Welcoming 5G this year.

Brand new technology is arriving on our door step. From brick phones to smart phones to wireless technology we are now embracing the fifth-generation cellular, known as 5G.

The new innovation will drastically affect other devices, such as security cameras, industrial robots, drones and cars that communicate traffic data.

5G will override the looks of 3G and 4G, by allowing people to download digital media, including whole movies, in seconds. The new market creation will revolutionise video games, sports, shopping and social media, by taking digital media to a whole new level.

What is 5G?

Essentially 5G defines the incoming of a mobile cellular network together with radio performance, computer components and antennas covering radio signals and exchanging data. To benefit from 5G, users will need to purchase new mobile phones.

The speed of 5G is dependent on your location and your mobile cellular.

Qualcomm, a wireless component creator, has said after complete testing the 5G download speed is 4.5 gigabits per second. Median speed is indicated as approximately 1.4 gigabits per second. Fast paced 5G will vastly increase the speed of video streaming.

5G has been designed with the view to reduce latency to milliseconds as well as being a reliable source for sending out signals.

When is 5G coming?

T-Mobile will be rolling out 5G in 30 Cities in the US by the end of 2019. First, they will be launching 5G in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Las Vegas. Meanwhile three telecom companies in South Korea have launched a 5G servicing for manufacturing clients on December 1st, 2018.

EE has successfully completed a 5G trial in the UK.

When shall I buy a 5G smartphone?

It is suggested to wait until late 2019 or even 2020 to purchase a 5G handset. In a future article we will set out what 5G enable phones will be on the market in 2019. As regards iPhone users, Apple have not yet selected a 5G modem supplier hence the first time iPhone will come with 5G is in 2020 when the iPhone 12 is released.

© 2019 Whitestone Chambers

www.whitestonechambers.com

law@whitestonechambers.com

Posted by Adam Richardson.

Celebrities warned about social media conduct.

Whitestone Chambers
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Celebrities warned about social media conduct.

Sixteen UK based celebrities have entered into a formal agreement with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stating that they will not continue to advertise brands on social media without declaring it to their followers and viewers.

The CMA launched an investigation after they discovered that numerous celebrities and online influencers were being paid to advertise products without declaring this to their impressionable fan bases. It found that paid product placements were not always being made clear, leading to fears that consumers could mistake them for personal recommendations from their online heroes.

The CMA have not gone as far to make a decision on whether the influencers actually breached consumer law but stated that all 16 had volunteered to change their practices.

The CMA said that if they failed to do so it could take out a court order against them, which could lead to fines and up to two years in prison if they break the conditions of the agreement.

Speaking on the government website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/competition-and-markets-authority Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive of the CMA, said

“You should be able to tell as soon as you look at a post if there is some form of payment or reward involved, so you can decide whether something is really worth spending your hard-earned money on.”

Further guidance was expressed on https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/social-media-endorsements which stated:

“Audiences need to know when an influencer has been paid, incentivised or in any way rewarded to endorse, promote, or review a product or service, including whether a product or service was given or loaned to them for free”.

All eyes will be on the 16, which includes celebrities ranging from Rita Ora to Made in Chelsea’s Mario Falcone to see if their online posts are demonstrably altered in the coming months. If not, time will tell how hard the CMA will come down on them.

                                     

© Whitestone Chambers

www.whitestonechambers.com

law@whitetsonechambers.com

Whitestone Chambers
4 King’s Bench Walk
Temple, London, EC4Y 7DL
Tel: 020 7822 8822 Fax: 020 7822 8844
www.whitestonechambers.com

 

Top 10 Airlines – 2019 announced by AirlineRatings.com.

  1. Singapore Airlines
  2. Air New Zealand
  3. Qantas
  4. Qatar Airways
  5. Virgin Australia
  6. Emirates
  7. All Nippon Airways
  8. EVA Air
  9. Cathay Pacific Airways
  10. Japan Airlines

Singapore Airlines.

In 2018 Singapore Airlines came third place. Now they have overshadowed Qantas and Air New Zealand by taking first place. The Airline won ‘Worlds Best Airline 2019’ by AirlineRatings.com due to their innovation, new products and world-renowned inflight service. Singapore Airlines have also begun direct flights from Singapore to New York.

Air New Zealand.

Former five-time winner falls to second place with best premium economy and best Airline. The Airline has been busy increasing international and domestic markets.

Qantas.

