To iPhone 12 or not to iPhone 12.

As October 23 is nearly here (the day iPhone 12’s make it to stores) , many of us are deep in thought…

Should I upgrade to the new iPhone? Should I wait for a few months or should I wait for the iPhone 13 (Let’s hope they pick a luckier name for the coming device!) I too think about this every year when a new phone is released. Being an iPhone user for several years (previously a Samsung Galaxy/Note fan until I bought my first iPhone and realized what a “fully baked” product is, but that is for another post!) this is always my dilemma. Yes, new devices are cool, but many times very incremental, so the differences are many times not worth the expense.

Enter the all new iPhone 12 series, completely redesigned in a beautiful squared off design, new cameras, much faster and more power efficient 5mn chip design, and yes 5G!

So is it worth it? I would say if you “must have” the newest phone it is a no brainer. If you are a serious photo and video user with an iPhone 11 maybe? iPhone Xs or X users who are more power users also might be a good time as well. The design has completely changed and 5G future proofs you more than other generations before.

If you don’t really need the phone for any of these reasons but really want the 5G you might be a little disappointed, as 5G mmWave coverage (the kind with the several Gigabit speeds) is very limited in coverage and the nationwide “5G” offered by carriers now such as T-Mobile is more of a 4G+ or 5G lite with speeds equivalent to 4G LTE.

Ultimately it is your money and your decision, worst case you spent a little more than you should have but will not regret the user experience!

I have attached a full review from CNET for further details on the newest iPhone 12 and Pro.

If you have any questions about smartphones or anything computer and network related for your business just drop us an email at support@blinkingpc.com maybe we can give a little guidance.

Doug Santini

Blinking PC

A new old threat... Emotet

Despite lower employment and economic uncertainties due to Covid-19 some enterprises are booming… Cyber Crime… Many previously dormant bots and other malware are coming back to life. One of these threats Emotet, which had been dormant for awhile, started back up October 14.

Emotet is a sneaky Trojan Virus that is activated from attachments claiming to be word docs. When the attachments are opened it tells you that Microsoft Updates are needed for Word. When the shown link is clicked on, the embedded javascript installs a loader software that then brings in other malicious programs, which includes the possibility of ransomware.

Ransomware has been one of the most costly and disruptive malware employed recently by cyber criminals. Ransomware encrypts and locks files stored on your computer or servers with a nearly unbreakable encryption. The decryption key is held by the criminal who extorts a ransom from the victim for the return of the files. Payments can range from hundreds to as much as over half a million dollars that was paid out by the City of Rivera Beach in Florida. The actual malware used was a different software but the mechanism is very similar.

These types of sneaky, malicious viruses can be prevented with the right combination of protective softwares, policies, and best practices.

Call us today to schedule your assessment and find out how to protect yourself and your business.

I have attached some additional info from our partner Kaspersky for further reading.