Author: jefhild

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Caring for a Christmas Tree Farm

Happy family, man and two children with Christmas tree on fir tree cutting plantation. Preschool girl, kid boy and father choosing, cut and felling own xmas tree in forest, tradition in Germany.

Caring for a Christmas tree farm requires careful planning, regular maintenance, and adherence to best practices. Here are some key guidelines to consider:

  1. Site Selection: Choose a suitable location for your Christmas tree farm. Consider factors such as soil type, drainage, slope, and access to sunlight. Conduct soil tests to assess pH levels and nutrient content, ensuring they are appropriate for tree growth.
  2. Tree Species Selection: Select tree species that are well-suited to your local climate, soil conditions, and market demand. Common Christmas tree species include Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Balsam fir, Colorado blue spruce, and Norway spruce. Research the growth characteristics and market preferences for different species before planting.
  3. Soil Preparation: Prepare the soil before planting by removing weeds, rocks, and other debris. Consider tilling the soil or using appropriate cultivation methods to improve drainage and root penetration. Amend the soil as needed based on soil test results and incorporate organic matter to enhance fertility.
  4. Planting: Plant the trees at the appropriate spacing and depth, following the recommended guidelines for the selected species. Pay attention to proper handling and planting techniques to ensure optimal root establishment. Water the newly planted trees thoroughly and apply mulch around the base to conserve moisture and suppress weed growth.
  5. Weed Control: Implement effective weed control measures to minimize competition for nutrients, water, and sunlight. Mulching around the base of the trees helps to suppress weeds. Regular mowing or cultivation between rows can also help manage weed growth.
  6. Irrigation: Monitor and provide adequate water to the trees, especially during dry periods. Irrigation systems like drip irrigation or sprinklers can help ensure uniform water distribution. Avoid overwatering, as it can lead to root rot or other diseases.
  7. Pest and Disease Management: Implement integrated pest management (IPM) practices to monitor and manage pests and diseases. Regularly scout for signs of insect damage, fungal infections, or other diseases. Consider cultural practices such as proper tree spacing, good airflow, and regular pruning to minimize disease occurrence. Use organic or approved synthetic pesticides only when necessary and following label instructions.
  8. Pruning: Regularly prune the trees to shape them and improve density. Pruning helps promote desired growth characteristics, enhances tree aesthetics, and allows better light penetration and air circulation. Prune selectively, removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches.
  9. Nutrient Management: Monitor tree nutrient needs through soil testing and leaf analysis. Apply fertilizers or organic amendments as recommended to maintain proper nutrient levels. Consider using slow-release or organic fertilizers to minimize nutrient leaching and promote long-term soil health.
  10. 10.Harvesting and Marketing: Plan the harvest and marketing of your trees strategically. Understand market demands, tree sizes preferred by consumers, and pricing strategies. Harvest trees at the appropriate maturity to ensure quality and freshness. Provide a positive customer experience through well-organized sales areas, friendly staff, and clear pricing and signage.

Regular record-keeping, ongoing education, and staying updated on the latest research and industry practices are also essential for the successful management of a Christmas tree farm. Local agricultural extension services or Christmas tree grower associations can be valuable resources for guidance and support.

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10 ways to protect your personal information from AI

AI Protection

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly powerful tool that is being used by companies and governments around the world to process and analyze vast amounts of data. While AI can be used for many beneficial purposes, such as medical research and fraud detection, it also has the potential to be misused or to infringe on our privacy.

