are responsible for the emails you open, internet links you click and open wireless networks you connect to – if in doubt delete, don’t click and always use a VPN on public wireless connections.

Have a great day and if you are unsure about any of this and want to review your IT security, get in touch.
Carl the IT Hound

Is your account secure?

Frequently individual’s internet accounts are being hacked and the information stolen. By implementing 2-step verification on all your accounts means your personal data remains private. In this blog post I am sharing with you what 2-step verification is and how to easily set it up.

Online Accounts

We use online accounts to manage our lives. Whether communicating via email, managing files in Dropbox or Google Drive, purchasing through PayPal or Amazon or for messaging inside Facebook or WhatsApp. Historically a password has been sufficient to secure your account, however I am daily hearing about online account information being stolen and that’s where 2-step verification can keep your data safe.

Do passwords protect online accounts?

Passwords are great, however it’s not uncommon to use weak ones or have the same password for many internet accounts which makes your account less secure. Also if you click on a phishing link in an email (remember the “Podesta” scandal?) this would compromise your account by giving hacker’s access to your inbox. The same applies to opening a message in facebook that installs malware on your computer. So considering how easy it is to hack a password, should you rely on it as your only means of defense?

How does 2-step verification work?

For years banks have been using key fobs that generate a unique code  to be used along side your password – the password is the first step and the code the second step. For an internet account the second step is a unique code sent in the form of an SMS text message to your phone. This 2-step approach to security means you must use something you know (your password) and something you have (your phone) to securely access your account.

What if I don’t have my phone?

Backup codes can be printed off and kept safe in your wallet. You can also use a trusted person’s phone to receive the code as a backup when you forget your phone.

No mobile signal or Internet access?

Most internet account providers allow you to use an app on your smartphone like Google’s Authenticator and the Authy app to generate the 2-step code when you have no internet or mobile signal.

How often must I generate a 2-step code?

The idea is that for regular devices and programs (like your laptop, phone or a website) used to access your account, 2-step verification is done once then you can forget about it. It’s only for new devices and apps that a new code is generated – maybe you are using a friend’s laptop or have a new phone.

How to setup 2-step verification

Most of the major internet account providers have a 2-step approach to security. Click on a logo below for detailed instructions.ions.

Links to download 2-step Verification Apps

Click on the links to the right to download apps which generate 2-step codes instead of a text SMS message.

Take responsibility for your data

For a long time we have relied on the company’s providing our internet accounts to protect our valuable data. Recent security violations of accounts prove that it is now time to take back that responsibility by using 2-step verification – keep safe!

We all store sensitive and confidential information on our computers – so what happens if you lose it or worse its stolen? Can encrypting your computer protect the information stored on it?

Who are you hiding your data from?

Let’s get clear on this, its not the security services like CIA, NSA, MI5 you are protecting your information from – it is a known fact that all technologies from companies like Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft all have open backdoors for government agencies to access your data…we have Edward Snowden to thank for that! Instead, it is the would-be opportunist thieves that have obtained your computer and want to steal your confidential passwords and personal information you should be concerned about.

Airport check-ins

More airline companies are forcing you to check in your laptop on arrival, so while you are waiting in the airport for your flight, how do you knwo it’s not being tampered with – if you encrypt your devices, you can be sure no-one does!

Is having a password enough?

Some people assume that simply by having a password on your computer, this protects your information. Unfortunately, hard drives can easily be removed and the files accessed by using another computer, so this is not true. If you want to truly protect valuable information stored on your computer then I recommend encrypting it.

What is encryption?

Encryption is a way of making your information unreadable to anyone who doesn’t know the password for your computer (make the assumption that if you give someone your password then they have full access to everything saved on it). Normally a whole hard drive (all of your computer) is encrypted which means that all your documents, spreadsheets, images, music etc become unreadable.

How does encryption work? 

What encryption does to the files on your computer is make them unreadable, so instead of words in a document, numbers in a spreadsheet and images in an album; they appear as jumbled letters and numbers totally camouflaged from prying eyes.

The example shows clear text on the left which is decrypted and on the right the same text encrypted.

