You're not supposed to know about them either.
But it shows that after all the trouble you take to secure your phone, your messages can be easily read.
What exactly does Syniverse do?
It routes the billions of messages sent out every day between the telecom companies.
Practically every telecom company in the world is a customer.
And here's the enormity of the problem.
The company was hacked back in 2016. The hackers made inroads deep into the company's network and watched without their presence being detected.
For nearly 5 years.
That puts a completely different spin on things because it means that it's not enough for the phone or even the telecom network to put all security protocols in place because a trusted source in the middle has been hacked.
From the point of view of the hackers, it's a genius move.
They found the soft underbelly they could crawl into and keep tabs on just about anything they wanted to.
This is a major issue because it means that security issues are cropping up in a chain where neither the telecom provider or its customers had no clue that the messages are exposed.
It's a bit like a showroom having all kinds of security in place but the vendor delivering the goods makes off with the money.
And frankly, one wonders how far this whole chain can be protected. And whether there's any point at all.
Like hospital gowns that provide a modest cover in front. But the backend is another story!
What to look for in earphones
Before the pandemic, there was a small set of people who were hooked to music and podcasts on headphones and earphones.
But ever since video calls and online classes became the norm, the numbers floating around the house exploded.
In India, brands like Boat and Noise have experienced a sudden surge in popularity - to the extent that they're now signing up celebrities to endorse them.
Always a sign that people aren't interested so much in the technical details as much as the people who promote them.
The Sound Guys are coming at it from another angle and the arguments are persuasive.
Apart from the sound quality, they suggest that you pay particular attention to the way the in-ear earphones fit your ears.
Why is this important?
The better the fit, the less leakage and you don't need to raise the volume beyond safe limits.
And when you're listening to conversations or music or podcasts, the volume level is insanely important. Especially when it amounts to several hours of listening every day.
It's like a direct feed right into your ears and if you can hear perfectly with a snug fit at low volumes, your ears should be protected for a lot longer.
They suggest that you experiment with a good seal that fits your ears perfectly. It may have to do with brand or with the in-ear options you have to try to find what works best for you.
Next time, don't look for the bass quality alone - the snug fit will matter a lot more in the long run.
Is it easier to motivate educated people?
Or is it easier to educate doers?
That's the question asked in a tweet, and it got a lot of people fired up.
Let's accept that there are people who simply get out there and do things.
Tanya Elizabeth Ken is a doer. She worked with a group of girls from a slum when she was 10 years old. Later, the group created an app, Baton, to keep track of volunteer projects that had moved ahead but were stuck in limbo.
Most volunteers stayed with a project for 3-6 months. Then, a couple of years later, another set of volunteers start work on the same problem because there is no way for them to know that another group had already made progress. Baton connected similar projects.
Like a relay race, the app enabled successive NGO teams to advance projects to the next level. Take the learnings from one and add them for the next team to advance solutions.
Simple idea but it had not occurred to anyone until then.
In 2019, it won the Technovation prize in a global competition.
And coming back to where this post started, doers don't wait for motivation or the right time or even the right set of circumstances.
There are several educated, well-qualified people who dream of doing things. But getting down to doing is another thing altogether.
Tanya Ken did not need any prodding. She started off early. The education helped but she was more interested in converting her idea into a project that would help her and all the teams that followed.
Every week, I'll plant a few ideas in your mind on branding, behavior and markets. Triggers for your thoughts. Spread the word to your friends. All you have to do is click the link and enter an email address.
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