NEW YORK & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 18, 2023--

Do you know your phishing from malware? One in six older adults admit they are completely “baffled” by digital terms. A study of 2,000 over-65s found the likes of hyperlinks, phishing and “The Cloud” are among the jargon which leaves people scratching their heads. Processor, malware and USB-C also made the top 20 list of confusing terms - with cookies, IP addresses and smishing also featuring highly. It also emerged 11 per cent think digital terms are so complicated that a foreign language would be easier to learn. To help older people get a better understanding of online jargon, BT Group has partnered with AbilityNet and lexicographer Susie Dent, to create a Digital Dictionary consisting of the 21 most commonly misunderstood words used on the internet. Susie said: “Whilst so much of modern life seems easier online – whether that’s booking a doctor’s appointment, managing your finances, or doing the weekly shop – we’re forgetting one crucial thing: it’s only easier if you understand the language the web is built on. “So, it’s great that this Digital Dictionary is a guide that simplifies the language.” The survey also found the over-65s spend just five and a half hours a week online, with 78 per cent feeling left behind by their lack of knowledge. Just over half (54 per cent) wish they were more knowledgeable when it comes to computing, but 17 per cent of these feel a lack of motivation. Other issues include feeling there is simply too much to learn or needing someone to show them what to do. But 16 per cent worry others will see them as a burden if they ask for help understanding different areas of technology. The main feeling for people who struggle with online jargon is frustration, though others feel silly, or stupid. And while easy access to information (31 per cent), convenience (17 per cent) and keeping in touch with friends and family (15 per cent) were deemed good things about the online world, many had negative things to say. A third (34 per cent) say their least-liked thing about being online is scams, with 14 per cent having privacy concerns. One in 10 (10 per cent) also stress that not every piece of information they see online is credible, according to the OnePoll.com figures. Victoria Johnson, spokesperson for BT Group added: “As younger generations grow up with the internet, it gets even harder for older generations to understand ever-changing online jargon. “But for anyone who isn’t a digital native and didn’t grow up with smartphones or super-fast broadband, it can feel like a whole new world to some. “It’s a shame to see from the research that older adults feel they are a burden when asking for help navigating their way online. “We want to create a more inclusive society by helping them make the most of life in the digital world. “We hope that the variety of online guides will give people the confidence to start exploring the internet and will give them all the training and support needed to live life to the full in the digital age.” The Jargon over 65s don’t understand: 1. Smishing 2. Vishing 3. Hyperlink 4. USB-C 5. Ransomware 6. URL 7. Phishing 8. QR code 9. Cloud 10. Malware 11. IP address 12. Cookies 13. Streaming 14. Tabs 15. Processor 16. Spam 17. Antivirus 18. Hardware 19. Browser 20. Upload 21. USB 22. Social media 23. Emoji 24. Webpage 25. App 26. Google 27. Download 28. Search Engine 29. Software 30. Smartphone Read More Brits think investing is for the super-rich, poll finds Brits get itchy feet in their home after five years, study finds The AI scams that are targeting young adults Elon Musk to live stream himself gaming on X in ‘everything app’ bid Japan startup unveils 15-foot robot suit for space exploration Apple blames Instagram for overheating iPhones

WhatsApp has finally launched a private and fast way for people to transfer their chats to a new device. The change fixes one of the biggest privacy issues with using the app. Until now, it has been difficult to move chats between devices – such as when getting a new phone – and so users may have been taken in by unofficial and potentially dangerous third-party apps offering a way to do so. Now users can keep their complete chat and media history as they move it between phones, without the need to exit the app. WhatsApp said the feature was intended to be “more secure than using unofficial third party apps which lack clear privacy practices, and more private than cloud services”. It is also meant to be faster than backing up the whole chat history, and also means that big files that would usually be left out of such a backup will be kept around. The system means that two devices can be put closely, checked with a QR code and then have their data shared between two devices on the same operating system. The tool is fully encrypted, meaning that there should be no way for that data to be stolen as it moves between the phones. To use the new tool, the two devices must be in the same physical location, connected to WiFi and with location settings on. It is then activated by clicking through to the Settings on the old phone, choosing “chats” and then “chat transfer”, which will bring up a QR code that can be scanned with the new phone. All of the data should then be moved from the old phone onto the new one, without the need to back it up or use third-party tools. The change is one of a range of recent features introduced by WhatsApp, as it aims to make privacy and security a central part of its offering. Recently it added a new feature aimed at blocking “spam and scam” calls, for instance, along with other privacy changes. Read More WhatsApp launches major new feature that could end spam calls iPhone users urged to check their photo library amid fears they could be deleted How to see exactly who has looked at your TikToks

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 18, 2023--

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON In the 1991 film "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," a malevolent time-traveling and shape-shifting android

It’s lonely at the top – just ask Elon Musk’s former colleagues. The Twitter owner tells the same jokes and anecdotes “over and over” and “seems quite alone,” according to a former senior executive at the company. Esther Crawford, who went viral last year after being pictured sleeping on the floor of Twitter’s office while trying to meet a tough deadline set by Musk, shared her thoughts in a post on the platform which was recently renamed X. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Crawford joined Twitter when it bought her startup in 2020, well before the billionaire took over the social media platform in a $44bn deal last year. The former head of product development, who was sacked in February as part of a round of 200 layoffs, said: “Elon is oddly charming and he's genuinely funny. He also has personality quirks like telling the same stories and jokes over and over. “The challenge is his personality and demeanour can turn on a dime going from excited to angry. “Since it was hard to read what mood he might be in and what his reaction would be to any given thing, people quickly became afraid of being called into meetings or having to share negative news with him.” She said Twitter employees feared being called into meetings with him or having to deliver bad news. “At times it felt like the inner circle was too zealous and fanatical in their unwavering support of everything he said.” “Product and business decisions were nearly always the result of him following his gut instinct, and he didn't seem compelled to seek out or rely on a lot of data or expertise to inform it. “I saw a person who seemed quite alone because his time and energy was so purely devoted to work.” Meanwhile, Musk appeared to put more faith in random feedback and Twitter polls than in his employees who were working to troubleshoot problems. She said: “His boldness, passion and storytelling is inspiring, but his lack of process and empathy is painful.” However, she didn’t pull any punches about the previous management either, calling it “bloated” and “soft and entitled” where “teams could spend months building a feature and then some last-minute kerfuffle meant it'd get killed for being too risky.” Musk recently killed off the iconic bluebird Twitter logo, replacing it with a white X. He has said he wants to create a super-app inspired by China’s WeChat which would offer messaging and payments as well as social media. That vision may be difficult to make a reality, after the collapse of the platform’s advertising business as marketers soured on Musk’s decision to fire thousands of employees and dial down its content moderation efforts. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

AUBURN, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 19, 2023--

Alphabet Inc.’s Google released its Bard chatbot to users in the European Union and Brazil, and said the

The Federal Trade Commission says it it appealing a judge’s ruling that would have allowed Microsoft to close its deal to buy video game company Activision Blizzard

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 20, 2023--

Andrew Tate believes that he has 'lived a life of pain to achieve the impossible' and that he struggles every day

If you’re an early adopter of Wi-Fi 7, Acer is preparing to launch one of