But as always, everything has its counterpoint and therefore I want to talk about how, and unwittingly, in many cases, when installing an application, we can end up installing unsolicited programs on our computers and lately mobile platforms that hinder our everyday use of the computer or smartphone.

The first question that strikes us in these cases is, how did that program end up installed on my computer?

Very simple. The Windows installation processes are virtually automatic and rarely require user intervention. In most of the cases they are based on a number of license agreements windows which pretty much show us information that we do not usually read while we click Next, Next, Next …to complete the installation of the desired software.

The thing is that this Windows installation process contains certain default options which are deliberately checked and you end up accepting toolbars in your browser, changing the appearance of the home page, getting unwanted advertising windows or installing programs that even capture your Internet surfing habits to later show ads to fit our preferences.

Given this, what should be done to avoid this type of intrusive software? First, you should check that the page you download the software from is the official website of the creator of the software. This can often lead to confusion, since in many cases, the official page does NOT necessarily match the first result that comes on the page rank of our friend Google.

Last but not least, (because often even downloading from the official website is no guarantee), it is best to review the software installation process step by step. Above all, pay special attention to the default or preset options. Not surprisingly, I have come to see software downloaded from official pages where the installation process added 2 to 3 additional programs that we had not previously requested.

What to do when, in spite of all our caution, we have installed something that we did not want? Above all, do not panic, because all the changes we have done can be undone, but not in a way as simple and as fast as it had been during installation.

Legal programs should include their own uninstallers together with the license agreements. In most cases, simply go to the Windows Control Panel to find the software you want to uninstall in Add or Remove Programs or Programs and Features. At other times, the unwanted toolbar or add-on will be found in the Start menu, Programs.

Just like that? Yes and no. Unfortunately, most of the changes made to our browser, are not so easily reversed. You need to go to the configuration of your browser (IE / Firefox / Chrome) to again change the home page, and completely remove or disable add-ons or complements.

Finally, I would like to emphasize that although, mostly, this inconvenience occurs almost entirely in Windows OS, I am seeing how slowly this trend is starting to spread to both tablets and platforms such as smartphones, given their bigger and bigger market share.

How about you? Did you also install a cooking application on your smartphone to make curry rice and now you are receiving ads at 2:00 in the morning advertising precooked curry rice?
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Iñaki Cano has been working at Panda for 4 years.

He is a Support technician for homeusers and enterprise products and is responsible for   troubleshooting and resolving Panda product issues worldwide.

He loves computers and keeping up-to-date with new technologies.

The series in question is Black Mirror. The series consists of two seasons with three chapters each. The plots of each chapter are unrelated, they are unique and each lasts approximately 45 min. Each of the six chapters, linked by an unsettling tone in different shades, tells a story set in a possible disturbing future that seems too close as you can recognize elements that already exist in the present. And the common theme, according to the author Charlie Brooker, is that “technology helps people to ruin their lives”.

The author warns of a possible future, a future which seems distant, yet it could be much closer than what we really think. What’s more, the first chapter of this miniseries invites to reflect on the power of new technologies in society.

Don’t worry, I will not spoil the ending for you, I will just advance that the first episode is a political thriller in which the British Prime Minister Michael Callow faces a huge and surprising dilemma when Princess Susannah, a beloved member of the Royal Family, is kidnapped. Known technologies such as YouTube, Facebook or Twitter which help us nowadays to be more informed and to be more entertained than ever, are called into question from minute 1. And.. I cannot tell you much more ).

One of the likely conclusions of this chapter is that we no longer look at tragedy straight in the face: we retweet or share on Facebook for example and go on to read something else. Do you agree? Are we “accommodating” ourselves behind our screens? Are we losing our objectivity at the expense of what the views of the majority in a social network are?

