Update Windows 10 Immediately, Warns Microsoft Users

Microsoft is sounding a red alert to Windows 10 users, warning them to update their operating systems immediately.

The company, in a blog post on Tuesday, warned of two “critical” vulnerabilities that rival the previous “BlueKeep” crisis. As with that bug, the new issues are described as “wormable,” meaning hackers could use them to spread malware from one machine to another without any interaction from the user.

Microsoft said, so far, it has no evidence that the vulnerabilities were known to any third parties. “It is important that affected systems are patched as quickly as possible because of the elevated risks associated with wormable vulnerabilities like these,” said Simon Pope, Microsoft’s director of Incident Response. “Customers who have automatic updates enabled are automatically protected by these fixes.”

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If you don’t have automatic updates enabled, you can search for the patch by typing “Windows Update” in the search bar from the system’s start menu search bar.

The comparisons to BlueKeep underscore how serious Microsoft is taking these security flaws. That flaw was deemed so serious that the National Security Agency got involved to warn people to update their systems.

PLEASE DO IT NOW. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TO UPDATE YOUR WINDOWS.

How to Check for and Install Windows Updates

Checking for and installing Windows updates, like service packs and other patches and major updates, is a necessary part of running any Windows operating system.

Windows updates can support your Windows installation in many ways. Windows updates can solve specific problems with Windows, provide protection from malicious attacks, or even add new features to the operating system.

How to Check for and Install Windows Updates

Windows updates are most easily installed using the Windows Update service. While you could certainly download updates manually from Microsoft’s servers, updating via Windows Update is considerably easier to do.

The Windows Update service has changed over the years as Microsoft released new versions of Windows. While Windows updates used to be installed by visiting the Windows Update website, newer versions of Windows include a special built-in Windows Update feature with more options.

Below is the best way to check for, and install, Windows updates for windows 10. This process is critical as Microsoft has warned all windows 10 users to update till August 2019 to prevent a serious hacking issue. 

Check for and Install Updates in Windows 10

Windows Update checking for updates in Windows 10

In Windows 10, Windows Update is found within Settings.

To get there, select the Start menu, followed by the gear/settings icon to the left. In there, choose Update & Security and then Windows Update on the left.

In Windows 10, downloading and installing updates is automatic and will happen immediately after checking or, with some updates, at a time when you’re not using your computer.
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More on Installing Windows Updates

The Windows Update service isn’t the only way to install Windows updates. As mentioned above, updates to Windows can also be downloaded individually from the Microsoft Download Center and then installed manually.

33% of People Are Now Using Voice Assistants Regularly. Are you one of Them?

In a new report, eMarketer declares the use of voice assistants has reached a “critical mass.”

Voice assistant use in 2019 is up 9.5% over last year. By comparison, the use of voice assistants grew 27% in 2018 and 24% in 2017.

So voice assistant use is still growing, but at a more modest pace than in previous years.

It’s estimated that 111.8 million people in the US will use a voice assistant at least monthly this year. That represents 39.4% of US internet users and 33.8% of the overall population.

By 2021 it’s expected that the number of US voice assistant users will reach 122.7 million, which represents 36.6% of the US population.

33% of People Are Now Using Voice Assistants Regularly

To no surprise, more people are using voice assistants on smartphones compared to smart speakers. However, the use of voice assistants on smart speakers is on the rise.

eMarketer estimates that 77 million users in the US will use smart speakers this year. That number is expected to grow to 88 million in 2021.

According to a study conducted last year, people who own smart speakers frequently utilize the built-in voice assistant.

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The study says 32% of people own a smart speaker, and 71% of those people use voice commands every day.

Looking ahead, integration with more devices is what will fuel voice assistant growth in the coming years.

Voice assistants continue to be integrated with other technology such as cars, wearables, connected TVs, appliances, and other smart home devices.

The most common tasks performed by voice assistants include getting directions, making phone calls, listening to music, and finding nearby stores.

