Miguel Leiva-Gomez, Author at Make Tech Easier

Treasure Trove Of Exploits Discovered Among The CIA’s Vault 7 Leaks

A massive leak of some of the CIA’s closely kept secrets stored in a repository known as “vault 7” has hit the wire. Here’s what you need to know, and worry about.

What Chrome’s Explosive Growth Teaches Us About Browsers

Chrome’s explosive growth is impressive, and it is not showing any sign of slowing down. What lessons does it teach us about how browsers should cater to the average user, which is you and me?

What the Cloudbleed Leaks Tell Us About Online Security

A major bug in Cloudflare has caused a massive leak of private data from millions of websites. Here’s what you need to do in the aftermath of CloudBleed.

Do U2F Security Keys Really Keep You Safe?

The U2F security keys are inserted into your USB slot and allow you to log in quickly and easily. But are they really useful and do they keep you safe? Let’s find out.

Does Putting Tech in Cars Make It Easier for Hackers to Start Your Car?

As more and more car manufacturers start to add tech in cars, it is now possible to remote start, locate and summon your car with your phone. But how safe is it? Let’s find out.

Headphones and Hearing Loss: What You Need to Know

Did you know that wearing headphones for a long time can cause hearing loss and make you deaf? Here’s what can you do to prevent hearing loss.

Is Antivirus Relevant Anymore?

In the late ’90s antivirus was almost a necessity in every computer. In these modern days are AVs still able to protect you from threats as advertised? Is antivirus relevant anymore?

How to Properly Diagnose Computer Noises

If you are hearing noises coming out of your computer, here’s a guide to help you diagnose computer noises, isolate the problem and repair it quickly and efficiently.

Can China Enforce a VPN Crackdown?

The Chinese government intends to crack down on unauthorized virtual private networks in an effort to more easily regulate the Internet within its borders. Can it really enforce a VPN Crackdown? Let’s check it out.

Is HTTPS Always Necessary?

Since 2007 the ubiquity of “https://” in URLs has increased almost exponentially. Is using HTTPS everywhere necessarily a good thing?

Foldable Smartphones: the Good, the Bad, the Caveats

Speculation suggests Samsung and LG are producing foldable smartphones in late 2017. Let’s see how this might be a decent idea and some of the caveats it may have.

3 Things to Think About When Buying New Technology

With the evolution of consumer technology reaching a tipping point, perhaps it’s time we looked at what we should be thinking when buying new technology.

Does The FCC Protect Internet Privacy?

With a new set of rules that would compel your ISP to ask questions before gathering your data, is it actually going to protect privacy for people on the Web?

4 Most Common Myths About Tor You Should Learn About

TOR has become such a popular application that many people trust it completely without knowing how it works. Here are some of the common myths about TOR you should know.

How to Get NVIDIA’s GPU Assisted Video Encoding (NVENC) to Work in Ubuntu

Nvidia’s NVENC allows the use the GPU to encode video streams so as to reduce video conversion time. Here’s how to get Nvidia’s NVENC working in Ubuntu.

How Images Can Infect Your Computer through Social Media

Can image files like JPEGs or PNG spread viruses? We tend to believe not, but here’s an incident on how images are used to infect computers through social media. Let’s find out!

User Accounts Might Become Obsolete in Video Conversation. Here’s Why!

With Skype removing the need to have user accounts to participate in conversations, user accounts might become obsolete in the near future. Here’s why.

Why Did Windows 10 Flop?

Even though Microsoft is actively pushing Windows 10, its market share is still far behind Windows 7. Did Windows 10 flop? How did things get this way?

How Technology Can Help Airlines Stop Losing Your Luggage

Baggage loss in flights is still one of the biggest issue for airlines. Let’s see how new technology can help airlines stop losing your luggage.

MTE Explains: What is Vapor Chamber Cooling?

A lot of high-end laptops or CPU/GPU coolers are using “vapor chamber” as a selling point. How is this better than the traditional cooling techniques? Let’s find out.

Are “Smart Billboards” An Invasion of Privacy?

Yahoo submitted a patent for a “smart billboard” that uses demographics to show targeted ads to passerby. Is this “smart billboard” considered an invasion of privacy? Let’s find out.

How IoT Can Be Used to Build Tomorrow’s Botnets

With the rise of the Internet of Things, it is easier for botnets to carry out DDOS attacks. See how the IoT can become tomorrow’s botnets.

Did The U.S. “Give Up” Control of the Internet?

The United States has relinquished control of IANA to ICANN, effectively giving up its influential stake on the Internet. What does this mean? Did The U.S. just give up control of the Internet? Let’s find out!

Google’s Automated Image Captioning & the Key to Artificial “Vision”

Google releases software that can automatically generate a caption based on the objects and setting of an image. This may be a stepping stone towards something greater on the road to more advanced artificial intelligence.