  1. Use a VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) is a tool that encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address, making it more difficult for AI to track your online activities or identify your location. By using a VPN, you can protect your online privacy and prevent data breaches.
  2. Be Careful What You Share Online: One of the easiest ways for AI to collect personal information is through social media platforms and other online services. Be careful about what you share online, including sensitive information such as your full name, address, or phone number.
  3. Use Strong Passwords: AI can be used to crack weak passwords, so it’s essential to use strong, complex passwords for all your online accounts. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.
  4. Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an extra layer of security that requires you to enter a code or use a biometric factor in addition to your password to access your accounts. This can help protect your personal information from AI.
  5. Keep Your Software Up to Date: Keeping your software up to date is essential to protect against security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by AI. Make sure to regularly update your operating system, web browser, and other software to the latest version.
  6. Limit the Information You Provide: When creating accounts or filling out forms online, only provide the minimum amount of information required, and avoid giving out sensitive information such as your social security number or financial details.
  7. Be Cautious About Public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi networks can be insecure and are often targeted by hackers and AI tools. Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive activities such as online banking or shopping, and if you do need to use public Wi-Fi, use a VPN to protect your personal information.
  8. Use Anti-Malware Software: Malware and viruses can be used by AI to collect personal information from your device. Use anti-malware software to scan your device regularly and remove any malicious software.
  9. Be Cautious About Emails and Messages: Phishing attacks are a common method used by hackers and AI to collect personal information. Be cautious about emails and messages that ask you to provide sensitive information or click on links.
  10. Read Privacy Policies Carefully: When using online services or apps, make sure to read the privacy policies carefully. Look for details about what information is collected, how it’s used, and whether it’s shared with third parties. If you’re not comfortable with the terms, consider using a different service or app.
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Don’t Post Kids’ Privacy Away

Little girl in the yellow coat with umbrella in the dark forest at night. Homage to Little Red Riding Hood

Your infant grandson sitting on the (endlessly patient) family dog. His older sister’s kindergarten portrait. The giddy dance they perform every time you play “Yellow Submarine.” They’re all moments you cherish and want to remember. And you know your friends would love them, too. So you do what so many of us do now. You share them. Not just with your closest confidants, but with hundreds of “friends” and countless people you’ll never meet.

Those sweet faces, oblivious to the insatiable hunger of our social media feeds, are also data. Bits of information to be sold, bought, and built into profiles that billion-dollar corporations use to hone their algorithms and perfect their advertising.

This is the information economy, built on tracking our online movements and gathering clues about who we are, how we live, and what we value. As adults, we began participating in this economy as soon as we opened our first email account, ordered a book from Amazon, and posted a shot of our outstretched legs on a sandy beach. We made that choice, even if we didn’t realize then just how much we were giving away in exchange for convenience and connections.

But are we making that choice for our kids and grandkids, too? Are we unwittingly shoving them into this new reality—where every click and image is recorded and analyzed—without their consent? Is that fair?

Big Tech runs on the personal information—the data—we feed it. With it, developers and engineers shape our world. The apps we use, websites we visit, ads we see—they’re all built on our data. Because of that, the companies behind those services and products know a whole lot about us. Governments, which acquire much of that data for their own purposes, do as well.

Where that leaves us is anybody’s guess. We’re the guinea pigs in a worldwide, multi-generational experiment that is far from over. But we should leave our kids out of it. At the very least, we should respect them enough to let them decide if they want to participate.

By sharing photos of their first lost tooth and new birthday dress, we’re handing over their personal information—their age, their preferences, their faces, their anonymity—to Big Tech.  All before they have any idea what we’re taking from them.

Don’t love your kids and grandkids any less. Snap all the photos of them you can. But think twice before posting those images. Behind those smiles is information, and it’s not entirely yours to share.

Reprinted with permission from PrivacyParent.com

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Five Easy & Important Tech Resolutions

New year 2023 with work plan

Every year we make New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes we succeed, often we don’t. Either way, resolutions can be useful. They indicate an awareness that something about the way we live needs to change. For many of us, the way we use technology—smartphones, fitness trackers, social media—needs to change. So here are a handful of resolutions aimed at improving our relationship with tech. They’ve got two things going for them: they’re important and they’re easy to achieve.