Gains And Dangers Of 5G Mobile Communication

The tech world has over the years seen an improvement in applications and codes created for use in a world that has more than ever accepted the reality brought by this phenomenon.

5G, a new generation of mobile radio communications, where the millimeter-wave spectrum is harnessed for faster data speed comes under the spotlight as researchers and industry players disagree on its effect on human lives.

With the switch from 4G to 5G communication network already taking place in some countries, researchers are calling on the world health organization to classify mobile communications as a category one cancer-causing substance, a stand industry players disagree with.

A world bank study in 2011 said: “over the last few years, there has been mounting concern about the possibility of adverse health effects resulting from exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by wireless communication devices”. Similarly, a 2018 NTP report concluded that “exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) may have caused tumors in the skin and lungs of male mice and malignant lymphomas in female mice”. The report added that for CDMA-modulated RFR “exposure to RFR may have caused tumors in the liver of male mice and malignant lymphomas in female mice”.

However, despite these findings, industry players believe the switch to 5G mobile communication network comes with little or no increase in the exposure levels of RFR to humans and animals.

Jane Egerton-Idehen, a telecoms expert, said “between 5g, 4g, 3g we haven’t changed the power levels. Maybe we have changed the spectrum or the bands at which we are transmitting, we haven’t changed the power level”.

“Once you increase the power, then, of course, you are transmitting at a higher frequency and that becomes problematic. But if you haven’t changed the power level, you only changed the frequencies, I don’t see how that health effect will come to play”, she said.

Speaking on changes that the mobile communication sector will witness when the switch takes place, a 5G Networks expert, Kwame Opoku, posited that “averagely, we have had about a 100 megabytes per second with 4G. In Africa, it’s a bit low, but globally it is about 100. Even with 4G, we have not fully achieved it’s full potential

“5G is promising 1.4 gigabytes of internet upload and download speed. What this means is that if you are downloading a 1gigabyte movie, you’ll download it in one second” stressing that “that is absolutely unheard of”.

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He further maintains that the switch to 5G “will shift the entire global economy into a very different trajectory because of the internet of things”.

With the internet of things, smart homes and even cities becoming en vogue, other issues are being thrown up. for example, how secure can one operate within this space? A cybersecurity expert, Kunle Oloruntimehin, says standards set by globally recognized online security organizations must be strictly adhered to for safety.

“Bodies like the 3GPP have put together standards to drive security around 5G. The GSM operators, GSM vendors, and device manufacturers are aligning to these different security frameworks to make sure it does work” he added.

Though Nigeria cannot boast of fully implementing the 4G networks at the moment, it may one day and also move to the 5G afterward. Hopefully, before then there will be a definitive agreement on how much danger the 5G poses.

How to Do Technical SEO for Ecommerce Websites

Ecommerce is one of the fastest growing sectors and is often perceived to be dominated by the likes of Amazon and Walmart.

However, with appropriate marketing strategies, small ecommerce websites can also get their fair share of customers.

That’s where technical SEO comes in. It is crucial for improving your online store’s searchability.

Here are 12 technical SEO tips that will help increase your web traffic and generate more sales.

1. Don’t Miss Out on Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords may not attract more traffic, but they do have higher conversion rates as they allow you to understand the consumer intent correctly.

For example, a keyword such as “maternity yoga pants” rather than simply “pants” clearly shows what a consumer wants.

You have plenty of opportunities to use long-tail keywords in titles, meta descriptions, and product description.

Think about the various search phrases people may use to find a specific product. They will help identify the best suitable long-tail keywords.

You can use tools such as Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Google Trends for this.

2. Use Unique Title & Meta Descriptions

Create unique titles and meta descriptions for each product page. Try to include the relevant long-tail keyword in both the title and the meta description.

Make your meta descriptions as attractive as possible to encourage users to check out the product page.

For example, “Maternity Yoga Pants – best deals, big discounts, and free shipping on all orders. Order Now!” would be a fitting meta description for a maternity yoga pants page.

