Welcome to Carlo on the Go! In this blog you will find helpful cyber defense information for mobile devices like smart phones, notebook computers, and bluetooth headsets. As with any technology, the more you know about it, the safer you can be and the more fun you can have!
Carlo
Cyber Defender &
CyberPort Technician
Carlo is always on the go, whether it's to watch a match with his favorite team, the Antezelles, to play a spontaneous pick-up game of soccer, or to join in the latest LAN party in Cyberspace. His mobility know-how and endless energy keep him ready and able for the unique cyber defense challenges that mobility brings.
A recent graduate (class of '09), Carlo has completed his post-graduation field training in the field of cyber forensics, and returns to the Academy to take up the post of CyberPort Technician.
To be prepared is half the victory
- Miguel Cervantes
Energy bars
Interests:Sports, dogs, smart phones
December 6, 2010
Shop Talk: No-mo-phobia
A quick definition of this would be EXACTLY WHAT I’M GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW!
Sorry. It’s just that I lost my mobile phone yesterday and I feel like I’m missing a leg. I had everything on there! My calendar, my email, all my contacts, etc. I even blog from my phone. Now I have to sit at a desk in a crowded room instead of roaming out there in the world, communicating as I go. So frustrating! Anyway, no-mo-phobia is a made up term to describe the anxious feeling you get when you lose your mobile phone. Get it? No Mobile Phobia?
I mean, it’s not like it’s an actual diagnosed condition, obviously. But I guarantee if you ask anyone that usually carries their mobile phone around with them, they’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to find my phone!
posted by Carlo
topic: Shop Talk
November 23, 2010
Shop Talk: What is Jailbreaking?
It’s the process of freeing someone from prison illegally, duh. Just kidding!
When talking about mobile technology, jailbreaking is a way to get your device to do something that the manufacturer didn’t want you to do. Usually, people jailbreak their phone in order to download programs that are unavailable to their phone the way it came when they bought it.
Although it is not illegal to jailbreak a phone, there are certain dangers. Firstly, it usually voids your warranty, so if something happens to your phone, the manufacturer doesn’t have to replace it. Secondly, the phone becomes much easier for hackers to break into whatever information you have on your mobile device.
So remember, cadets, take everything into consideration before meddling with the device’s innards!
posted by Carlo
topic: Shop Talk
October 20, 2010
Shop Talk: Mobile Phone Security
What’s going on, cadets? You know, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, or NCSAM (I’m using Officer Ward’s abbreviation), isn’t just about laptops and desktop computers. I mean, if you think about it, your mobile phone is nothing more than a tiny, less-powerful computer. This is especially true when you think about smart phones! They can send e-mails, they can surf the Web, and they can get really nasty viruses just like their bigger cousins.
So how do you protect your mobile phone? The first step is being careful. Don’t text or email anything private unless you’re absolutely certain the network you’re using is secure. If you’re using a smart phone, you can download anti-malware programs and even install a firewall to help keep your information safe. Even if you’re on the go, take the time to protect yourself! No one can do more to keep you safe than you can!
posted by Carlo
topic: Shop Talk
September 20, 2010
Shop Talk: Mobile Gaming
Mobile gaming is confusing. I mean, if I have a portable game system, isn’t that mobile gaming? Not according to most people in the industry, apparently! To them, mobile gaming refers to games that are played on devices like mobile phones, PDAs, and handheld computers. Okay…but say, for example, my laptop can run some pretty serious games and I take it on a walk with me. What if I sit down during that walk and power through a few levels of my favorite MMORPG? Aren’t I part of the mobile gaming community? Nope. This doesn’t make sense to me, honestly.
Anyway, mobile-phone based games are becoming more and more popular as the technology running these phones becomes more powerful. With higher screen resolution and processors built to handle more data, mobile games are starting to rival more traditional games. Personally, I like the idea of a phone/computer/video game system rolled up into one device. I just wish someone would come up with a better definition of what is and isn’t considered mobile gaming!
posted by Carlo
topic: Shop Talk
August 20, 2010
Mobile Devices: The Osborne 1
Imagine you want to go over to your buddy’s house and do homework together on your portable computer. You’d probably grab your laptop or your smart phone, throw it in a back pack, and go on your way like it was no big deal, right? Well if you were around in 1981, you’d be lucky if you could fit your “portable” computer in the trunk of a car! The first commercially successful portable computer was the Osborne 1. It was the size of a small suitcase and weighed just under 25 pounds! Imagine lugging that down the sidewalk to your friend’s house. Once you got there and opened that baby up, you’d have to do all your work on a lovely green and black five-inch screen. Luxurious, right?
I want to go back to the present!
posted by Carlo
topic: Mobile Devices
July 26, 2010
Mobile Devices: What is a Photophone?
So I was thinking – as long as we’re talking about old technology, let’s talk about REALLY old technology! I’m not talking about the 1980’s, I’m taking about the 1880’s and the first wireless phone call. Alexander Graham Bell didn’t just invent the telephone; he also invented something called the photophone (a.k.a. radiophone). While the telephone transmitted sound through electricity, a photophone sends sound through light!
Unfortunately for Bell, his photophone never caught on. Interference from things like weather and trees made reliable connectivity almost impossible. The wired telephone, on the other hand, wasn’t affected by these things. Communicating through light wouldn’t be reliable until the creation of fiber optic networks in the mid 20th century.
posted by Carlo
topic: Mobile Devices
June 9, 2010
Mobile Devices: What is an E-Reader?
E-readers are awesome! They’re basically like mp3 players for books! Imagine, instead of cramming your backpack full of novels, comic books or textbooks, you can just carry around a small, ultraportable computer with everything downloaded onto it. Some schools are even considering switching to electronic textbooks to cut down on costs and be more green.
The major downside to e-readers is that, though you buy the books, you can lose them pretty easily if you aren’t careful or if you switch e-readers. If you back them up on an external hard drive, however, you should be pretty safe. Oh! I almost forgot. If you have an electronic version of a book and the publisher decides to no longer offer it as an e-book, they can take your copy away.
Despite this, e-readers are a great way to enjoy books. I love using mine while working up a sweat on my stationary bike!