  1. Delete old apps. It’s not just the apps you use that soak up your data. Long-ignored and dormant apps—even if they’re closed—are still gathering information and conveying it to the companies that operate them. If there’s an app on your phone  you haven’t used in a month, you probably don’t need it. Delete it. As a bonus, with fewer apps junking up your phone, it will probably work better.
  2. Turn off voice assistants like Siri and Google assist. Yes, they’re listening to you. Are they recording what you say? Sometimes. Are Apple and Google using your voice commands for their benefit? Definitely. What’s in it for you? Not a lot. Turn them off.
  3. Set your social media accounts to private. Instagram has a private setting. So do Facebook and the others. Use them. If you’re going to use social media, keep your posts visible only to the people to whom you’re directly connected.
  4. Try enjoying being disconnected. Be happy you missed that event everyone’s posting about and went for a walk in the woods with a friend instead. Embrace JOMO. The Joy Of Missing Out. You’ll be happy you did.
  5. Don’t use public WiFi. You’re working in a coffee shop and in need of a WiFi signal. Be careful. Public WiFi networks are notoriously vulnerable to hackers and “man in the middle” attacks. Instead, use an LTE signal or, better yet, buy a VPN from a trusted provider like Datacappy VPN with an integrated, ad-blocking browser.

Reprinted with permission from privacyparent.com

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Is Alexa listening to me?

Smart Home Devices

Alexa is an Amazon Echo-based smart home device that is capable of hearing a variety of voice commands. These commands are then sent to the Alexa app and its various capabilities. It is similar to an iPhone Siri, Android’s Google Now and other such digital assistants. The use of AI makes it extremely accurate at understanding natural speech and making sense of it. Because Alexa works with third-party devices, manufacturers are free to integrate their devices into Alexa’s ecosystem as well. That means anyone who has an Echo speaker can add their smart home product or gadget to Alexa’s deck. As a result, some users have been alarmed by what Alexa can hear as well as how they have to protect their privacy while using the smart home assistant. In this article, we take a look at what is Alexa and how you can improve your privacy in order to reduce the potential for any eavesdropping or recording with your voice device.

What is Alexa?

Alexa is a smart home service that is powered by Artificial Intelligence. It is also known as the Amazon Echo. The voice-activated device was launched as a smart home hub by the e-commerce giant in 2014. The company expanded its range of products with Alexa-enabled speakers, alarm clocks, and other home appliances. The hub allows users to interact with their connected devices, such as lights, music systems, and appliances. It also supports skills, which are third-party applications that provide specific functionalities.

Can Alexa Record Your Voice?

That depends… Technically yes. Samplings of your conversation can be and have been listened to by Amazon employees. But, this is illegal in many countries and Amazon claims they don’t allow eavesdropping. It claims to be: an assistant. As such, it does not take your voice as a source to be used. It only acts upon the information that is streamed through the app. – Alexa is not a microphone. It has a specific set of algorithms that enable it to receive commands and translate them into action. This includes voice recognition that translates speech streams into text and then sends it to the app.

How to Improve Privacy With Alexa

There are several ways in which you can improve your privacy with Alexa. Let’s take a closer look at them. – Use a headset – This is a simple but effective way to improve your privacy. This is because the Echo device only captures the sound that comes through the microphone. It does not record your voice. Hence, it is not affected by the same. This means that the only voice that gets recorded is the one coming through the headset. – Use a PIN code and Turn microphone off Button – If you want extra protection, you can use a PIN code to access Alexa’s functions. The PIN code should be entered before each use as it prevents the device from accessing certain information in the cloud. It also locks your privacy by blocking every command. This is because Alexa does not store your voice. Hence, it does not record it. You can also use the mute button to mute Alexa when it is not being used. – Use a different Echo device – Another way to improve your privacy with Alexa is to use a different Echo device. This is because the hub collects data from all the Echo devices that are connected to it. Meanwhile, your voice will only be sent to the microphone on the new device.

Protecting Your Privacy with a PIN Code and Turn microphone off Button

These are two simple steps that will ensure complete protection with Alexa. Here is how they work. – Use a PIN code – The PIN code is a unique four-digit code that you can use to access Alexa. This code should be entered before each use, which means that the device can only read and record your voice. However, it is not able to access any of the data stored in the cloud. – Switch off the microphone – The microphone on the Echo device is only active when it receives commands from the Alexa app. That is why it is turned off when not being used. The only sound that gets recorded is the sound that comes through the microphone. Switching it off will mute Alexa.