Using keys to lock your information

Much like you have a key to unlock a door, you also  encrypt your files using a key which is normally a long sequence of numbers and letters. You also use this key to decrypt and reveal your files.

Example of a key used to unlock encrypted data:   jkhskjfhe876678sdfkjhj:@@iu987

Do you need to enter an encryption key every time?

If you know the password to your computer (Windows or Apple) then the files remain unencrypted. It is only when trying to access the files without your computer password or if the hard drive is taken out of your computer that the files become encrypted.

What if you lose the Encryption Key?

You are in trouble as without the key it is impossible to decrypt your files. However, both Microsoft and Apple will store your encryption key inside your free iCloud  or Outlook online account. I also recommend printing it off and storing it somewhere but not with the words “this is my laptop’s encryption key” written at the top!

How to encrypt your computer hard drive?

If you have an Apple Macintosh computer then the solution is easy – turn on the inbuilt FileVault and wait for it to complete.

For Windows 10 users it depends on the version of Windows you are running (Home or professional). If you are running Windows 10 professional then encryption will likely be built in using Bitlocker. However, this is not the case for the Windows 10 home version and I recommend using VeraCrypt instead.

The links to all three products mentioned above contain short video tutorials on how to enable full disk encryption.

Work online instead 

If you are saving your files using cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox then you have the flexibility of managing and editing those documents using your browser instead of locally on your computer. By un-syncing your files so they are not stored on your computer means you don’t need to worry about encryption. However, if any of your devices have been lost or stolen I always recommend changing the password to your Dropbox or Google Drive account.

Flip this Chromebook around to create a tablet

Is the Chromebook a more secure alternative?

Without question, a Chromebook is safer than Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS or Android as security is baked into its design.  Chrome OS the operating system that runs on a Chromebook automatically encrypts all your files and there is no way another person using the same Chromebook can see anything of yours. Even if a would-be thief were to rip out the solid state hard drive, the automatic encryption renders the information useless.

A Chromebook user does not have to enable anything, run anything or even remember anything, to have their files encrypted. When you consider the time and effort involved in encrypting a Windows or Apple computer, spending £200 on a Chromebook laptop could be a more economical option. Chromebooks use the Chrome browser to access all your favourite sites and work on your documents inside Google Drive and now you can edit Microsoft Word documents and Excel spreadsheets there too. No antivirus to install, no waiting for lengthy updates and they start in 10 seconds! To find out more about Chromebooks, read my blog “My Month with a Chromebook”

Should you encrypt your computer?

For me the resounding answer is “yes” and if you value the information stored on your computer I strongly urge you to either do it yourself or call or email me so I can do it for you:

Call: 07919 562 418 – Email: carl@ithound.co.uk – Google+

Why change my computer (again!)?

Over the years, I have used various traditional computers running Windows or Apple operating systems. Some have physically broken, others have been rendered

Could changing to a Chromebook be maintenance free?

useless because the software or the operating system has become outdated. This planned obsolescence approach to computing means I was in a constant state of change, spending too much money and exhausted with it all!

My main frustration with traditional computers is the amount of time I spend waiting for things to happen. Things like recovering from crashes, waiting for an update to complete, configuring email programs,  reacting to antivirus popups, checking files have backed up…the list goes on and even if you are good with IT, you still need to be monitoring these things to ensure your life is running smoothly.

All my information (email, documents, photos and music) is stored in the cloud using my Google for Work account which means everything is saved securely across Google’s servers.  For the past five years now I have only been using a browser (i.e. Chrome, Firefox, or Opera) to write documents, edit photos, listen to music and send emails).

So I wondered how I could capitalise on working in the browser and let go of the other distractions of a normal computer?…Queue the Chromebook…

What is Chrome (also known as Chrome OS)?

The Chrome logo

Chrome is a browser enabling you to open web pages and run Chrome Apps (for music, office documents, photos etc). All your Chrome apps, preferences, bookmarks and data are linked to your Google account and automatically saved to Google’s servers in the cloud .

What is a Chromebook?

A Chromebook is the Chrome browser neatly boxed inside a laptop and named the Chrome OS (operating system).