One of the reasons why I liked the series so much, other than its unquestionable technical quality, is that it makes you think and never leaves you indifferent. The remaining chapters follow the line described above. The dangers of the new technologies are exposed and a debate on the benefits technologies bring against the potential damage they pose is open. Chips embedded in our heads that can record everything we see and that store our lives on a hard drive, the possibility of having a social life after death, future reality shows with common elements from the present or animated politicians with more credibility than human politicians are one a few examples I can share with you.

Another example that has caught my attention is the new technology of 3D printers. Have you read the latest news about this new technological phenomenon? I am sure most of you have heard of the gun created from plans freely distributed over the Internet.

But it would not be fair of me to point out only the “negative” aspects of the matter, so take for example this piece of news: A medical implant created with 3D printer saves the life of a baby.

So, shall we only take the positive side of technology, ignoring the potential dangers, or shall we just stay with the negative side of technology? Should we take advantage of the opportunities technology offer to make our lives easier or do we use them to destroy the life of others?

Obviously, I have my own personal view of the matter, but as we said in our last post, Ask.fm, Are you sure it is just a Q&A website?, we want you to bring forth your own conclusions, so I recommend you to see the entire series (or at least the first chapter), and of course you may write a comment on this article, retweet it, share it on your social networks or simply give it a “Like” from your favorite chair

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Alberto Dominguez is a malware and Consumer products Support technician at Panda Security.

He started working at Panda when he was 19 years old some 12 years ago, always at the Headquarter offices of Panda in Bilbao. He loves practising sports, football in particular, and he is a true Athletic Club Bilbao supporter.

Among his responsabilities, Alberto gives outstanding support to our customers from the Technical Support Forum as well as from Twitter: @PandaTechSup

Despite its name, Ask.fm is not a radio station. Ask.fm is nothing but one more social platform succeeding among teenagers and based upon asking and answering. That simple. A Q&A website. Nothing more and nothing less, or… is  there anything more hidden behind such an innocent approach?

First of all, here go some numbers to put you into context. As of today:

• 50 million people use it.
• 1.1 million Likes in Facebook.

Not bad for a company founded in Latvia 3 years ago…  Let’s see how it works.

You register and join. False name, false identity or simply turn the Anon button ON is part of the game. Of course, you can also use your real profile as most people probably do, but there are also always  “those other people”. So now you are ready to search for friends and start asking and answering questions.

Quite silly so far, isn’t it? The point is some people misuse it and lately, there have been suicides among bullied teenagers blamed on Ask.fm.  So, bullying is again the bottom line here. Bullied teenagers with low self-esteem who commit suicide. Bullied teenagers who decide to take their lives away because their feelings have been badly hurt by anonymous messages like these:

“Why are you so ugly?”
“Kill yourself. You’re worthless.”
“Can you just kill yourself ?”

Because of those recent suicides there is a faction of people demanding the closure of the site. There is even a Facebook page with more than 10.000 fans entirely dedicated to deleting this website .

And here is where we come to the crux of the matter. Does it make sense to close something because some people use it badly? Isn’t it easier to delete your account and get off the sure if you are being bullied?

Does anyone really believe that people are taking their lives because of Facebook or Ask.fm or any other social network?  As we always do in La Piazza, we are not going to position ourselves with any of the above mentioned options. All we say is common sense is the key.

We would love it if you shared with us your opinion about this complicated hot topic.

A. Delete the website and this way avoid all dangers?

B. Or trust people’s common sense and hope they will make an adequate usage of it?

Which is your option? A or B?

As old as mankind, propagation forms have changed with the times. Many years ago, in another century, you had to handwrite, envelope, stamp and mail every single letter. Imagine having to send a single letter to all your acquaintances? With the arrival of the Internet and the impact of new technologies, the speed of propagation of the chains was increased to the nth degree: the methods are extended and then come into play version “forward to 5 people by email or SMS” and somewhat later the same phenomenon appears in social networks, “share it on your wall if or else you …”

And the question I ask myself is, or else what?

• I’ll be unlucky in love?
• You’ll lose your job?
• The health of your family will be jeopardized?
• Your friends will suffer a scam after opening a link?
• You will be charged for using whatsapp?

