Security Not Top-of-Mind at CES

It’s fair to say I was disappointed when talking to IoT device manufacturers at CES in Las Vegas last month. Security was not the big thing on their minds. And except for a TV screen that you can roll up like paper (which I couldn’t see at the show), there wasn’t anything I wanted to bring home and install.

The lack of emphasis on security was baffling, especially when you consider that a lot of companies at CES were talking about AI (artificial intelligence) and 5G networks. The latter are the newer, faster wireless data networks that will play an important role, along with AI, in the next generation of the IoT, especially autonomous vehicles (AVs), which are expected to be an established mode of transportation in the next 10 years. We’re simply going to require more data at a faster speed to make AVs work.

However, it seems that AI – and maybe 5G – was more concerned with what we’ll be running to the store to buy instead of how we’ll get there. Samsung, which makes refrigerators, among other appliances, started to show off Bigsby, its version of Alexa. And when you combine it with a smart refrigerator, this new power team can create a shopping list for you. You can even use voice commands for your washing machine. OK…

There is still a big push to get more devices into the home, and we certainly have more than our share in ours. We find the ones we have to be either great conveniences or highly useful. We just wish that the manufacturers were paying more attention to security, especially with hacking and information theft so prevalent. However, nothing stood out like that TV that rolls up. I really would have liked to be able to see it, even if I couldn’t buy it.

On the other hand, one of the more ridiculous things I saw was either a blanket or mattress pad with dual temperature control and a discounted price of $2,000. Sony also had a Walkman that weighed 5 pounds and had a heftier price tag: $2,500. Sony said there’s a market for it: audiophiles who want high-quality sound.

Speaking of sound, I took note of Panasonic’s automotive offerings, though none was available for consumer purchase. Rather, it seems that the automotive manufacturers are going to rely more on electronics manufacturers and the mobile operating systems to provide the devices and infrastructure for in-car infotainment systems. As part of that trend, we note that Toyota is dropping its plan to introduce a proprietary infotainment system.

We applaud Toyota’s decision for three reasons:

  1. In-car systems from the automakers don’t work well.
  2. Each in-car system has its own way of displaying and using information, and that can be confusing for people who drive multiple cars, including rental cars, where roads and a car’s system are unfamiliar.
  3. Because they are built into the car, it’s difficult to update them in a timely manner.

Just about all manufacturers offer connectivity to either Apple or Android in-car systems – or both – throughout their product lines. Our devices are already customized for driving directions and play lists, and we know how to use them. We also can make our devices secure in the same way we update our OS and applications on our computers.

I think some exciting new products and changes in the way we use technology are a year or two away, but that doesn’t mean we should sit on our hands. If you need a new IoT product now, we can help you we can help you select and install one for today – and make sure it’s secure – and see how it could fit your future needs. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to talk about it.

Spectre and Meltdown Raise Need to Update

We’ve seen lots of patches from chip manufacturers and operating-system publishers trying to resolve the Spectre and Meltdown issues. Their effectiveness is mixed, but there are a couple of things you can do to help protect your systems: backup your files and update your software.

The patches came out quickly last month, and they kept on coming as chip manufacturers and publishers of apps and operating systems tried to close the open doors that Spectre and Meltdown use to get into a computer. If you installed all the updates, even multiple updates from chip manufacturers and software publishers, you did the best you could to mitigate problems.

If you haven’t installed updates for operating systems, applications, firmware, browsers and antivirus protection, do it NOW. If you have not set up your systems to automatically install updates, we suggest you do that now, too. Every supplier with a stake in your success is working ‘round the clock to shore up any weaknesses in their products. The faster you install them, the faster you’ll protect your systems and data.

Here is what you and the computer industry are up against:

Meltdown breaks the most fundamental isolation between user applications and the operating system. This attack allows a program to access the memory, and the secrets, of other programs and the operating system. If your computer has a vulnerable processor and runs an unpatched operating system, you risk leaking sensitive information. This applies both to personal computers as well as the cloud’s infrastructure.

Spectre also breaks the isolation between applications. It allows an attacker to trick error-free programs, which follow best practices, into leaking their secrets and may actually make applications more susceptible to attacks.

While Spectre and Meltdown affect chips, they resulted in computer failures that, in turn, resulted in the losses of apps and data files. In a number of cases in which our clients were affected, we found that Google Chrome was piece of every problem. We don’t say this to point a finger at Google; we note it to make sure you have the latest version of your browser installed.