When you log in to a Chromebook with your Google account all your Chrome apps, preferences, bookmarks and data are synced from the cloud.

Anyone who has a free Google or Google for work account can login to a Chromebook and access your data instantly without having to download anything.

Light, fast and quiet

Chromebooks tend to be light and the Toshiba Chromebook2 which I am using to write this blog weighs 1.35 kg – I hardly notice it in my bag these days. Chromebooks range in screen sizes from 11.6 to 15.6”, some are touchscreen and others with backlit keyboards.

Touch screen on a Chromebook

Click here to see a list of all the current Chromebooks

Chromebook hard drives use solid state drive (no movable parts) which means it takes 7 seconds to boot up – Some of the most recent Windows 10 ultrabooks can boot in 10 seconds but then you need to wait a bit longer after logging in for the operating system to start. Updates take around 15 seconds, definitely beating the time it takes to boil a kettle!

One of the annoyances I have with traditional laptops is the noise the fan makes. Fortunately, most of the newer Chromebooks are fanless and quiet.

Affordable

Chromebooks range in price from £199 to £299 and you would be hard pressed to buy a similar traditional laptop for this price and there is the cost of the Microsoft Office and security software to consider as well.

Long battery life

I am using the Toshiba Chromebook 2 and so far it gives me 8 hours of continuous use before needing a recharge. This really helped on a recent six hour flight.

Very secure

When you sign into a Chromebook, a private, encrypted area is created for you. This ensures that other users can’t read your local data, nor could anyone access your data by taking out the Chromebook’s hard drive and accessing it. Chrome OS also has a “Guest Mode,” so anyone can surf anonymously without logging in.

There can be a risk entering your Google account password on traditional computers as key loggers or other malware could be running in the background; something which is impossible on a Chromebook.

Flip this Acer Chromebook around to create a tablet

Unlimited Storage

I currently have over 100gb of data (documents, photos and videos) stored in the cloud. Normally with a traditional computer, you would need a hard drive to fit the size of your data. Not so with a Chromebook because the storage is in the cloud and no need for anything to be local. This means that even in poor internet areas I can still access ALL my files.

Edit documents and spreadsheets with ease

MS Office capabilities in the cloud

Everyone who has a Google account can use Google Drive which comes with its own word processor, spreadsheet and presentation web apps. I have been using all three for the past four years to write blogs, design client presentations and produce complex spreadsheets. As you type Google Drive instantly saves so you don’t have to remember.

Work on Microsoft documents too

You can’t install Microsoft Office on a Chromebook but that doesn’t matter as Google Drive enables you to seamlessly edit Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint files and create pdf documents.

Offline Working

For those times when you don’t have an internet connection a Chromebook stores all your emails, documents and music offline. I am currently on a flight to South Africa writing this blog, managing emails, checking my diary and listening to downloaded music.

All Chromebooks come with at least 16GB of storage and the SD Card can provide more space if needed for those offline moments.

Online video conferencing using Google Hangouts

Video and conference calling

The Chromebook incorporates Google Hangouts where you can have both voice and video calls with others and share your screen. Video calls can also be recorded and reviewed by participants afterwards.

Works with Dropbox and OneDrive

I use Google Drive to store all my documents but sometimes a client will share a Dropbox or OneDrive folder with me so we can work on a project together. This is easy with the Chromebook allowing me to access that folder locally and collaborate with the client.

Printing

If your printer is Google Cloud Ready then you will easily be able to print from a Chromebook wirelessly but not with a cable.

Are Chromebooks worth it?

I was pleasantly surprised that I managed on a non Windows or Apple product for so long. My clients were easily supported and I was able to work as normal for a

Toshiba Chromebook2

whole month. In fact, the Chromebook is now my only computer!

The most noticeable factor is that my stress levels have reduced and my working day flows more easily without all the interruptions associated with traditional computers.

If you’re the type of person who spends most of your time on a computer simply using a web browser, I recommend you get a Chromebook.