FAQs

Q: Is Alexa listening to everything that I say? A: No. Alexa only acts upon the information streamed from the app. Hence, it does not take your voice as a source to record. Q: Can I use Alexa in 2 rooms? A A: No. It is a single-room device. However, you can use an auxiliary device with a mic to connect it to the Echo. This is because the main device is only working as a hub that connects the device with the cloud. Q: Can Alexa read out what I am writing in Word? A: No. The hub reads out text but not other documents. These are some of the common questions and concerns regarding Alexa. If you still have some questions, drop us an email. We would be happy to help you out!

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What is a Tracking Cookie?

A tracking cookie is a small piece of text that is placed in a file on your computer by a website you visit. It allows the website to recognise your computer as you navigate the site.

Tracking cookies are used by websites to help them improve the user experience by providing site operators with information about how visitors use their websites. For example, a tracking cookie may record your browser type, the sites you have visited, and the ads you have viewed or clicked on.

Tracking cookies may be used for targeted marketing.

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What is a VPN?


VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and is a technology that allows you to encrypt your internet connection so that you can safely do things like banking or paying bills online without anyone being able to see your activity or identity.

A VPN is basically a tunnel that runs over the internet and allows you to send and receive data as if you are connected to a private network. When you connect to a VPN, all of your internet traffic is routed through this private tunnel so that no one can monitor or trace your activity.

When using a VPN, your data is securely encrypted and hidden from prying eyes on the outside world. In addition, activities such as online shopping, game-playing, banking, using public Wi-Fi hotspots and sharing personal information in emails with third parties are also shielded from hackers and thieves who are trying to steal your identity or money. Therefore, for all of these reasons, it’s wise to use a VPN regardless of where you are connecting from.

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Who is this guy?

Only a few years ago “Musk” was a bad perfume (and some would say it still is). It’s now almost impossible to list the innovations associated with the name “Musk”. But like the laundry list of other brands that have transformed from “good” too “bad”, Elon and his Twitter purchase risk a similar fate. Yet again, he never ceases to surprise… And you can ask a lot of institutional investors, it can be costly to bet against him.

So what to make of this Twitter purchase? Dorsey seems on board. Is it a caprice of the ultra-wealthy? The mainstream media seems to think so. Is there some innovative vision behind the purchase? His fan club is on-board. Are there integration possibilities, us commoners refuse to see? A Twitter-SpaceX-Boring Phone? Maybe more profoundly, what impact will his purchase have on privacy and ultimately free speech?

The response to this question is more clear. Instead of leaving the rules for this public-square moderation in the hands of a “corporation”, they’re moving firmly into the hands of an “individual”. One thing that would dull the fear of so much influence resting in the hands of Musk, would be to open-source the algorithms that drive’s Twitter’s success.

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Protect Your Digits

Modern criminal stealing with cellphone.

Protect your phone number and protect yourself. If a form on a website asks for it, think twice before typing it in. The more widely distributed your phone number is, the easier it is for companies to track your behavior online and serve up ads to you. And because your phone number is so closely tied to your identity, it’s a prize for hackers, too. Keep it close and protect yourself. If your kids have phones, they need to keep those numbers closer.

It seems innocuous. At the end of a transaction, a company asks for personal information such as your phone number or email address. While federal regulations prohibit soliciting phone numbers via autodialers, loopholes remain. Experts say if you give your phone number out, it will inevitably end up in a database of some sort—just another bit of their vast data collection efforts. Once that happens, an untold number of companies can use it to track you across the internet.

What Will They Do With My Number? 

Even if your number is on the Do Not Call list, businesses have the right to call you for 180 days after your transaction due to a “business relationship” exemption. (In this case, it must be a human calling rather than an automated machine which is more costly for the company.)  Additionally, there is no restriction on the number of times a business can text you even if you’re on the Do Not Call list. Lastly, companies outside the United States are not bound by these federal laws against automated calls and messages. This means that a company in India is free to call and text you frequently if you give their company your number.  The better option: Don’t let them have it. Protect your phone number.