What makes people to continue spreading these hoaxes?

These messages take advantage of the good feelings of the people, their greed, their superstitions and, above all, the ignorance of the receiver. They are easy bait for uneducated, fearful and gullible people.

Modern chains are divided into 5 very well identified types:

• Those which supposedly will help you economically.
• Those which will bring good or bad luck. It depends on whether or not you propagate the chain.
• Those which are altruistic and do not seek any personal benefit but to help others.
• Those which give you something in exchange for something else
• Jokes

How to detect them? Recognizing them is not difficult.

Before forwarding these messages it is best to dig a little on the Internet.

• If it is a hoax it will be displayed on the first page of Google.
• If it looks real, think of a solidarity campaign, for example, it’s best to see if we are referred to a website with the full information, campaign end dates are published, or if it is endorsed by any institution that promotes various social actions.
• If we are threatened or warned that something bad will happen if you don’t forward the message, then, it is a hoax, therefore, false.
• If the message comes unsigned, do not trust it.

If you still have doubts, just don’t resend the message. The FBI page has very good information.

What are they after?

Some people intend to overload servers, others want to spread real viruses, others seek listings of email addresses, and some even ask the user to delete files that are critical for the system to work, saying that it is a virus that has infected the hard drive.

If the strings were true, some of my friends should be millionaires and I should have died and at least thirty times …

And you, have you suffered any of these annoying chains?

Hello Ana and Marta, tell us something about yourselves

Ana Castillo: I am from Granada but I have been over eight years in Madrid. I have a degree in Communication Studies and slowly my professional career focused in the field of online marketing and social media.

From left to right: Ana Castillo and Marta López

Marta López: Like Ana, I have lived many years in Madrid – eleven! but I am from Oviedo and presume of my Asturian origins whenever I can. I have a degree in Journalism and a Masters in Communication Management and Advertising Management. My professional career began in offline communication but, almost without realizing it, I moved towards the online environment.

In 140 characters, what qualities do you think a social media manager must meet?

You have to be very creative and get an overall view of marketing, but more especifically: empathy, listening skills, being a good communicator and, occasionally, a small dose of patience.

Why do you think a company should implement a social media strategy?

Social networks are currently one of the most active and important media that users have. Through them we talk with our friends, with our family … and, inevitably, talk about our lives and our experience as customers of different brands. If the company wants to control this side conversation, be able to respond to problems, improve its brand image and influence the purchase decision process, the ideal is to develop and implement a social media strategy. Currently, most users decide which product to buy heavily influenced by the recommendations of their contacts and friends.

On which social networks is Panda Security present?

We are currently present in Facebook, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. These are the social networks with most users, where the majority of our customers or potential customers are and where we can get higher return. Here go just a few examples:

• Panda Security Facebook
• Panda Security Twitter
• Panda Security TechSupport Twitter
• Panda Security Google+
• Panda Security LinkedIn
• Panda Security YouTube
• Panda Security YouTube TechSupport

What are your main goals for this year?

Mainly, to strengthen the Panda Security brand. We want the world to know that Panda Security is a modern brand, constantly evolving and adapting to the customer’s needs; it is a very dynamic company, always growing and improving. We want to get closer to more people, to give them the opportunity to try out our fantastic products and to build a strong and global community of safe and protected users.

Of the initiatives that you have put in place on social networks, which is the one that has given you greater satisfaction?

Facebook is probably the most rewarding social network.

There, everyone is more open and predisposed to start a conversation, people love to tell you something about their life and they often express how much they like our products and praise Panda’s outstanding customer service.

Well, thank you Marta and Ana very much for sharing your “social ways” with us!

If you want to be part of our community, why don’t you just join us?

Sher.pa is a different way of search, a revolution in voice searching and the Spanish Siri challenger for Android. A Siri challenger from Bilbao sounds almost like science fiction to me, but it can’t can be more true! Sherpa is taking voice-enabled user interfaces to the next level. A natural language Android app compatible on Android, but eventually will work for iOS.