Click here to see a list of all the current Chromebooks

The health effects of using a mobile phone

Thermographic Image of a human head after 15 minutes of phone use

In my blog “Mobile Phone Radiation and your Health” I explored the damaging effects of using a mobile phone. Summarised here, a mobile or smart phone emits a wave form frequency which pulses 217 times a second. It’s this frequency which is out of sync with your body’s natural rhythm and affects the cells and organs of your body resulting in symptoms ranging from heating up, lack of concentration to cancers and organ dysfunction.

Reduce your usage

We have become dependent on our phones and tablets for everyday use so suggesting you stop using it all together would be an impossible task. However if you are aware of the health effects then maybe you can also become conscious of your usage. Maybe limit phone usage to once an hour, read a book instead of reading on your smartphone or only open certain apps on your computer (i.e. email) instead of your smart phone.

Don’t wear your phone!

Avoid storing your phone in pockets

Even if phones have become  fashion statements,  you don’t have to wear them!

For the guys, it’s quite normal to have an extra bulge in your pocket, but just think what the phone might be doing to your body. If you are considering having children, studies have shown  that the low-level electromagnetic radiation (EMR) a mobile devices emits lowers sperm mobility by 8%,

For the ladies, I don’t recommend keeping a phone near your breasts as the soft tissue readily absorbs phone radiation leading to tumors.

Hold the phone away from your head

Researchers at SaferWave recommend holding your phone at least 20 cms away from you – whilst this may be practical to use the speakerphone when you are alone, using the speakerphone on public transport or in an office isn’t practical.

Use a headset at all times

Use a headset

By using a headset you can achieve the 20 cm distance and become hands free with the task in hand rather than balancing a phone under your ear and pretty much

frying your brain.

A simple sticker and wire clamp to prevent harmful radiation

Use the “SaferWave” Phone Protector to reduce radiation by 98%

All three of the previously mentioned ways are essential in my mind however, they  don’t stop the radiation from completely reaching your body. The team at SaferWave have spent a decade researching ways to address the radiation and have come up with a very simple kit called the SaferWave Phone Protector.

The SaferWave Phone Protector is a two piece kit which literally changes the shape of the radiation being emitted from your phone and also protects any emissions travelling up a headset cable. The result is a removal of up to 98% of the biological effects of radiation on your body by making the waves safer.

The SaferWave Phone Protector removes up to 98% of all harmful radiation

The SaferWave Phone Protector is a small adhesive micro thin label that can easily be placed inside the battery compartment of mobile phones and DECT phones, or directly to the back of the phone where the battery unit is sealed. It also includes a special ferrite Headset unit which clamps neatly around the cable leading to your headset.

SaferWave fits all phones and PCs, and can later be moved to your new model.

10% off your SaferWave Phone Protector

My preferred supplier Bio Energy Products who have a range of health and vitality products to protect you whilst using technology.  You can buy the SaferWave Phone Protector for £49.94 (10% off if you use the code “ITHOUND10”).

Can you reduce the effects of Phone radiation?

My research has led me to believe that you can make some small but effective steps to limit the radiation being emitted from your phone while still being able to use it and carry on with your life.

Just what is happening to your brain while chatting?

We all have mobile phones (over three billion worldwide), but what are the health issues associated with using a phone on our bodies? In this blog, I want to break open the mystery surrounding their usage and get clear on the facts.

The information I present here is a mixture of research by SaferWave, an organisation which has pioneered research into mobile phone usage, papers from various health organisations and my own personal experiences.

The science of Mobile Phone radiation

A mobile phone including, traditional button and modern smartphones and emit a radio frequency in the microwave band that interacts with our body’s electrical system. It is this interaction that can cause short terms symptoms like memory loss, poor sleep and headaches to long term dangers like brain cancer and dementia.

Vital Organs and cells are all affected by using a mobile phone.

It’s all about Frequency

Our brain resonates at a healthy frequency of between 9.1 and 40 Hz and our organs have an overall frequency of up to 10Hz. A standard phone signal emits a frequency of 1800 Hz but it is not this that creates a measurable health effect.

It is actually the gaps between the signals akin to static noise heard from radio and TV that are doing the most damage. This noise is sent in pulses or waves, not one continual frequency so our bodies do not get a chance to adapt to them.