Received third place, along with winning the best domestic service and best lounges. The Airlines customer approval rating is consistently high, and their innovations continue with lie-flat beds on all A330s that fly between domestic and regional international flights

Qatar Airways.

A new winner who won best catering and best business class. According to judges, the food is excellent and beyond mouth-watering even in Economy class.

Virgin Australia.

Australia’s second largest Airline took fifth place, with best cabin crew. Virgin Australia has added a new element to their traveling experience with Economy X, Premium Economy and standout Business Class.

Emirates.

The frequent Dubai Airline landed sixth place after securing Best Inflight Entertainment and Best Long-Haul in the Middle East. Emirates has been a leading airline, as well as benchmarking the industry.

All Nippon Airways.

All Nippon Airways or ANA came seventh place. Customers insist the Airline provides a very oriental experience and their attention to detail is astonishing.

EVA Air.

The Taiwanese Airline takes eighth place, thanks to their new routes, cabin innovations and new aircraft. They are known to be an exceptional Airline and a Premium Economy leader. This is what keeps EVA Air in the top 10.

Cathay Pacific Airways.

The Hong Kong based Airline has maintained their position in the top 10. AirlineRatings.com have said ‘The airline is byword for operational excellence’. The Airline was awarded best Business class in 2013 and 2015 combined with best Asia/Pacific airline.

Japan Airlines.

Is another well-known Japanese Airline competing against ANA Japan Airlines bagged the last spot coming in at number 10, research they represent all the things we love about the Orient, politeness, efficiency and incredible food

© 2019 Whitestone Chambers

www.whitestonechambers.com

law@whitestonechambers.com

Happy New Year & Cyber Security – 6 new steps to consider in 2019.

Malware attacks, data breaches, security hacks and microtargeted personalized advertising all formed part of the digital low life in 2018.

In order to keep up with the modern world, technologies must advance. So how does one keep up with security and software protection. With the commencement of 2019 and new software releases, here are a few tips on keeping your digital life free from manipulative use.

  1. Create boundaries and abide by them.

Research shows the best way to stay safe is by setting boundaries. Agree on what data you are happy to share involving online services and apps and stay bound to it. This is preparation for when you are asked to share data falling out of any agreement.  Consider reducing your time spent on online discussions and it may be useful to set a time limitation on digital security as it is endlessly time consuming.

  1. Setting filter trends.

People who find news on social media, set their social media feed trends. Due to this those people are unlikely to find news they disagree on as they will be displayed with articles they have previously shown agreement with. This isolates people in developing further views and reduces their chances of generating a different angle.

All Slides and Purple Feed are free online tools that display social media reports and news reports involving different political perspectives. The information comes from across the political spectrum and does not replicate previous search histories.

  1. Having a safe password.

The strength of your password does not determine the safety of your account, as people tend to reuse their passwords for many accounts. It is known that researchers are notified when a reused password has been leaked. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use different passwords. A password manager software can be used to detect hacks. (Do read our article on pin numbers)

  1. Using a multi-factor authentication.

Having an additional pin number, when logging into your financial accounts, social media and emails adds a lot more protection. Multi-factor authentication sends you a six-digit pin code as part of your log in process. For more protection you can even consider a code-generating app.

  1. Deleting apps you no longer use.

Apps loaded on your phone track you and provide your information to marketing and advertising agencies. Therefore, if you no longer use an App delete it and if you need it again, redownload it. This reduces companies tracking where you go, time spent at locations and identity recognition.

  1. Updating the apps you use.

Useful advice provided by experts is to ensure software on your computers and apps on your phone are always kept up to date.

These 6 ideas will help reduce the chances of hackers exploiting your data and allow you to keep safe and on high alert in 2019.

 

© 2019 Whitestone Chambers

www.whitestonechambers.com

law@whitestonechambers.com

 

As 2019 starts up – Whitestone looks back at the top stories of 2018.

