Married to a Nerd » Husband

Avoid Digital Stalking – Android

Jeff — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:20:27 +0000

In my previous post I mentioned the ability to extract location information from the pictures you took using your iPhone. I thought I'd take some time to show you how to protect yourself if you have an Android based device. The instructions are similar except in an Android device you need to change the settings from within the Camera App.

Start the Camera App and bring up the application menu.
Select Store Location and make sure it's set to Off

I'm sure the interface and the design of the App may be different depending on your exact Android device. The screen shots I have above were taken from a Motorola Droid. The principal is the same: protect yourself.

Avoid Digital Stalking – iPhone and iPod

Jeff — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:00:11 +0000

With the latest advances in technology our world is getting more and more connected. This connection is more prevalent today with the integration of GPS location built into almost every kind of device. At first this seems like a pretty cool feature. Giving you the ability to find out exactly where you took your picture using the embedded location called a geotag. Unfortunately this information can be used in a malevolent manner as well. Anyone can do some digging around online and find some family photos. If these photos contain geotagging information simple tools can help them obtain personal information such as your home address or even your daily routine. Adding to the modern digital stalker's toolkit. There are some simple things you can do right now to protect yourself online from digital stalking such as turning off the geotagging of the photos taken on your iOS device such as an iPhone or iPod touch. Below is a simple step-by-step outline of how to ensure geotags are not included in the photos you take.

In the Settings App browse to the following location: General > Location Services. You will see a screen similar to the one shown below.
Make sure you turn off Location Services for the Camera App.
As a good measure you should probably turn off Location Services to every App that doesn't really need it. For instance I only enable Location Services for Apps that give you directions such as Maps, MapQuest, or Compass.
If the Camera App is not shown in the list this means you have not yet run the App. When you run the application the first time it will ask you if you would like to enable Location Services using a dialog similar to the one shown below. To ensure geotagging is not included make sure you say "Don't Allow."

Take these small steps to protect yourself online, a little goes a long way.

Another Year Under My Belt

Jeff — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:08:51 +0000

I was talking with my lovely wife Stacy the other day and she actually suggested the next house we get should be a ranch style. I couldn't believe it, but she had a point. Getting up and down stairs really blows especially when your back is acting up and my wife's knee keeps popping out of alignment. It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was able to stay up all night long and go to work the next morning without even being phased. Now I just fall asleep on the couch at 8 o'clock at night and can't seem to drag my ass out of bed in the morning. That doesn't even include all the aches and pains. I digress...I've got a birthday coming up on the 6th and I guess it's just got me thinking about my mortality. ;)

In The Home Stretch

Jeff — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:25:28 +0000

I know it's been a while since I blogged anything, but I've been busy. I've been setting up my website hosting company among other things. Shameless plug: I'm providing domain registration, website hosting, and design services through my new hosting company Northern Colorado Hosting. I digress; we've been working out the details of moving back into the condo since my tenant wanted out of their lease. Things are all set to end this month. Early November we'll be busy moving out of the RV and back into the condo. It's really just a temporary situation for the winter since the opportunity came up and I wasn't really looking forward to winterizing the RV. Maybe next year we'll be able to score a newer RV with more slides and amenities, at least that's the plan. Anyway I've got some boxes to get and we've got to start packing soon. Wish us luck!

Winter Cometh

Jeff — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:21:28 +0000

Before you know it it's going to be snowing outside. The trees are already changing colors and loosing their leaves around here. In preparation we had already got some heat tape to keep our water supply to the RV from freezing. The plan was set for insulating the area underneath the RV with bails of hay. Then I get an email from the tenants leasing my condo, "can we get out of our lease early?" In order to spare you the excruciating details; we'll be moving back into the condo for at least the winter. Other ideas have sprung to mind as well. Since the housing market around here is still pretty crappy we'll just have to live there until we can find another tenant come spring. In fact it may turn out for the best if we can sell our existing RV and save money for a much better one next year. Wish us luck!