In the more severe cases, we had to reinstall software systems – with all the cumulative patches – and data files because everything was wiped out. In the most extreme cases, we had to replace computers. This, of course, required that all data files were backed and that all software for operating systems and applications were licensed.

Using subscriptions for operating and application software can eliminate just about all problems associated with keeping your systems up-to-date and licensed. They also can provide access to backed-up data files to help restore your system. The bottom-line benefit is that if your system is struck by some disaster, which can include Spectre and Meltdown, a ransomware attack, or a virus or malware invasion, we can wipe your computers and servers of infections and initiate clean installations of your operating system, firmware, and application software and then restore settings and data.

Without the subscription, you may need to purchase software and then recreate all of your settings as best as possible. And if you don’t have data files in a separate, secure location, you’ll need to find the latest files you have and then restore them in your recreated system.

As we make these points, we are aware that everyone has budget restrictions. However, you need to look at the costs associated with an interruption due to an IT system failure. Any money you may have saved by hanging onto old equipment and software can be wiped by a single event.

By making smart investments to your system, you’ll be able to maximize your security and efficiency. That’s important for home use as well as a business. More and more, we have multiple users conducting some sort of transactions over the internet, and those activities can take place from remote locations. It’s a continuing trend in our use of technology. Subscriptions are a continuing trend, too, in the way we keep our systems ready to do all the things we do.

We can help you make the best decisions to balance your IT needs and available funds. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your update needs and develop a plan to meet them.

Tax Season: The Next Scam Season

I don’t know whether more money changes hands during the holiday shopping season or during tax season, but a lot is at stake between now and April 17 as people prepare tax returns. It’s a busy time of year for scammers, most of whom want to use fraudulent information to get your tax return money.

Probably one of the most common scams is someone calling from the IRS to say you owe back taxes. This happens every year and all year long, too. But there’s just one thing we want to remind you about, even if you know it: The IRS does not contact you by phone. Nor does the IRS contact you by email, a form of communications a scammer will use in a phishing expedition. The IRS sends you a letter.

The other scams you are likely to encounter are calls or emails from people or companies offering to prepare your tax returns and even provide you with an advance on your refund. The email scams are more insidious because if you click on a link, it could automatically trigger a breach of your computer that reveals sensitive information. If you follow through on a phone call or link, the scammer is going to request your Social Security number and other info that goes on a tax return. If the scammer is offering to advance you money from an expected refund, they’ll want your banking info, too. Once a scammer has this and other personal information, it’s easy to get credit cards and loans and commit crimes in your name.

From a computing point of view, we again remind you not to open emails from people you don’t know who offer help during the tax season. Delete them immediately. Do the same with an email from someone you know that seems out of context because it’s so easy to spoof an email address. For example, would you really expect Norman Rosenthal or Sterling Rose to prepare your taxes?

You can protect business and home networks and computers by making sure you have new, strong passwords for all networks and accounts. Strong passwords are long and contain a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numerals and special characters. With the breach at Equifax, the risk of fraud is higher, and one of the problems it can lead to is that someone will file your tax return before you do.

With protection in place, you can use the internet for all of your tax-related activity, starting with IRS’s official website https://www.irs.gov/. In addition to being able to get tax forms and answers to questions, you’ll find links to help you find and verify information about tax preparers, including 10 tips for choosing one.

If you are preparing your own taxes, we recommend you use one of the established software providers to reduce your risk of a security breach, especially when you file online.

While we don’t prepare taxes, we can help you keep your networks and computers secure. Call us – 973-433-6676 – if you think your system may have been compromised. Call us or email us if you have any questions about system security or security settings for any software you use for tax preparation and filing.

Unsecure Security Cameras

As more businesses and homes add security cameras to monitor their premises, hackers are enjoying the view, too. While camera manufacturers can and should secure the backdoors to their systems, there are also steps you can take to protect your property.

We’re seeing an uptick in security camera systems being hacked, and one recent incident involved one of our retail clients and a newly installed system. Surveillance makes a lot of sense for retailers, especially if a camera image can help identify thieves. However, surveillance can also tip off potential thieves about the location of targeted goods to steal and camera blind spots, and sometimes your security system manufacturer leaves a back door open for Peeping Toms.

We discovered this possibility while working with a retail client. Both of us were surprised when a new system was hacked, and we had to pull a lot of information from our client when we responded to a call that the cameras weren’t working. We checked the system and found that not only had they lost their network, they also had some weird, out-of-character names for firmware and software upgrades.