How Facebook Keeps on Beating AdBlock at Its Own Game

Both AdBlock and Facebook consider each other a thorn in their side. But what do Facebook engineers do that frustrates AdBlock developers so much?

4 Surprisingly Outdated IT Infrastructures You (Probably) Didn’t Know About

Governments are notorious for their inability to catch up to the latest advancements in technology. Here are four outdated systems in the IT infrastructures that are still around.

Would an Online Court of Law Be a Good Idea?

A proposal was put forth to establish an online court for claims totaling up to 25,000 pounds. Would this be beneficial or spell disaster for the country?

The Security Caveats of NFC Payments

Many people like the convenience of NFC payment but are not aware of the potential risk behind it. There are a couple of things you should know before you hop onto the bandwagon of convenience that contact-less payments provide.

MTE Explains: What Is a “Man in the Middle Attack?”

For an attack carried out over the Internet to be successful, the hacker behind it has to be clever. And nothing demonstrates wit more clearly than the “man in the middle attack”. It’s time to make people aware of what a “man in the middle” (MiM) attack is and some best practices that could prevent it from being carried out.

Differences Between Privacy And Security & Why You Should Care

The words “privacy” and “security” are often used interchangeably. Understanding the difference can help you make more educated decisions on how you choose to share your information and what software you choose to use.

Are Ad Blockers Bad for Consumers?

Many people are using ad blockers to block ads. The question is will publishers be hurt by ad blockers and will users suffer as well?

Is Technology Isolating Us or Bringing Us Closer Together?

Is the growing presence of the Internet and computing technology in our lives a net benefit or hindrance to social interaction? Is technology isolating us? Let’s discuss.

Is Google Competing Unfairly?

Google is constantly facing litigation for unfair competition, so do you think Google is competing unfairly or it is clear of any wrongdoing?

What Is a “Moonshot” Technology?

Almost everything that has made human progress possible is thanks to something Google likes to call a “moonshot.” What exactly does it mean? Let’s find out.

Are Air-Gapped Computers Hacker-Proof?

One of the simplest approaches to security is air-gapping (disconnecting the system from the Internet entirely). But, is an air-gapped computer hacker-proof? Let’s find out.

Molecular Hardware: The Promise and the Challenges

As the race for smaller hardware continues, let’s dive into what this means and what challenges manufacturers face in making molecular hardware a reality.

Can the Internet Ever Really Be Policed?

Is it practical to attempt to police speech on the internet – whatever form this kind of action may take? Should the Internet be policed? Let’s discuss.

Is Thinner Hardware “Better”?

Many hardware manufacturers have pushed their research departments to come up with ways to fit more hardware into smaller spaces. Is this a good thing?

Does Anti-Malware Really Do Anything to Help Stop Malware?

A number of viruses evade security software detection causing huge problems. So we ask: are anti-malware applications worth the trouble anymore?

Should the Need for Warrants Be Extended to Personal Emails?

The Email Privacy Act forces the government to seek warrants before asking tech companies for emails. Should this be the same for an individual’s personal emails?

Why Do People Want to Run Mobile Apps on Their PCs?

Some people have no interest in running mobile apps on their desktop while others welcome it. Here’s a look at why some want to run mobile apps on their PCs.

How Does Google Know Where Your WiFi Router Is?

Google seems to know everything, including where your home is located. This info is based on your router, but how does Google know where your WiFi router is anyway and can you stop this?

Should People Be Required to Present ID to Purchase Prepaid SIM Cards?

A new bill has entered the U.S. Congress for a new law requiring the presentation of identification before purchasing prepaid cards. Do you think this is a good thing?

Are Online Payments Safer with One-Time-Use Debit Card Numbers?

A startup called Privacy has created a solution that uses a one-time-use debit card number for online transactions. Will this make online payment safer? Let’s check it out.

What Do You Do When Websites You Visit Neglect Basic Security?

Using HTTP is no longer an option for large or small websites, so why are 79 of the top 100 websites not using HTTPS? Let’s discuss!

External GPUs: Good Idea or the Next Big Flop?

Some companies are offering external GPUs that work much like how external hard drives do. Is this a veritable market? Let’s dig in deeper.

Everything You Need to Know About Apple vs. the FBI

Apple has rejected the FBI’s request to create a back door for iOS. Here is what you need to know about the Apple vs. FBI saga.

Why Are USB-C Cables Frying Laptops?

The USB-C cable was designed to help pave the way for future devices that would require very versatile signalling and power transfers. So why are they, instead, frying laptops? Let’s find out.

Is Google’s “Apple-Like” Control Over Nexus Phones a Good Thing?

Google is planning to follow Apple’s ways and wants to have greater control over the building process of its Nexus phone. Is this a good thing?

The Promising Future of Video Conferencing

Video conferencing has come a long way from the days when software used to come across hitches precisely at the most inopportune moments. Let’s take a look at its promising future.