It is these transient waveforms that can disrupt the human body and lead to functional impairment of cell and organ operation.

For mobile phones, a pulse starts 217 times per second emitting a frequency between 30000-80000 MHz each time.

Simply put – Imagine the cells in your body happily vibrating together at a certain frequency and then they are disturbed with higher frequencies from your mobile phone.

Pockets and Jackets are no place for a phone

The closer your phone is to your body the greater the health effects. So whilst putting a phone  in your trouser or jacket pocket seems logical it is still having an effect on your cells and vital organs.

Sleeping with your phone

Your phone is radiating while you sleep as well!

A lot of clients I work with sleep next to their phones to take advantage of its alarm clock. If you do the same, remember your phone will still be busy radiating while you sleep!

Nowadays your phone doesn’t just make calls and texts. Your phone is always sending and receiving emails and updating apps and social media channels. To do this your phone  is constantly connected to either your mobile carrier or a wireless network so yet more radiation to deal with.

Home cordless phones radiate too

Digital phones have the same damaging characteristics but more intensified. Both the base station and the phone itself are in constant communication and, therefore, emitting radiation continuously.

What do health authorities and governments have to say?

incident rates for tumours over past 10 years

Science often takes years to connect the dots. Back in the 1950s doctors would recommend cigarettes as healthy and a great way to relax – now it’s common knowledge that they can cause lung and heart related diseases.

Now in 2011, The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a paper classifying mobile phones as possible carcinogens. The UK Government’s Chief Medical Officers advise that children and young people under 16 should be encouraged to use mobile phones for essential purposes only, and to keep calls short.

Research carried out by the ElectromagneticHealth.org identified a rise in brain tumours in the region of the brain closest to where a phone is held.Also, the BioInitiative Report from a group of leading scientist pointed to the fact that cells in older humans had a decreased their ability to repair after exposure to mobile phone radiation.

So whilst health agencies are not condemning mobile phone usage they are advising us to take precautions – why if they are totally safe?

My experience with mobile phones

I have never been much of a chatty human being who likes to “catch up” on the phone and prefer to arrange a meeting or quickly discuss the subject and end the call. One thing I do notice is how the area around my ear where the phone is tends to warm up and I feel a sense of irritation.

I used to have difficulty sleeping and slept right next to my phone. Now I turn it off and put it in another room overnight and my sleep patterns are much better.

Other electrical devices are harmful too

Critics of this blog will point to the fact that there are many other sources of Electromagnetic Frequencies (EMFs) and radiation that could be causing adverse health effects. I totally agree with

EMFs are everywhere so protection is important

the; we have a multitude of devices from laptops, tablets, home phones, baby monitors and smart televisions; all of which emit levels of radiation and EMFs. However mobile phones do tend to be around us all the time  whether in our pockets, bags or even next to us when we sleep, constantly emitting EMFs and radiating.

It’s not about how bad each individual technology, instead what the cumulative effect of all of them together can have on our health.

Also, we are  rarely alone these days so it’s not just our phones that are affecting our health; so too are the phones of those other humans around us. Imagine the harmful levels being emitted from phones on a bus or in a football stadium or concert.

How to minimise the effects of Phone Radiation

The SafeWave Protector removes up to 98% of harmful radiation

In my blog “How to protect yourself from phone radiation” I explore in details the ways in which you can significantly protect your body from mobile phone radiation.

To summarise, I recommend not holding a phone to your head (use a headset instead), avoid storing it in your pocket or bra and you should definitely avoid using your phone for prolonged periods of time.  

All of these recommendations require a change in behaviour to protect your body from harmful radiation which is sometimes difficult.

One amazing product I recommend to all clients is the SaferWave Phone Protector, which removes up to 98% of the biological effects of radiation on your body whilst not compromising the functionality of your mobile phone. Read my blog “Protect yourself from phone radiation” for more details on this product.

You can now buy the SaferWave Phone Protector for £49.94 (10% off if you use the code “ITHOUND10”).

So is phone radiation harmful?