We restored the network and the camera system, but it went out again the next day. We asked about changing camera-system names, and decided to call the manufacturer. In our conversations, we learned that the manufacturer had left a back door open, so they could work on various systems. From them, we learned how to close the back door so that our client’s system would be secure.

As disturbing as our experience was, it just reinforced our message to everyone with an IoT system, such as security cameras, to take these important steps:

  1. Change the default usernames and passwords that manufacturers supply with the equipment.
  2. Make sure you install all software and firmware updates for your IoT systems and your firewall.
  3. After you install any new or updated software or firmware, go back and check that there are no changes to any unique information you may be added.
  4. Recheck that information periodically to make sure nothing had changed.

If you see something that doesn’t look right, report it to us right away. Hacking is only going to become more problematic in 2018, and it only takes one intrusion point to open your entire system to cyberthieves. It can be devastating for you if it’s your home system, but it can much more devastating if it affects any client or customer information you’ve collected. Reach us by phone – 973-433-6676 – or email to close your back doors, side doors and trap doors.

Protecting Your Email Accounts

My dad wasn’t getting his personal email for a few days and thought it was because his service was down. We found otherwise, and he wasn’t the only victim. The message here is: Pay attention to oddities.

One of my dad’s symptoms of an email problem was that he wasn’t getting any messages. Unfortunately, that symptom doesn’t raise too many eyebrows these days because he figured a server was down – again.

But when the problem continued, he called, and we logged in to discover that his email was being forwarded to a Gmail account. We were able to re-secure his account, and it was one of those “no harm, no foul” situations this time. Next time, he might not be lucky.

But my dad wasn’t the only victim of an email invasion. One of our clients with an international business discovered that for a couple of days, all of their email was going into the “deleted” folder. They were expecting to have money wired in, so the email problem put them on heightened alert.

When we investigated, we found that they had been hacked and that hackers had added a rule to their email system that sent messages to the “deleted” folder and also forwarded the messages to an email address they had set up.

Both instances point out the need to be vigilant – and to follow safety precautions we’ve mentioned many times before.

  1. Make sure you have a strong password.
  2. Use long passwords that include upper- and lower-case letters, numerals and special characters.
  3. Change your password periodically.
  4. Never put information such as Social Security and bank account numbers in emails. They’re so easy to get picked off by hackers.
  5. Avoid sending emails that have umpteen thousand addresses in the “To” and “Cc” lines. It’s very easy for hackers to insert their own email address into someone else’s name and start a phishing expedition that could reel in sensitive, private information.

If you notice something funky about your email, get in touch with us right away. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to help secure your email.

Managing Assistants

Alexa, Google Home, Siri and Cortana are online assistants who can help you get information and even order products without you ever having to tap a screen or look at one. They are a convenience, but they also raise privacy and security issues.

Siri (Apple) and Cortana (Microsoft) are associated with devices, such as phones, tablets and computers. In that type of user environment, you need to activate them with the device in your hand or on your desk, and they’re typically used for getting information, such as the weather, restaurant info or the answer to which person played for both the New York Rangers and Brooklyn Dodgers.

Alexa and Google Home may present other issues. In addition to answering questions, Alexa is tied to Amazon and its online shopping capabilities. We hear that Google Home may tie in with Walmart. With shopping available, you have another layer of concern. Somewhere, they have access to your credit-card information, and it may be possible for any voice to make a purchase.

We’ll be going to CES, the huge annual trade show for consumer electronics, in Las Vegas this month, and we plan to talk to all the manufacturers about their security and privacy protection measures. Until we have more information, here are some things you should know and can do to minimize your risk of a privacy breach or unwanted purchase – especially with Alexa, whom I call Alex when I don’t want to wake her.

Alexa and her fellow assistants remain asleep until they hear their “wake” word, but their microphones are always on. Being on is how they stay ready for your commands, but they should not be active until you wake them. So, here are some ways to help you protect from someone turning them on without your knowledge:

  • Change your “wake” word. Like most things in the IoT world, these assistants come with a default “wake” word. Go into the setup menu on the app, which you can get for your cell phone, and change it.
  • Use the mute button. Yes, it’s a pain to physically walk over to Alexa and push a button (some of you will cringe at memories of getting up to change a television channel), but it is effective – and easier than trying to run through 80-something over-the-air TV channels.
  • Use a PIN to make purchases or disable the function to make purchases by voice commands. Again, it’s an inconvenience, but we’ve discussed the tradeoff between security and convenience many times before.
  • Keep them away from windows so that any activity outside doesn’t activate them.
  • Use your app to see what’s been recorded through your assistant and delete any or all of those recordings. You can also your app to configure and toggle sound notifications, even for multiple units in one home (or office).

