Kozminski Techblog

VPN – virtual private network, mostly used to encrypt and hide the user’s data while being connected to the internet. However nowadays it gained another use, which is bypassing region block.

Starting with watching movies, right now even the biggest streaming services like Netflix users don’t have an access to all the movies in their current region ex. “Forrest Gump” can be watched from UK, but not from Japan. And it changes overtime, so there is never certainty if a movie is gonna stay for long. One way is to buy multiple streaming services, but it still might not be enough, besides it is very unconvinient and makes more people consider piracy. VPN makes the process more convinient tricking the system by making it seem like the device is in a different place, where the desired content is licensed and could be watched. The process involves masking IP address of the device and redirecting it through the system at the location set with the VPN and assigning new IP address to match with said system.

Similar principle is followed with downloading games from a region, where it’s available and then switching back, however there is a risk involved, since it can be punished by the system if detected. The reason is that sometimes the prices differ with region and companies justify punishments it with that.

Finally, when I do think VPN is useful and has other uses than bypassing these blocks, it shouldn’t be that way. I find it unreasonable to pay for multiple services to watch a certain movie, or not having this availability at all in my country, or even having to pirate. Region block is very limiting, VPN helps but the problem shouldn’t be there in the first place.

Sources:
https://www.wizcase.com/blog/how-to-download-region-locked-games-from-anywhere/
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/vpn-endpoint-security-clients/what-is-vpn.html
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/small-business/resource-center/security/how-does-a-vpn-work.html

After the global pandemic started schools and universities were forced to switch to online learning. At that time it wasn’t certain if it would be better than lessons on campus, or even viable at all. However after 1.5 year seeing this in action, we can analyse if it was worth it.

While there are undoubtedly many advantages of this method of learning, such as easy access to all the materials from lessons, or availability to record them, so students can revisit them later if they missed something, or even the whole lesson. Nonetheless there are many more points against it. The interaction between students and lecturer is worse, there is nothing encouraging to learning, so without self-motivating it’s harder to take something from lessons. Furthermore, it makes cheating more appealing and easier.

There are also other aspects, other than efficiency of learning, that are damaged by online teaching. Students are forced to spend way more time in front of computer, and that may result in backache, bad eyesight and neck problems. Not only that, but without the need for going to campus, students go out less, and don’t socialize, as they would with learning in school.

In summary, online learning has some pros, mainly for availability and convenience, however in my opinion they don’t make up for cons, which affect students’ mental and physical health, and learning experience.

Article about online learning: https://www.educations.com/study-guides/study-online/#support
Sources: Personal experience

With an advancement of the technology there have been invented new ways how to secure data. Now apart from using passwords companies offer faster, more convinient ways to unlock an elecrtonic device. The two most important, and the focus of this post, are Face ID and Touch ID. Which one is more convinient, and which one is more secure?

Firstly let’s talk about convinience. In various situations either of this choices is better than another one, for example: after doing an exercise fingers are likely to be sweaty and won’t be able to unlock the device, however in the dark the face cannot be seen, so unlocking with face ID is not possible. So it basicly comes down to personal opinion and situation which is more convinient for each person.

Second thing, and arguably more important, is the security of the measures. In the article linked below, the author states that face ID is more secure, however in my opinion it is the opposite. It is stated by Apple, who developed these methods, that the chance for Iphone being unlocked by similar finger is 1/50’000, and 1/1’000’000 for similar face, although in reality there have been multiple unlocks by family members and faces that aren’t similar at all. Article also mentions that Face ID cannot be fooled by a picture or a video of a person, yet that also has been proven false by the hackers. It’s more difficult to do something like this for Touch ID, you’d have to either touch the device with a finger when the owner is sleeping, or 3D print it, which can be also done with a face and eye stickers.

In conclusion I believe touch ID proved to be more secure, while the convenience is about the same. The password is still the best option, but still, from these 2 options mentioned above, unlocking device with a finger is a better choice.

Article:https://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/apple-security-touch-id-vs-face-id/
Sources:https://www.nextgov.com/ideas/2019/12/fingerprint-login-should-be-secure-defence-our-data-most-us-dont-use-it-properly/161669/
https://phoenixcellular.com/news/face-id-vs-fingerprint/

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies had been on a market for a long time now. When the topic is brought up, most people think Bitcoin, unpredictability of these currencies, and that they are a great opportunity to get rich fast. However almost none of these people know what cryptocurrencies even are, and yet some of them still try to invest using tips from the internet.

In the text linked below it’s said that decentalized nature of cryptocurrencies make the investor more in control, because there is no 3rd party like government involved the profits won’t be subrtacted by them. However that is not enough to compansate how it is impossible to predict price of ex. Bitcoin, and basicaly no one has any control of a price. Article also mentions limited supply of cryptocurrencies, and how that makes purchasing power increase over time. But that doesn’t mean profit for investors if price dies down completely, which can happen anytime. Another thing said in article is how secure they can be and safe to trade thanks to being open-source. That is however not true, hackers steal cryptocurrencies all the time and one safe way is to store them on a remote drive, which can be easly lost. Next it is mentioned how good investment it is in a long run investment, and the wait will pay off eventually, in real life however almost 20% of cryptocurrencies are completely forgotten, which makes them worth 0$, and the price can easily go either up or down.

All mentioned above in my opinion makes it not worth to invest in cryptocurrencies, they are even riskier than stock market, and sometimes don’t even provide more profit. Esspecially if it is done by people who don’t know what they are playing with.

links:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/spotlight/top-5-reasons-to-invest-in-cryptocurrency/articleshow/85798564.cms

In the article linked below, the author states that delivery drones are going to be used in delivery in 2020. Right now it is almost 2022 and delivery drones still appear to be far away from us. But in my opinion, even in early 2020, which is when the article was written, there was no doubt, that drones would not be used as the author of the text imagined.

Firstly the author recognises possible challenges for the drones to overcome, like collisions with other aircrafts like helicopters, and then gives the solution, which is the fact, that all aircrafts have to broadcast their current position in real time using radio. However the biggest obstacle aren’t other flying machines, but laws and legal difficulities.

There are multiple regulations on how drones should behave in air, where they can fly or land. The author fails to mention that there is a need for a human to pilot the drone, furthermore, it has to be in pilot’s eyesight which limits the distance it can travel to just 1/2 of a mile. Laws regarding drones tend to change often, and vary in different countries. What’s more, said pilot has to get special licence to be able to legally pilot a drone. As author states, there are companies, that are doing drone delivery for some time now, but it is limited to few countries, and even in there it is only done in just few places which are close to these companies’ drone stations.

With this information in mind, I don’t think the drones are going to take a big part in delivery industry soon, maybe never. There are just too many legal issues to overcome, and it is not worth it for companies to invest money and time for project, which might not be avalible for mass public in every corner of the world.

The article: https://spectrum.ieee.org/us-commercial-drone-deliveries-will-finally-be-a-thing-in-2020

Drone laws and issues https://jrupprechtlaw.com/drone-delivery/