The app uses what’s called a “MultiKnowledge” system that sifts relevant information from different sources to provide the user with the right particulars. As a result unlike Siri, that is dependent on search engines, Sherpa delivers specific answers and eliminates the need to actually tap the “Search the web” button which is pretty  more convenient.

By linking together your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles, you can update your status across each social network. You can send messages directly to Facebook by talking. You can ask Sherpa to show all your mentions on Twitter, set calendar appointments, turn the volume on your phone up or down. Moreover, Sherpa can play music of your choice through varying streaming services because it has access to a database of about 4 million music files.

Another interesting feature of  Sherpa is its ability to enter into transactions. You can ask Sherpa to transfer money from your PayPal account to someone in your contacts without having to type in an email address. And best of all, Sherpa is incredibly fast.

Well, the “Sherpas” have organized in Bilbao what is already considered to be “the international mobile technologies event of the year”. With speakers as renowned as, Martin Varsavsky, Founder of Jazztel and CEO of Fon; Mitchell Baker, President of Mozilla or John Sculley, ex CEO of Apple. The event will bring together CEOs, key experts and decision makers discussing and debating “the next generation of user interfaces, mobile search, voice search, interaction and user experience”.

And all this is going to happen in Bilbao, which as they say in their website,  is “One of the most developed regions in the world” (from Wikipedia), awarded the “World City Prize” (Nobel prize of the cities) Winner in 2010. Our city is part of one of the most innovative European regions.

So this post just intents to be a tribute both to our hometown and to such great entrepreneurs as Xabier Uribe-Etxebarria. People like him have made the growth of the city possible.

See you all at the Sherpa Summit!

It’s a hard question to answer personally and a hard one for parents to agree on collectively.

Did you know there exist many phones marketed to children 3 to 8 years old? As an example you can have a look at the Teddyphone.

What is your very own opinion? Can you help us answering the “What’s the right age for a child to have a cell phone” question? Which of these ideas do you feel more identified with?

A- Kids need no cell phones until they have drivers’ licenses. Calling for a tow or in event of an accident is the only reason for kids to need their own personal phone.

B-  When it’s useful to you for them to have one so you’re not playing phone tag through school offices, friends’ moms, etc.

C-  When they get picked up and dropped off at activities and you may need to contact them to tell them you’re running late or Uncle Bob is picking them up.

D-   When  the child is responsible enough to not lose it.

E-   Whenever they can pay for it.

How many generations got along just fine without cell phones? Yeah… sure that as many as got along fine without seat belts or the internet or calculators. But you cannot struggle against progress…

So, honestly, we need your help!

Can you chose your option or send us your comments with your very own thoughts?

Let me share with you what a normal day in the office is like at Panda!

On the right,  two shots of the Panda Security’s Headquarters building in Bilbao, Spain. The office is right at the heart of the financial and commercial area of the city, which is a luxury, as everything is at hand.

Any normal day, people come to the office  between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. At Panda, we have a variable job schedule, what is known as flexitime. This allows us to come early or to stay late depending on our needs.

It makes our own work-life balance much easier.

Once at work, the atmosphere is friendly yet very professional.

All through the day people have meetings. You can meet by a vending machine, while standing in a corner, a or in a really plush meeting room.

As a curiosity, all meeting rooms are named after famous viruses. 

Though Panda Headquarters is placed in a historic building in Bilbao’s main street, inside it is an open-concept building with almost no walls and no offices.

The very few walls we have are made of glass and people use them as whiteboards.

Training sessions are habitual and employees from all over the world attend courses periodically.

Check out this pic! It was taken this very morning and it features TechSupport guys from Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, France, UK, and more at a product course.

Because, that is right, we at Panda, are international!!

It’s nearly  time to go home, flexi-time, remember? So, I shall talk to you soon and hope I could transmit what a good place working at Panda can be! How about you? What is the atmosphere at your workplace?