Yes, I feel based on my research that whilst we may not be seeing masses of humans dying as a result of using them; the technology is still relatively young and the long term usage effects unknown. Therefore, I recommend using them less frequently and also to protect yourself when you do.

• Available for Apple and Android phones and tablets and using a browser like Chrome on your computer
• Synchronises with Gmail so if Inbox isnt for you dont worry as everything will be mirrored back there
• Inbox treats your emails like a to-do list and assumes you want to do something with literally every email​ – just because you have read an email doesn’t mean you are finished with it!​
• You can tick an email once you are done with it (akin to archiving in normal Gmail)You can also schedule an email to be a reminder – lets say a supplier sends you an invoice due in a month’s time you can set a date where it will remind you
• Helps you include certain labels (folders) to appear bundled in your inbox – there are the usual Primary, Updates, Promotions and Forum and you can add your own label to sit there too ( I pick up personal emails using a different address which filters to a label so now I can have a combined inbox of work and personal)
• Three functions to Inbox namely Pin (to another label), Snooze (remind you later) and Done (tick to make it go away)
• Google Now is also incorporated so reminders about flights, events and information on delivery for goods you have ordered automatically display
• Works with free @gmail.com and Google Apps for Work accounts

Something always needed my attention eight years ago!

Its been over eight years that I have been in some way or form supporting  client’s IT systems. In that time technologies have evolved and so have I –  This blog is aimed at updating you with what I am doing now and sharing some new and exciting technologies that you can get involved with.

Eight years ago we were still using dial-up internet, phones had buttons and IT support consisted of computer installations, upgrades, viruses and backups. All of which took some time to care and fix. Back then I always thought there was a barrier to technology and you had to be a geek, guru or techie to be able to even touch those IT systems!

How the cloud has changed everything

Now that we have moved into the cloud age I rarely get called to fix problems because most clients information is neatly stored somewhere at a Google data centre using their Google for Work account. From emails to documents in Google Drive and from photos to videos, literally everything is accessible from a device in our pocket. Storing information in the cloud means there is no such thing as an upgrade, backup or virus; a document or photo originating on your phone is immediately accessible on your computer. Now I  am helping customers to access their data using apps on their Android/Apple phones and tablets and Google Chromebooks and showing them simple ways to use and share that information with others.

Branching out into the new Intelligent Technologies

Even the logo’s eye changes from an @ sign to a real eye

Offering cloud technologies to clients  has created a space for me to also look at some new technologies and follow my passion for sustainability. Now I am  helping people to generate energy through solar panels and use an array of new home automation controls for heating, lighting, health, security and even cleaning! What I find exciting is that all these technologies are being managed via the cloud using apps on various phones and tablets so clients are feeling very comfortable engaging with them.

Intelligent Technology (IT) has so much more application, in fact I feel more awake playing with it!  Instead of boring people with megabytes and servers i can join in client’s conversations worried about using fossil fuels, or the quality of their tap water and provide real intelligent technology solutions that they can use.

Consulting and Education

My background in IT was training and this skill has served me well over the past eight years when helping clients to understand the various systems. I value this and when combined with my knowledge of the technology industry I can confidently provide consultancy and manage the implementation of various Intelligent Technology projects.

The next eight years and beyond

I feel we are in really exciting times where technology is integral to shifting the way we work and

Looking forward to the next eight years

play and helping us to connect more with others in more meaningful ways – I want to be there for you as your technology guide and help you navigate freely with the best technologies.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to catching up with you real soon and helping in any way I can.

The IT Hound

How safe is your data when your phone has gone?

We keep a lot of important information of a personal, business and financial nature on our phones and tablets. So how can you erase that information from your mobile device when it goes missing or is stolen with your Google or Apple account?

Phones and tablets the everyday tools we use for work and play.

Fast mobile data speeds like 4g give us instant access to all our documents and sensitive emails on the move. There are also numerous apps that store financial and legal information that in the hands of a would be thief could be devastating. And all those amazing photos and videos taken which are very personal to you are certain to be saved on your phone too.

So how do you protect all the information stored on your mobile device?

