February 8, 2021

Domain Related

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Most people will associate bars with blocking, at least when it comes to the most average of contexts in daily life. There’s even a verb based on the word, as to ‘bar’ something is to block it from happening. So there’s definitely something to understanding that more bars means more blocking. Now of course when we’re looking at the top right corner of the screen on our smartphones, it’s a whole different thing. We want to see as many bars as possible, because that’s an indication of signal strength and the ability to enjoy mobile connectivity at a full roar. If you’re not able to check your social media apps or the like then it’s really not that big of a deal. But if it’s a situation where getting your email to open is like pouring molasses then a lack of bars up there is going to be a real frustration. We’ve all been in those situations where a lack of signal strength is being a real bother for us. It’s definitely something that any Canadian web hosting provider will be able to relate to, as the nature of what we do is directly related to all of the different content and resources you’re looking to access with your mobile devices. For most people the only idea they’ll have to increase mobile signal strength is to twist their phone left to right, up and down and add a verbal ‘come on’ to it for good measure. That’s usually not going to do very much, but there are some effective ways to do this and that’s what we’re going to discuss here today. Here’s what’s known to be the best approaches for this Toggle Airplane Mode / Reboot the Phone You get a little too confused sometimes, and turns out your phone does too. If it was to be constantly searching for the best signal you’d then be furious that your battery has died so quickly. If you’re away from home and you seem to have constant weak-signal issues no matter where you are then it may be best for an instant reset to give your device a chance to start...

February 1, 2021

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Reading Time: 5 minutes

Most of us are more inclined to let others have their preferences when it comes to mobile devices, and usually without needing to know why. Some people will be in the iOS camp, and others will be in the Android camp and more often than not that’s where they’ll be for the foreseeable future. There’s always going to be those who are inclined to be vocal about their preference, but truth of the matter is if you like your smartphone then that’s all there needs to be about that. One thing that’s fair to say though is that Google definitely knows their stuff when it comes to web browsers. Not to suggest that Safari isn’t a worthwhile alternative and matches up for the most part, but there are obviously going to be reasons why Chrome is the most popular web browser on the planet. Here at 4GoodHosting we’re going to choose what pretty much any other good Canadian web hosting provider would choose and that’s to stay on the fence and not have any stated preference for iPhone or Android. One thing that can be said is that these days the folks at Google seem to be pushing the boundaries a little bit more when it comes to revitalizing the mobile experience, and despite how smitten with apps so many of us are there’s still so much primacy in how well a device allows you to get onto the information superhighway and roar along it to wherever you’d like. It’s for that reason that 2 new features coming out for Chrome for Android are as noteworthy as they are these days, and so that’s where we’re going to focus this week. And hey – it’s February now and the first month of 2021 is already in the rear view mirror. Time does fly! All About Tab Grouping It’s true that the desktop versions of Chrome have included support for tab grouping for some time now, but for whatever reason Google hasn’t seen the need to bring the same feature to the mobile editions of the Chrome browser. Until now that is. Google is in the process of delivering two major...

January 25, 2021

Domain Related

Reading Time: 4 minutes

There’s unfortunately no getting around the fact that alongside advances in computing are advances in malware. Engineers do an admirable job of keeping up with the newest and most dangerous of those malwares, but there’s always new wrinkles on existing ones that make it much more of a challenge. All of this may not be very concerning to the average individual who goes online for recreational or avocational purposes, but if you’ve got sensitive information related to your business and no choice but to have it stored and transmitted in digital form then this is a genuine issue. Now here at 4GoodHosting we’re like any Canadian web hosting provider in that we are definitely in that 2nd category, and we always have to be on our toes when it comes to responding new digital security risks as part of offering the peace of mind we need to offer to our customers. Any host that’s running a legit web hosting business is going to have extensive protocols in place related to this, but there’s a need for introspection and being proactive with identifying potential deficiencies and making upgrades. Now we know as well that some of you are firmly in the Mac camp, while others are equally as dedicated to PC. We’ll leave Apple out of it for today, as what’s noteworthy this week is that Microsoft’s newest Windows 10 OS is featuring a new and revamped Windows Defender that not only improves on malware defence, but also expands that benefit for anyone who’s been using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. From ‘Semi’ to ‘Full’ Windows 10 users are well accustomed to Windows Defender being automated for protecting their PC from malware. However, for enterprise users who rely on Microsoft Defender for Endpoint there’s a lot more coming in the way of what can be done for dealing with malware. And all thanks to a simple setting change. Microsoft Defender has always shipped with a default automation level that was set to ‘semi.’ With that the software automatically inspects files, processes, services, registry keys, and any area that may contain threat-related evidence and then prompts a response action to contain that malicious...