Hacking’s Worse Than Tracking

That’s annoying. Worse, though, is when a hacker finds your phone number. Because banks and billing services use your phone number to verify your identity, it’s a useful valuable piece of information. In some ways, it’s a key. One of several, usually, but an important one. For that reason, too, you want to avoid sharing your number online.

There are instances in which can’t avoid it. If you pay bills online, you’ll likely have to enter your phone number. Not ideal, but if it’s a secure site that has your number, it’s probably not worth worrying about now. More worrisome are the single-use forms, services, quizzes and games that seem to fill the internet. If there’s any way you can, protect your phone number.

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Big Tech: Kids and Big Brother

Vector cartoon stick figure drawing conceptual illustration of man with mobile phone followed and controlled by government secret service agents or spies. Concept of privacy.

Here’s a hard truth for parents: Big Tech knows more about your kids than you do. 

Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter and so many more are vacuuming up countless bits of digital information about users. The details, when aggregated, paint a portrait of each person online that ordinary humans are unable to put together themselves.

These organizations may not know more about your kids’ personality than you do. But if  your children are online, the people behind the websites they visit know an astonishing amount about their interests, taste, relationships and the things they desire and want to buy.

That’s true if your children have their own smartphone, tablet or laptop computer, but it even applies to information about your kids that you put online yourself. Across platforms and with no regard to the age of the users, Big Tech is tracking you.

What Big Tech Knows and How

As the Associated Press put it, “The companies gather vast data on what users read and like and leverage it to help advertisers target their messages to the individuals they want to reach.” For context, Facebook earned 99% of its money from ads in the previous year and Google’s corporate parent Alphabet saw 85% of revenue from ads, per the AP. 

Meanwhile, Amazon records the details of not only each product you purchase, but also about what items you browsed for and compared before making a decision. If your kids are shopping online, Amazon has all that information about them, too. Though you and your family bear the cost, it’s a windfall for Amazon. AP noted that Amazon uses the user data it collects to boost the value of its ads. Ad sales revenue surpassed $10 billion in 2018 representing more than twice the earnings from the previous year (the latest statistics available). There is a huge financial incentive for Big Tech to know more about your kids than you.

In addition to boosting advertising and marketing for goods and services, the information collected by Big Tech about you and your family can include a whole range of other sensitive details. Think political affiliation, sexual preference and detailed geographical updates about where you live, work and vacation.

No Age Restrictions on Tracking

Big Tech companies track your whereabouts based on details from your smartphone as you are out and about. They know how old you are and where you spend time (shopping malls, churches, bars, and so on) to learn about demographics in your area and to target you even more precisely. If your kids have smartphones, Big Tech is tracking them in the same way. There are no age restrictions when it comes to tracking.

The information is used to predict as well as influence what you might be most interested in buying or which candidate you seem to favor for elected office. All the while, you’re presented with advertisements and “news” is fed to you in a curated, tailor-made experience.

Remember that it’s not just kids’ own online activity that Big Tech is tracking. These companies are also gathering information about the products that parents just like you are buying for their kids. They record what programs parents enroll their children in, what movies they watch and the photos that parents post online. All of this data is valuable to advertisers, which is why they take such pains to collect it on a massive scale.

What You Can Do

What are concerned parents to do under these circumstances? Part of your New Year’s resolutions could be to sit down and have a family discussion about the negative consequences that come from revealing so much information about ourselves.

The goal should be to emphasize security online and to protect your privacy from those who have no business snooping around your personal information. 

Take steps to limit companies tracking  you. Delete cookies when closing a web browser. Restricting how many personal details are posted online. Ask yourself if it’s really worth it to reveal your information to a new company by signing in using your Facebook credentials.

Maybe you’ll be less inclined to give up information to Big Brother when you consider just how much technology companies stand to benefit while you have so much to lose.

Reprinted with permission: privacyparent.com