You can also follow the IoT cybersecurity steps we’ve published over the past year or so:

  • Change default usernames and passwords immediately. Make your new passwords strong and unique.
  • Install upgrades and updates from your IoT manufacturers. They usually contain security patches and bug fixes.
  • Make sure your Wi-Fi systems and firewalls are secure. That’s your first line of defense. Install upgrades and updates for your gateways and anti-virus and anti-malware apps.
  • Only use secure Wi-Fi networks.

We can audit your Wi-Fi security and help you fine tune the settings for your virtual assistant. Just call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us for an appointment, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for reports from CES.

‘Free’ Streaming

Not all streaming is meant to be shared – or least not shared with dozens of strangers around the world. Cable companies and content providers are concerned about lost fees as access credentials to programming are increasingly abused. They’re cracking down on piracy.

Stealing service has been a problem since the first electrical wires and meters were installed more than 100 years ago. For cable and content providers, it became an issue when the first cable wires were strung up. The problem has grown as technology has developed more content and more ways to get it. Putting aside the issue of whether it’s all overpriced, it costs money to develop and deliver the content we love to watch, and too much of it is “falling off the back of an electronic truck.”

We can watch content for free on our TVs when they receive broadcast signals. But for the most part, the only people who watch broadcast TV are those who have cut the cord and stream through their TVs on their internal Wi-Fi or wired networks. For them, a TV is a device, just like a tablet, wireless phone or computer.

Cable providers have relationships with content providers that enable subscribers to stream cable-delivered content or simply stream it from the content providers. You get a username and password, and you’re good to go. You can even share your account with others, and almost all of us have done it at one time or another, especially with Netflix or Amazon Prime. Some providers encourage it.

Unfortunately, some people have taken sharing too far. The content industry has been OK with sharing info with a few friends or family members, but the problems arise when those friends and family members start sharing access with their friends and family. It’s all gone viral, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Every provider who issues usernames and passwords also has the means to track who is accessing content and where they’re watching it. They expect that subscribers will stream their programming when they’re traveling, and they can usually verify access privileges are being properly used. Most vacations are a week or two, and even if you move around a bit, you’re generally not in locations a world apart within the space of two days – or on the same day.

The industry can track possible abuse, and there are steps they can take – if they haven’t done so already – to limit access without alienating honest, rule-abiding subscribers. They can require all subscribers to re-enter or change passwords more frequently. It’s a risk for them because some subscribers may find this an inconvenience and drop their service. However, it’s one way to shut off access to a large number of pirates in one fell swoop.

They can also limit the number of shares they’ll allow. While Netflix, for example allows up to four shares for its most expensive plan, and providers such as HBO and DirecTV allow limited sharing. ESPN may have limits on how many streams are allowed, but that could be independent of limits placed by cable or satellite carriers.

The industry can threaten to cut off subscribers – or actually cut their cords – but that gets into all sorts of sticky legal and customer-service issues. For example, do you take action against the parents who gave their college-age kids access? Do you go after their kids? Do you go after the users of devices they believe are “invalid users?”

This problem will become more prominent on the industry’s radar screen because a lot of money is at stake. Content producers need to be paid for their product, and that payment depends on how many subscribers watch it. Cable and satellite companies pay fees to producers and collect fees from advertisers and subscribers based on the number of valid users. Nobody wants money taken off the table because of a discrepancy between subscribers and viewers.

Finally, all this sharing raises a nagging question in the back of our mind: If someone has access to an account that you pay for, how can they use this access for their own gain at your expense? Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us for help in tightening up your access controls.

We’re Not Neutral on Net Neutrality

The intended repeal of net neutrality by the FCC will affect all of us. We’re likely to see the first changes as they affect the cost and availability of streamed programming and premium content; less is likely to cost more. We don’t know, yet, how it will affect search engines and your ability to find local businesses or anything else on the internet.

 Let’s start with a quick review of the history of the internet. It began as a level playing field for exchanging information worldwide, and it led to a communications revolution. It mightily disrupted the communications industry’s business models in every way imaginable.