Obviously its important to have a PIN code and if you are really serious you may have figured out how to encrypt your phone. Encryption can mean you need to become a geek to implement it and even a PIN code means your data is still on the device. In my opinion the best solution is to erase all the data as soon as you know its missing; but how…?

Use your Apple or Google Account

Its probable that you have one of these accounts on your phone setup at least to receive emails, sync your contacts and backup photos. This is great and means you can use your account to remotely wipe and factory reset your phone or tablet once its gone missing.

Instantly wipe your phone or tablet

Just how safe is your data?

As soon as you notice its gone missing all you need is another computer or mobile device that is connected to the internet, login to your Google or Apple account and wipe your phone. You can even leave a message for the kind soul that finds it with instructions on how to contact you and return it.

If you have an iphone or ipad you use the iCloud “Find my iPhone” service and for all Android devices its the “Android Device Manager” that locates it for you.

Lost and found

If you feel it hasn’t left the house and is simply hiding under the sofa cushions then you can send a remote signal to it which will emit a high pitched sound so you can find it!

Restoring apps and settings to your device after wiping

Both Google and Apple have a backup service which means that your apps, data, photos and settings are constantly being backed up when the device is connected to the internet. This means that you can use your account to restore everything back to your replacement phone or tablet. This also works well if you are upgrading to a newer model.

Miracles do happen

A client called me the other day worrying because his wife had left her iPhone on the train. They both had the remote wipe service installed so I used it to erase all the data, left a message on her phone to call the husband and someone did – wife and phone reunited!

How to set it up

To protect your data the backup and remote wipe services needs to be setup on all your devices and if you give me a call or email I am ready to help you out!

carl@ithound.co.uk      +447919 562 418

Salus iT500 main unit

Smart Thermostats are a great way to control and monitor your home’s heating. This article is all about introducing you to them and highlighting  how they can save you money and reduce your energy consumption.

What are Smart Thermostats?

A smart thermostat is like a thermometer with a built in sensor and on/off switch. You set the thermostat to say 21 degrees and if the air around the thermostat goes below that it will wirelessly  tell the boiler to heat up the water and moderate the temperature of the whole house to match that room. Once it reaches 21 degrees the boiler stops heating.

If the above wasn’t smart enough; imagine being able to control the heating on your way back home using your smart phone – this is what the latest range of smart thermostats help you to achieve. 

Why buy a smart thermostat?

Tado’s remote control of a boiler

What’s the most expensive bit of technology in your home? Apple iPhone, Ultrabook laptop, Audio system? Turns out for most homes the most expensive bit of kit is the boiler – in fact a new, energy-efficient boiler will probably set you back £1,100-£2,500 including installation.

What if there is still life in your boiler and you don’t want to spend thousands upgrading it? If your boiler isn’t that old and is still going strong, a cheaper way to make your boiler more efficient is to make it smarter is by adding a smart thermostat to it. There is a growing list of smart thermostats and systems appearing on the market, all of which promise to slash your heating bills.

In our home we have been using an entry level smart thermostat called the Salus IT500 and connected to our 15 year old energy inefficient boiler and already in 12 months we have saved over £200 on our heating bill. The cost of the device was only £139 from Amazon and we paid an electrician to wire it to the boiler costing us £50. so its already paid for itself.

Why replace traditional thermostats with smart ones?

Thermostats have been around for a while now just without the ability to remotely manage them away from home. Often they are placed in corridors which don’t have radiators so the boiler keeps using fuel to heat the house. All the rooms get very hot and the hallway stays cold; the net result being that you use and pay for a lot of fuel.

Heating using traditional thermostats is geared towards the whole house and not individual rooms which means you end up using more fuel to heat a larger area. To manage individual rooms you have to manually adjust the radiators in each room which is tedious.

Salus iT5000 starter thermostat kit

How Smart thermostats work

A receiver unit is wired to the boiler and its primary role is to communicate wirelessly between the boiler and the smart thermostat.

The smart thermostat is a wireless unit the size of an average phone and can be moved around the home. Usually they can be wall mounted or have a stand to sit neatly on your coffee table.