January 18, 2021

Domain Related

Reading Time: 4 minutes

2021 has long been earmarked as the year that 5G network capability was going to really start to factor into the digital connectivity future like it’s been predicted to. We’re just a few weeks in, but in the 3rd week of January next year we’re going to have plenty to say on what this year was like when it came to 5G. 5G phones are already being readily bought by those who need to be the first to have a whole digital device experience, and we know it’s going to be huge in as far as IoT technology is concerned. Not hard to see why all of this resonates big time with those of us here at 4GoodHosting, and like any other Canadian web hosting provider it just so happens that we’re in an industry that is going to be in the front row for all of this. And while we’re dynamite with reliable web hosting in Canada, we freely admit we’re not the science types. We imagine most of you are the same way, no matter how digital savvy you are with devices and speeds. But who doesn’t like a quick overview of how things work? So that’s what we’ll do here. Discuss the wavelength workings of 5G so you can know what’s actually happening to make your iPhone 12 or Galaxy S20 capable of what it does in the near future. Different 5G Spectrum Bands Low-band, mid-band, and millimeter wave are 3 different segments of the electromagnetic spectrum. All three are within the radio wave range, but part of the spectrum is also light, gamma rays, X-rays, microwaves, and much more. Low-band: 600MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz Mid-band: 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz, 3.7-4.2GHz Millimeter wave (high-band): 24GHz, 28GHz, 37GHz, 39GHz, 47GHz Things are crowded in the radio wave range of the spectrum. Nowadays much of radio spectrum is being dedicated to mobile devices, but it also hosts broadcast TV, HAM radio, and aircraft communication, and more. Radio spectrum ranges from 30 Hertz to 300GHz — 1 GHz being equal to 1 billion Hertz. That’s a very large range, so it makes sense that spectrum at the far ends of it can act...

January 11, 2021

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Most of us are aware of just how problematic the issue of discarded e-waste is, and on a global scale too. There’s not so much as one component inside any device you’ve ever had that was biodegradable, and so every piece of every phone you’ve ever owned still exists somewhere. If you’re not aware of how much e-waste disposal is a problem then Google search Guiyu, China or Agbogbloshie in Ghana. It’s important that as societies we start to produce MUCH less of this type of waste. It’s no secret that big tech has designed devices with planned obsolescence in mind; that is, making sure that you buy a new device within a few years. That also has to come to an end, and here at 4GoodHosting we’re like any other Canadian web hosting provider in that being at the front of the digital movement in life and business means we can relate to how so many people think they ‘need’ the latest and greatest in smartphone and smart device technology. The problem is that consumer preferences and freedoms mean that there’s likely to be plenty of perfectly functional smartphones being discarded. However, if a new program introduced by Korean tech giant Samsung gains any leverage it’s likely that a good number fewer of them will become scrap. What’s the long and short of Samsung’s Upcycling Program? Let’s have a look at it here today. From Smart ‘Phone’ to Smart ‘Device’ So while we’ve agreed that the smartphone business isn’t exactly the most eco-friendly, it’s true that some companies have been working to correct that over the last few years, and specifically with programs that disassemble and reuse the metals inside of our phones. Unfortunately that still leaves a lot of waste that isn’t repurposed and if this trend continues we may well be swimming in the stuff within a generation or two. So the new Galaxy Upcycling at Home initiative from Samsung is arriving not a moment too soon, and what is does is takes your old Galaxy phones and turns them into smart home devices. The program works with Samsung’s SmartThings smart home system and with it users...

January 4, 2021

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Reading Time: 11 minutes

A new year comes around every 365 days, and gosh darn if they don’t seem to go by especially quickly for most of us. So here we are in early January yet again, and here at 4GoodHosting we imagine we’re like any reputable Canadian web hosting provider in that we hope all of you have had a good holiday season with your family and ready to get back to it – whatever your ‘it’ is. And as for being happy to see 2020 in the rear view mirror, well we imagine that goes without saying. Interesting news today that Google employees are now unionizing, definitely a first in the world of big tech. Interesting enough to dedicate some 800 or so words to it though? Not likely. What we usually do here with our blog is share more workplace and productivity relevant for people who have web hosting as means of to a bigger end. If the nature of how you make a living necessitates making use of the World Wide Web, then topics like Edge computing, the Cloud, and incoming 5G network connectivity are among different topics more likely to be of more interest to you. The way cloud computing has done away with the inflexible need for physical data storage is increasingly only part of the equation when it comes to the Cloud. Which of course is the way major sea change developments in technology tend to go. So what we’ll do here today with blog post #1 for 2021 is have a longer look at what’s being forecasted for Cloud computing for the year to come. The New Norm in Post-Pandemic World Cloud services have been essential to keeping economic and personal worlds afloat during tis time, and in particular they’ve been very integral in keeping the economy from slowing down any more than it already did. This is very likely an indicator that we’re going to be relying on cloud computing technology even more in 2021 and well beyond this year. In particular, we’re likely to see enterprise technology professionals adjusting their cloud strategies looking at both COVID-19 trends and other digital transformation initiatives. Tech vendors...