  1. Apple and Samsung’s ongoing legal battle is over.
    A legal battle that nobody thought would ever end. Eventually both tech companies settled out of court after arguing all the way up to the supreme court for seven years. The dispute was over ‘stolen tech’.
  1. Supreme Court weighs in on location data.
    The Supreme Court ruled that if your past location data needs to be accessed, the law enforcement must attain a warrant. Prior to this, authorities were able to retrieve the data from a third party with access to that data.
  1. The death of Stephen Hawking.
    Stephen Hawking died at his home in Cambridge on 14/01/2018. He died at 76 after having suffered from Motor Neurone Disease. He was a remarkable physicist and an author.
  1. 2018 World Cup winners.
    France won the World Cup 2018 final in a six-goal battle against Croatia. France last won in 1998, when they hosted their winning tournament. England had a successful but ultimately disappointing tournament losing out in the semi finals to Croatia.
  1. A Royal wedding.
    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot at Westminster Abbey on 19/05/2018. 29 million viewers watched the wedding.
  1. Salisbury poisoning.
    An ambulance found an ex Russian spy and his daughter severely ill on a bench in Salisbury. It has been said they were poisoned by a nerve agent in an attack by the Russian State. Their condition was critical for weeks, they have been since discharged and now they live in a secure location.
  1. Iceland ensures equal pay for men and women.
    Iceland became the first nation to make paying men more than women illegal. Passed on Women’s Day the year earlier, the bill makes it mandatory for companies employing 25 or more workers to pay men and women equally.
  1. Last male northern white rhinoceros dies.
    Sudan died at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. Now only two female species remain they are his daughter and granddaughter. There is no hope for more of the spices, unless alternative IVT techniques are developed.
  2. Thai cave rescue comes to successful end.
    Members of a junior football team were found trapped in a cave in Chiang Rai Province. The incident happened due to heavy rainfalls. However they were safely rescued 18 days later. The Elon Musk story will rumble on in 2019.

 

 

Happy New Year  –  United Airlines ban puppies and kittens from flights

As of January 7th, 2019, United Airlines have banned ALL emotional support animals on long haul flights. United Airlines has recently decided to forbid animals on flights under the influence of Delta. Delta is their biggest competitor who prohibited puppies and kittens on board in December 2018.

United is only allowing emotional support cats and dogs to attend flights no longer than eight hours. Puppies and kittens under four months are not permitted to travel on any flights. The new enforcement is effective from January 7th, 2019. However, United has made allowances for passengers travelling with animals who booked before January 3rd.

However miniature horses and cats and dogs acting as service animals will be accepted on board.

Support and service animals can fly for free in the States under the 1986 Air Carrier Access Act.

Due to the growth of animals now attending flights with passengers, airlines have incurred several incidents including soiled cabins, attacks and allergies. It is said that an increase of these events is forcing airlines to impose these rules.

United Airlines Stated: “We have seen increases in onboard incidents on longer flights involving these animals, many of which are unaccustomed to spending an extended amount of time in the cabin of an aircraft.” (https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/united-airlines-emotional-support-animals-banned-flights-delta-puppies-kittens-a8710901.html)

Delta stated daily they flew 700 animals with passengers including snakes and spiders.

A United Airlines passenger attempted to board to Los Angeles with an emotional support peacock named Dexter in 2018. She even tried to purchase a ticket for him, however he did not satisfy the weight and size guidelines, so she was refused.

International airlines outside the U.S.A. do not recognise emotional support animals. However, service animals assisting disabled passengers are permitted to travel usually without any additional cost.

As regards Wayne Rooney flying into Dulles, well that was an entirely different emotional support package.

 

How ‘common’ is your ATM pin?

It is a common fact that people are naturally bad at selecting tedious and obscure personal identification numbers (PIN). The most common PIN is the staggeringly predictable  ‘1234’.Whilst that is bad, the list of top 15 most common PINs is also an obvious read.

Top 15 pins;

  1. 1234
  2. 1111
  3. 0000
  4. 1212
  5. 7777
  6. 1004
  7. 2000
  8. 4444
  9. 2222
  10. 6969
  11. 9999
  12. 3333
  13. 5555
  14. 6666
  15. 1122 (https://gizmodo.com/5946582/the-20-most-common-pins-are-painfully-obvious)

Yet people still think they have a ‘tough enough’ PIN, despite most people’s being entirely guessable. The percentage of PIN hacks has increased in 2018 by 12% leaving it at 54%.. Let’s hope we can reduce this percentage in 2019.

So, how to come up with a good PIN? First tip, avoid all the choices above! Pick something slightly more mysterious. For example the year or date of a memorable trip you took, the year a particular country  won the world cup, the last four digits of your work/mobile number or even your childhood home phone number.  Choosing the most obvious PIN is problematic for bank cards, phones, computers and even PIN locks. It is common knowledge now that people tend to use memorable dates backwards, so this should also be avoided.

So, be smart, be creative and stay safe.