The idea is that you take the thermostat with you wherever you are in the home. For example I work in the dining room during the day and the lounge in the evening. Once I am in that room, I close the door and set the temperature I want – the thermostat then communicates with the receiver unit which in turns tells the boiler to burn gas and heat the room.

The thermostat has an inbuilt thermometer and once it reaches the desired temperature it tells the boiler to stop burning gas.

As the thermostat is monitoring temperatures locally in a room; this means that only a small area can be quickly warmed to the desired temperature and then the boiler can stop heating and using fuel.

All smart thermostats let you program temperatures for certain times of the day including specific on/off times during weekdays, weekends and holidays so you can lower the temperature automatically when you are out of the house.

No more dials

Smart Thermostats have a room sensor which you can program on/off times and select desired temperatures. You can also do all this from your smart phone or via the manufacturer’s website.

The quality of both the smart thermostat and the smartphone app vary from sliding bars to a digital dial and in my opinion you pay more for the systems that have greater options and presentation in their apps and website. Whilst I am very happy with the Salus IT500 the apps and website controls are much more limited when  you compare it to the Tado, Nest and Hive systems.

Controlling your heating while away from home

Nest’s learning technology

We went away for a two week break last winter and I totally forgot to change the heating from the regular on twice a day setting on the thermostat to the “frost protection” mode so in case the temperature went below 5 degrees it would keep the pipes warm.

Under normal circumstances this would have left a very warm home heating nobody! However all I had to do was pull out my Android phone and enable the frost mode quickly while queuing at the airport.

The other reason to have remote control is when you are coming home early and want to arrive to a toasty warm home without having to wait for the heating to kick in. Simply pull out your iphone or android phone on the No58 bus and start up the boiler.

Installation

I am generalising here and there may be specifics relating to the type of boiler you have. Its always worth checking whether your boiler is compatible and if if you are in any doubt about the installation process get a professional in to do it for you.

There are three sides to the installation:

1. Connecting the receiver unit to the boiler – recommend you get either a heating engineer or an electrician to do this
2. Setting up the  smart thermostat and linking it to the receiver unit – you can do this or ask me to do it for you!
3. Connecting the smart thermostat to the internet by plugging in the a hub/gateway to your router – you can do this too or ask me.

What else can they do?

Hot water too

If you don’t have a combi boiler then you will need to choose a smart thermostat that can also control your hot water in much the same way via a heating schedule and ad-hoc when you are away.

Automatic Scheduling

It doesn’t stop at heating,  some of the more specialised smart thermostats like Nest learn from your behaviour patterns by noticing when you change the temperature and create a schedule around that rather than you having to do the thinking.

Presence and location sensors

Using the GPS in your smartphone the high end thermostats realises you are away so turns off the heating and on the day you decide to stay at home, they senses your movement in the house and starts the heating – pop out for a coffee for an hour and it will gently lower the temperature to save money but raise it again as you approach home. If you’re out all day on a trip the heating will lower further and for longer, and  knows when to raise it again when you’re on your way home. All this is called GEO Fencing in case you were wondering!

Air Conditioning

If you are lucky enough to live in a hot climate then smart meters can do the opposite and control your air conditioning in exactly the same way it manages your boiler.

Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detection

Others like Nest have specialist devices that monitor for carbon monoxide and act as a smoke dectector. Both are linked to your smart phone.

Boiler Monitoring

Its ok having a smart heating system if your boiler has a problem. So often failing water pressure can be a big issue for heating systems. Thankfully the more advanced systems have an inbuilt boiler monitoring sensors which alert you immediately.

What is the best Smart Thermostat?

All of them provide you with wireless heating which you can control. Its just whether you want to experience some of the “smarter” features like GEO fencing, motion detection and automatic programming plus have a better looking mobile and web app to control your thermostat.

The table below gives you a very high level overview of the main smart thermostats, a comparison of their features, how much they cost and where to buy them from:

Smart Thermostat Comparison Table

What about multi zoned smart heating systems?

I think we have done enough tech speak for this blog, however if you want the ultimate heating system that can control the temperature and program each room in your house separately then you may want to look at Multi Zoned heating systems – hopefully to be covered in a future blog!