Telephone calls, for example, are free or cost just pennies per minute to almost anywhere in the world. We can even make video calls for free. The internet, in this case, took away a revenue stream from traditional telephone carriers – and added a business capability for the cable TV industry.

Telephone service – or voice communication – became essentially a throw-in for telephone carriers and cable providers. Even if they were restricted in some markets in certain ways, at least one of each plus a satellite carrier could compete for your business. That led to service tiers and bundles of programming that customers were likely to buy.

Cable or satellite TV, in turn, was impacted by the internet. You don’t need a cable connection – or a satellite dish – to get all manner of visual content: TV shows, movies, etc. All you had to do was buy and install a good Wi-Fi system in your home and pay for fast enough internet service, and you could pick and choose what you wanted to watch.

This setup, which has continued until now, has allowed a number of smaller, innovative companies to get into the content business, either as producers or carriers. Companies that have innovated in some way, shape or form have become big-time players in the internet. Google, Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft and the like are relatively new companies that grew rapidly by exploiting technology.

But those companies are not ISPs (Internet Service Providers). The ISP business is essentially comprised of telephone and cable carriers, and that business has been commoditized. How many of us have switched ISPs at the drop of a hat to save a few bucks on basic services or add new features for very little additional cost? How many of us have simply dropped cable or satellite TV?

One of the factors that has contributed to our freedom of choice is Net Neutrality. Simply put, it is a governmental regulation that prohibits any ISP from blocking or slowing down virtually any content from virtually any provider. If you pay for 300-mbs internet service or 1-gigabit service, you can get it at that speed because the ISP can’t block it or slow it down.

That’s different from most cable or satellite TV services. Ever since their inception, they have sold blocks of programming in tiers. The more programming you want, the more you pay. If you want to pay less, you sacrifice choice – or you choose not to get high-definition service. That was OK because with Net Neutrality, you could get programming over the internet, and you could price your service more selectively.

The removal of Net Neutrality means that your internet service will now be bundled like cable/satellite TV programming. You want to stream Netflix or Amazon programming? There could be a premium charge for that. You want to stream sports or news programming? Your ISP can negotiate with the program providers to determine which ones they’ll carry and at what data speeds. No matter how it happens, your cost is likely to go up.

And there’s more. What about your favorite search engine? Why has Google fought so hard to become the dominant search engine? Why does Facebook keep trying to expand its user base? You know why: they can get more advertising dollars. Who doesn’t get any benefit from that now? Your ISP.

With the removal of Net Neutrality, search engines will need to strike deals with ISPs just like programmers have had to do, and then you’ll have to decide on an ISP based on a search engine you might want – as well as what websites you might want to access. Or, will some carriers show preferences for certain businesses? What’s to prevent one from favoring a shopping site over others in return for a higher access fee? What’s to prevent a consumer products company from being priced out of a website presence by bigger, well-financed conglomerates?

All of the innovation that we’ve seen? It’s going to be harder and harder for startups to get a foothold. We think the end of Net Neutrality will lead to higher prices and fewer choices for anything that we’ve become accustomed to finding on the internet. At least that will be the case until something new comes along. You can bet somebody’s hard at work developing the next alternative.

In the meantime, you can count on us to help you navigate the new world of the internet. We can help you select and install the networking equipment you’ll need to be compatible with your ISP and/or TV provider and make sure all interfaces and security systems function properly. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us with any questions you have as Net Neutrality events unfold.

New Browser War

Mozilla just launched Quantum, the fastest and most feature-laden version of its Firefox browser. Will it be the shot heard ‘round the internet? We think it’s overtaken Chrome and that it’s way ahead of Edge, which Microsoft launched to replace Internet Explorer.

When it was introduced in 2004, Firefox, an open-source darling, shot ahead of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, but its star faded with the development of Google’s Chrome. By the time it launched Quantum, also known as Firefox 57, Mozilla saw its user base at 6 percent of the browser market. Chrome, which was my browser of choice, had 55 percent of the market, and Safari had 15 percent. In the desktop market, Chrome has had a 64 to 15 percent market advantage over Firefox. Clearly, Mozilla had to make some big changes.

The name Quantum may come from the quantum leap the browser made in speed. The 57th iteration of Firefox is reportedly twice as fast as Firefox 52. Mozilla claims it uses 30 percent less memory than Chrome, which will enable you to run other programs or apps faster on your computer, and it claims to have better privacy features than Chrome. Its new Tracking Protection is a default operation that blocks extensive requests for online user tracking and reportedly reduces the average page loading time by 44 percent.