December 21, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 5 minutes

A lot of people who are Google devotees will want to say otherwise, but Microsoft has definitely met the bar with their Edge browser seen on most of their newest offerings. The near archaic Internet Explorer is just a blip in the rear-view mirror now, and then there’s perfectly good browsers in Safari and Firefox too. But Google Chrome is still the top dog on the block and more people choose to use it as their primary browser and that’s not likely changing anytime soon. The numbers will bend slightly one way or another, but generally it’s about 65% of all browser usage worldwide that Google Chrome accounts for. Next up is Firefox at around, and then Edge at 5% and Safari at 3.5% or so. Edge is definitely going to gain some ground here, and we can expect all sorts of study findings for 2020 coming out not too far into the new year. Here at 4GoodHosting we imagine we’re much the same as any Canadian web hosting provider right about now in that our thoughts are primarily around the holidays that are here and enjoying Christmas with our families. Each new year brings new and upcoming developments and seeing as how web browsing is something everyone is big on nowadays we thought we’d talk this week about what we can expect to be new and fresh with Chrome when it comes out with its new update releasing on January 19, 2021. Outsized Impact Because such a large majority of device users prefer Chrome it’s fair to say that Chrome's changes have an outsized impact. Google's plans get the attention of everyone from individual users and IT admins to competitors and open-source allies. We can expect this Chrome update to be similar to previous ones where the Chrome update is accompanied by enterprise-centric release notes that highlight some of the additions, deletions, enhancements and modifications that are on their way. Here’s what we know. New Permission Chip Google is setting up Chrome 88 with a new permissions request that their referring to as a ‘chip’ to make it different it from the usual pop-up prompt. This is on their...

December 14, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 6 minutes

We’re not flying in airborne vehicles like the Jetsons predicted we would be by 2020, but we do have robots and artificial intelligence – or A.I. as it’s abbreviated for convenience – has factored into robotic technology very heavily over the last few years. Now it’s true that no household has the equivalent of ‘Rosey’ taking care of domestic duties and whatnot, but is there reason to think we might all have our own Rosey in the not-too-distant future? Could be. We’re really no longer in the time where A.I. was in its fledgling stage. It’s definitely starting to get wings, and the premise for what’s possible with artificial intelligence is really something. Of course there’s going to be a real need for measures and protocols in place to keep it on the ‘good’ side of things, but man oh man there’s reason to be excited about all the potential here. And it’s the type of potential that is pretty enticing for anyone who works or provides services in the digital space, and that of course includes us here at 4GoodHosting along with every other Canadian web hosting provider. This kind of stuff always makes the grade with what we’ll consider newsworthy, and so we thought it would be worthwhile to point out major milestones for artificial intelligence that we’ve seen across the year that’s drawing to close now. Here are six of the main developments and emerging themes seen in artificial intelligence during 2020. Language Comprehension Take your average year and a text-generating tool likely won’t make the cut as one of the most exciting new A.I. developments. But this is 2020 (the year the Jetsons were living in if you didn’t get the cartoon reference earlier) and GPT-3 is no ordinary text-generating tool. For those in the know, it’s the follow-up for GPT-2, at the time labeled as the ‘world’s most dangerous algorithm’ with all the sensationalism you care to attach to that. GPT-3 is a cutting-edge autoregressive natural-language-processing neural network created by the research lab OpenAI. All it needs is the first few lines at the beginning of a news story to then generate impressively accurate text...

December 7, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 5 minutes

We imagine that for most of you the only scraping you do is part of your battle with baked-on food when doing dishes. Or maybe at the bottom of the peanut butter jar before washing it clean and recycling it. Most won’t be able to associate scraping with anything related to their desktop, but as always we like to talk about subjects that are relatable for web-savvy people with our blog. Truth told, however, those of us here at 4GoodHosting aren’t experts on any aspect of any particular part of it all outside of being a Canadian web hosting provider. Then why would anyone be ‘scraping’ the World Wide Web, especially if there’s no peanut butter to be had in the first place? Joking of course, but we imagine there’s a whole lot of people who don’t know what this would be to go along with those who are already engaged in web scraping but would be interested in how to do it better. So let’s get to it. What It Is Web scraping is a process, and it is usually automated. The aim for it is to extract large amounts of data from websites. Web scraping gather all the information/data from particular sites or specific data as per whatever requirements may be, and is usually done by companies and brands for data analysis, brand monitoring, and market research. Most commonly with an overarching goal to foster the brands’ growth and development. The problem for most is that it’s not done easily. Quite often there are IP blocking and geo-restrictions that serve as impediments to doing it. These are of course related to security, which is in-built on many websites. However, it’s true there are ways to scrape better and more effectively. The most common of these tips is using residential IP proxy for higher security, but there are other solid ones too. Popular sites will have build features that incorporate techniques and strategies to prevent developers from scraping them. IP address detection is definitely the most common of them. Many larger ones may also have IP address detection tools that prevent their website being scraped by suspicious IP addresses....