• Tweeting or texting while driving slows your reaction time by 38%, which is more than drinking or smoking pot.
• 45% of people feel worried or uncomfortable when not able to access their social networks.
• 66% of people have difficulty sleeping after using social media.
• 64% have accepted a friend request from a stranger.
• 46% women are “highly concerned about letting a stalker know where they are.
• 41% are “aware or extremely concerned” about letting potential burglars know when they are not at home.
• Turning off mobile phones and avoiding the internet can leave people suffering from symptoms similar to those seen in drug addicts trying to go “cold turkey”.

Alarmed? Personally, and I use Twitter and Facebook on a daily basis, I can proudly say that I have never had trouble sleeping after using a social network, I have never, ever, driven and tweeting/texting at the same time, basically, because 1.How stupidly dangerous is that! 2. I hate fines.

I have never accepted a friend request from a stranger – but hey! sometimes I don’t even accept requests from “acquaintances”. Last but not least, I have certainly never experienced withdrawal symptoms. Quite the opposite! How nice is it to disconnect for one full day and not know anything from anyone every once in a while?

But, I could well be the exception to the rule, so how to stop the drain? Take a look at these tips:

• Set a time to be social and help eliminate stress from constant interruption.
• Disable automatic app updates.
• Delete some Facebook friends. Supposedly, the mind can only handle 150 relationships at a time, although I think my mind can only handle 20 max!
• Check your privacy settings.
• Measure is the key. Learn to enjoy social networks but don’t let them take over your life.

Addiction to social networks can be avoided, as we explained in the post Hooked to the Internet (Part I) and Hooked to the Internet (Part II). Don’t let your social media services become addictive, it is up to you to control it. Or are you a FOMO sufferer? If you know what this acronym stands for, please send your comments and enlighten our readers!

Well, we have received many comments – thanks! – so, what is the correct answer to the question? Well, the right answer, as much of you already pointed out is:

b. Because the company was founded by a bunch of friends!

Yes, those were the times, more than twenty years ago, when Mikel Urizarbarrena, creator of Panda, decided to call it Panda in honour of the gang of friends who helped him make of Panda the multinational company it is now. And the company has grown so much that today it is present in 52 countries worldwide. As an example, today we would like to introduce the Panda US Corporate Support Team:

Panda Security US Corporate Support

From left to right: James Manning, Joshua Meador, Juan López, Louis Bayron, Stephanie Urena, Héctor Sánchez, Tyler Tuggle, Juan Fernández

James Manning: Panda US Corporate Support & Malware Technician

I started working in computers as a residential consulting business doing break-fixes and new builds. After that I went to work for an antispyware firm doing tech support when spyware was in its infancy (homepage hijackers, adware). We brought our signature processing and malware collection in house and I was put in charge of that. I had to establish criteria and rules for detection and analysis and storage of samples as well as normalize public facing information. We were also a charter member for one of the first attempts at unifying and normalizing the anti-spyware space in a consortium called COAST. The company also produced antispyware technology for American Online and EarthLink and was later bought by EarthLink. I co-wrote a paper on “permissive botnets” (think Anonymous and Jihad Silver) with my Malware Research Director that was accepted for the EICAR conference. At the end of my time there I was editing an online security website for EarthLink that aggregated and explained technical information and threats to EarthLink subscribers. After a very short break in between I came here to Panda. Most all of my background in computers has been related to malware in some capacity or another.

Joshua Meador: Panda US Corporate Support Technician

I’ve been working at Panda since 2009, I support all products but specialize mostly in email related products such as PCEP and PCOP Advanced. My interests include high-altitude hiking, mountaineering, photography and art.

Juan Lopez: Panda US Corporate Support Technician

I live in Los Angeles, California but I’m originally from Guatemala.I got my High School in Guatemala City at the “Instituto Tecnico Vocacional Imrich Fischmann”. My background is in electronics. Panda is a great place to work. Everyday, I get a chance to solve technical problems on customer’s computers.Before coming to Panda I worked in several computers shops in the greater Los Angeles Area.I’ve been dealing with computers since 1992 when I was a freshman at Cal State LA. The first operating system I used was Windows for Workgroups 3.11. For me, antivirus software is the hardest to install. The initial deployment is the hardest since previous AV has to be fully removed! I’ve been with Panda for almost 8 years!