The new browser supports WebVR, which enables websites to take full advantage of VR headsets, and Mozilla’s Pocket service is now more integrated in the browser and displays trending articles on the new tab page. Last but not least, for those of you who didn’t like being locked into Yahoo as the default search engine for Firefox, you get several choices after entering your search topic.

One drawback might be the loss of add-ons from the old Firefox engine. They allow a lot of customization. Most of the top extensions have been updated, but if you need to retain some of them, you could try Firefox ESR, which will give you the add-ons but at a slower speed. In the meantime, you get plenty of extension, theme and toolbar options to customize it.

Since I’ve installed it, I think Quantum – or Firefox 57 – will give Chrome a run for its money. Firefox says it will have several tweaks over the next year to make the browser even faster. If you want to check it out, download it directly from Mozilla.

If you have questions about Quantum/Firefox 57, call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us for help. We think you’re going to like it.

Automotive Electronics Systems are Flat Tires

In an article about the reliability of automotive brands, in-car electronics systems took the big hits for some big brands. Surprising? Not at all.

We’re putting a lot of pressure on electronics, and they, in turn, are putting pressure on our cars’ batteries and our overall perception of how well our cars are working. Batteries are becoming the most-replaced part in our cars, and it’s no wonder. With all the power accessories we depend on, such as our infotainment systems and power seats, and the increasing replacement of mechanical systems with electrical and electronic systems, we put a lot of strain on our batteries. That’s something those of us in the Northeast might want to note as we head into winter.

Strong batteries, however, won’t solve some inherent problems that I’ve noticed. Our electronic infotainment systems are slow to integrate with other systems, everything from climate control to navigation, radios and Bluetooth connections for phones or music playlists. When we’re driving and depending on our navigation system and the defroster, for example, we need speedy integration. We can’t afford to take our eyes off the road for more than a split second. We also can’t afford a glitch in the performance of either function. When a turn comes up in heavy traffic, we need to be in position to make the turn safely. And, at the same time, we need to be able to see where we’re going. If our system is slow, we get distracted from our driving, and that could cause an accident.

Distraction seems to be a major problem from reports we’ve seen. The big areas of concern are the size of the screens themselves and how the systems integrate with Apple CarPlay (which I have in my Volvo) and Android Auto. Some drivers can’t always be sure whether they’re using their phone’s system or their car’s. That confusion can be a distraction, especially if your car and your phone have you plugged into different navigation systems – and one of them may not be sending you where you want to go.

We should briefly note, too, that some in-car systems are compatible only with Apple or Android systems or can favor one system over the other. That’s something you should know when you set up your car system, your phone or both. For example, we love Waze, but it’s not available through CarPlay. Google Maps has some features that are not available on Apple Maps, and that reflects a larger problem of your car’s system telling you which apps you can or cannot use.

Just to note, there are some current topics related to in-car systems. First, Bluetooth is still an issue when setting it up in older cars or to work as an installed capability with Apple or Android systems. Second, Lexus has decided to develop its own in-car systems. They may or may not work with Apple and Android systems, but the cars will have apps that tie in with your mobile devices, giving you some control or monitoring the car and its operations while you’re not there. A few comments about kids and valet parking come to mind for that.

The other distraction is the visual distraction, and that has two parts.

Some displays are just too big, and one that comes to mind right away is Tesla’s 17-inch touchscreen. That’s bigger than many laptop computers, and there are two problems. First, it’s large area to scan when you need to change something, and that can take more of your attention when you’re driving. This may be less a consideration for a driverless car, but today, you need to drive. It also creates a large reflection or a large bright light that can be a distraction.

The flipside is that a smaller screen can take you too long to pinpoint the place you need to touch for the action you require. That can take up more of your attention, too, and lead to an accident.

Some systems don’t have a screen layout that may be good for you. And while you can overcome some of that by locking the locations of some functions in your memory, the pressure of all the decisions you need to make while driving may negate that.

With all their current problems or shortcomings, in-car electronics will play bigger roles in your car and how you drive – or don’t drive it. Many of the things we see, such as warnings, automatic braking and stopping systems, navigation and self-parking are precursors of automated or driverless cars.

But while we’re still in the present, we can help you set up and integrate Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and your mobile devices and apps in new or older cars. There are lots of set-up options, and we can help your sort them through and make sure your setup is what you need. Call us -973-433-6676 – or email us to talk about it.