Ask your developer to insert such unique titles and meta descriptions dynamically into every page.

3. Check the Site Structure

The site structure should make the content easily accessible to visitors. Keep important pages no more than three clicks away from the home page.

The ideal site structure should be:

Homepage > Categories > Subcategories > Products

You can avoid adding subcategories in smaller sites. Make sure each product belongs to only one category or subcategory.

Similarly, your URL structure should also be clear and consistent.

  • Good URL: www.example.com/brand/category/product_name
  • Bad URL: www.example.com/brand/nsalkjdhsfha

For example, if you are selling a Samsung Galaxy M30 smartphone, the URL should be:

www.example.com/samsung/smartphone/Galaxy-M30 ‎

or

www.example.com/Smartphone/SamsungGalaxy-M30 ‎

However, try to keep the URL length under 160 characters.

4. Use Canonical Tags

Sometimes, large ecommerce sites have product pages reachable from multiple categories. Such situations often lead to different URLs with the same content.

To avoid this, use a canonical tag. This simple HTML element will tell the search engine which version of the URL should be crawled and shown in the search results.

You should proactively use the canonical tag on the homepage as homepage duplicates are quite common in ecommerce sites.

5. Improve Your Crawl Budget

The number of pages on your site which Google search bots will crawl on any given day is your crawl budget.

Low crawl budget can lead to indexing issues affecting your search rankings. Owing to their large size, most ecommerce websites have to optimize their crawl budget.

You can use the Google Search Console to check your crawl budget.

To improve your crawl budget:

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  • Optimize your overall link structure.
  • Increase the number of backlinks.
  • Remove duplicate content.
  • Fix broken links.
  • Update your sitemap regularly.

6. Crawl the Website to Identify & Fix Link Issues

You can use tools such as Screaming Frog, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and DeepCrawl to identify and fix a variety of HTTP error issues including:

  • 3XX redirection errors.
  • 4XX Client errors.
  • 5XX server errors.

You can also identify duplicate or missing page titles, image alt text, H1 tags, or meta descriptions using this crawl.

7. Optimize UX for the Mobile-First Index

The UX in the age of the mobile-first index is a critical SEO factor. Make sure your website has a user-friendly UX that will allow visitors to find products and make online transactions easily.

You must include appropriate graphics, images, animations, and call-to-actions wherever necessary.

Ask your developer to design the site based on the mobile-first index as it will make the mobile version the primary one for indexing. This is important considering 52.2% of all website traffic worldwide came through mobile in 2018.

8. Optimize Images with Alt Text

Images are a critical element in an ecommerce site. All images must have an alt text that provides a clear description.

For example, a blue colored maternity yoga pants image should have the alt text, “blue maternity yoga pant by [brand name].”

Always use descriptive alt text. Customers, not just bots, will read the same information in case the image fails to load.

Screen readers will use this info to tell visually impaired shoppers about the image.

9. Redirect Out-of-Stock Product Pages

Most online stores have a few pages with out-of-stock products.

Although taking such pages down is the usual norm, doing so can lead to a 404 error, which in turn, can negatively affect your search results. Besides, most visitors find the 404 error annoying.

Instead, you can redirect the URL to the next most relevant page. If the product is gone for good, use the 301 (permanent) redirect. If not, you can use the 302 redirect, allowing Google to continue indexing the URL.

10. Create Unique Product Page Content

Apart from creating duplicate content issues, using a slam-dunk copy of the manufacturer’s product description will also affect the overall user experience.

While keeping it unique, try to use a more conversational and enticing tone throughout the content.

You should also avoid creating duplicate content by mistake. Use canonicalization to avoid such issues.

If you have a large number of product pages, focus on creating unique content for the ones that generate a lot of traffic. However, remember to use the “noindex” tag for pages without unique content.

11. Optimize New Product Pages

You will need to add new product pages frequently. When doing so, make sure to adhere to your optimization practices.