Louis Bayron: Panda US Corporate Support Technician

Born June 3, 1971, originally from New York City born and raised came to live in Orlando Florida in 2005 and have been here ever since. Experience with computer technology has been 9 years on job related. I have some college but no degree I do have 3 certifications I am A plus, Network plus, MCP certified. Love movies especially sci-fi, reading tons of different books and practice martial arts-kickboxing. My greatest passion is one, my daughter since I have one child and secondly is my Art, I am metal sculptor by heart.

Stephanie Urena: Panda US Customer Service representative

I have been here for a little over a year now and I absolutely love it! I have worked in customer service for about 6 years. The best part about my job is that I get to interact with some of the greatest clients over the phone and through e-mails every day. I am a single mother of two so my time is very valuable. When I get to speak with my clients and help them with whatever issues they are having, that gives me the best satisfaction. Just to have the ability to make the clients happy and comfortable with me is why I choose to work in customer service.

Just to touch on a little bit about me, I am 22 years old and a single mother of two handsome little baby boys. I have a 3 year old named Jayden and a 7 month old named Maison. They are my world. On my spare time I love taking them to the park and going on long walks. Jayden loves to play baseball so I spend a great deal of time teaching him how to play since I grew up playing softball myself. Working for Panda Security gives me the ability to enjoy all of my friends and family at home.

Panda Security is the greatest place to work. The staff, support and managers are AWESOME! We are a pretty small office and have grown into our own little family. Everyone here is charismatic and energetic and makes working here a lot of fun! The US Support team definitely shines above all else. Being a part of this support team is the greatest pleasure I have ever had. Every single of them are very special to me. The management here is indescribable. They are all polite and very easy to talk to, but the best one has to be my manager Juan! Basically, Panda overall is a great place to work and being able to say you look forward to coming to work every day is very hard nowadays with this economy. Thank you Panda!

Héctor Sánchez: Panda US Corporate Support Technician

I was born and raised New York City. My parents are from Puerto Rico. I moved to Florida in 1994. I have worked Information Technology since 1986 at various companies that included Businessland, Chase Bank, Neuberger & Berman, Sears.I have been married for 30 years and have 3 children. I like to travel with my family to different countries when I can, watch movies and have barbecues in the backyard. I am a people person and keep our customers as happy as I can with our product and our support.

Tyler Tuggle: Panda US Corporate Support Technician

I was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida January 15th 1982, and have lived most of my life in central Florida. I enjoy outdoor activities such as surfing and wakeboarding. I like going to the beach, and I of course love computers. I was privileged enough to be born in a house with lots of computers around. So it was natural that I end up working with them. Starting with a Commodore 64, I have a long history with all sorts of computer systems, all the way up to SGI onyx machines. I run my own website hosted on a custom server that I built from extra parts I had on hand. I very much enjoy working for Panda and the challenges this job presents.

Juan Fernández: Panda US Technical Support Manager

Born in Barcelona but raised in Almeria (Spain), my life as always been related to computer support and programming. I moved to the USA in 1999 and had tech support management roles for different companies, until 2005, just before Hurrican Katrina hit New Orleans, when I began working for Panda. I will always remember that as some of my friends went there to help but I had just began working for Panda and had to pass (I’m an active Search and Rescue volunteer) I began working at Panda as a regular tech but quickly became an expert and finally the last Tech Support manager on the Los Angeles office, while developing PSCAN and other tools you may have used already. My next step was to work directly for HQ doing custom development, some Sales Force integration projects and VIP support. This time at the company helped me adquire a different view of the complexities of our company.

Now I’m back as the USA Tech Support Manager, where I plan to use all the experience adquired during the 9+ years at Panda to the benefit of the company and its customers.