Add appropriate long-tail keywords in the titles, meta descriptions, H1, alt text, URL structure, and the content, among other things.

Try to include unique content to avoid duplication issues. Be sure the new page has the same level of optimization as the rest of your site.

12. Use the Latest Technology

Always use the latest technology to protect your online store from potential crashes or cyber hacks. It will also help improve your site indexing and search results.

For example, Magento 2 has a better source code than Magento 1, making it easier to index a Magento 2-based website.

In addition to this, make sure to update every single plugin, add on, shopping cart, and security patch regularly.

Wrapping Up

Ecommerce sites need to consider several aspects of technical SEO.

The key here is to identify and resolve the SEO-related issues right there and then to avoid disastrous consequences in the long run.

Hopefully, the 12 essentials mentioned in this checklist will prove to be great starting points to get your technical ecommerce SEO in order.

Give them a try and see if your website will drive more sales conversions.

Whatsapp and Instagram to get NEW NAMES

Facebook is changing the name of Instagram and WhatsApp

Sources claim both apps will be re-branded by Facebook

Facebook-owned apps
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Facebook confirmed that it’s changing the name of its two most popular apps, Instagram and WhatsApp, to better disclose its ownership of the apps. Soon, Instagram will be known as “Instagram from Facebook” while WhatsApp will become “WhatsApp from Facebook.”

The re-branding effort was discovered on Friday by journalists at The Information and was then confirmed by representatives of Facebook.

“We want to be clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook,” a spokesperson told The Information. Sources told the publication that they were recently notified of the changes and appear to be coming as a result of antitrust regulators scrutinizing the company’s holdings.

According to those sources, the app’s name will stay the same on the home screen of your phone and tablet, however their names will change in the App Store for people first downloading them – a move the company has previously made with its virtual reality-focused sub-division, Oculus.

Was the writing on the (Facebook) Wall?

A number of outlets are pointing out that this re-branding effort has been a long time coming – in fact, blogger Jane Manchun Wong tweeted about it back in March, just a few months after the founders of the company resigned citing a decreasing lack of autonomy.

While it’s unclear if the move is a government mandate from the FTC – an entity that, according to The Wall Street Journal, was investigating Facebook’s acquisition of the companies in a potential antitrust case – it appears to be connected.

Admittedly, Facebook doesn’t stand much to gain by putting its name on the apps: It’s already a household name, and one that has become associated with privacy scandals. Putting Facebook’s name on its two most popular apps certainly won’t make those apps any more popular than they are already and could possibly cause users to be more wary about the security and privacy of those apps.

Facebook has yet to say when the changes will go into effect, however, we’ll continue to monitor the situation as it develops.

Techradar

Turn your TV (Any TV) into a SMART TV

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You know these days, technology wants to fall our hand—-Talking about Smart TV, Ultraslim, UltraHD, etc while I am still rocking my 32 inches LED TV at home because I just bought it last year. In fact, I am sure some of you are still enjoying your LCD TV or even BOX TV–(Nah wah for you oh).

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The real deal is that you do not need to spend 500,000 Naira to buy UltraHD or Ultraslim smart TVs anymore. Even your BOX TV can become a smart TV.

This TV Player attaches to your TV HDMI port and starts to work magic. You can watch movies from a Hard Drive directly plugged to the device or you can even load the movies into the 32GB storage space inside the device. As if that is not enough, the device is fully android so you can download android applications to stream tv series, movies and live football matches (this one sweet me well well), music videos on youtube (watch brodashaggy on tv) and other video sites. The device can play anything with the help of VLC player which you can download and install on it form the Google Play Store.

Your TV will be able to do anything your android phone can do. Stream movies online, browse the internet, connect to WIFI via Network port or wireless and play any type of media. Watch movies on NETFLIX via their android app. For those of you that do DSTV Extra view, you are just wasting money. This BOX is your savior.

 

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