Whether you're conducting an interview or just want to capture a bad customer-service call for posterity, these are your options.
With all the recent kerfuffle over Comcast's horrendous customer service (and the recorded calls that let the world share in the unpleasantness), it stands to reason you might wonder how to record a phone call of your own.
After all, if you're on the receiving end of such disastrously bad service, you might want audio proof.
Of course, there are other, more innocuous, reasons for recording calls, like if you're interviewing someone for a story. Whatever your plans, there are plenty of tools available. Before you use any of them, however, make sure you're legally allowed to do so.
Know the law
Sure, the NSA can get away with recording calls, but can you? As noted by the Digital Media Law Project, "From a legal standpoint, the most important question in the recording context is whether you must get consent from one or all of the parties to a phone call or conversation before recording it."
There are both federal and state laws pertaining to this, and it goes without saying that you should investigate them before recording any phone conversation.
That said, when you call a customer-service number and hear the message, "Calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes," that's the company's way of obtaining your consent. (If you don't consent, you obviously have the option of hanging up.) To my thinking, this also implies consent on the part of the company, meaning you should be free and clear to record at your end. But I'm not a lawyer.
Likewise, if both parties verbally consent to the recording -- like if you're conducting a phone interview -- and you capture that consent within the recording, that should be sufficient to absolve you of any legal complications. Again, consult a lawyer if you have concerns.
Tools for recording calls
Assuming you're squared away with the law, how do you actually make a recording of a phone call?
The most obvious method: Enable speakerphone mode on whatever phone you're using, then using a second device to record the call. This could be anything from an old-school tape recorder to your PC's Webcam to an iPhone running the stock Voice Memos app.
The downside to this approach is that the speakerphone picks up all other ambient noise as well. If you're typing while talking (like during an interview), the clack of your keys might be an unwelcome addition to the recording.
A better option: Google Voice. The service makes call recording insanely easy: Just press 4 during a call to start recording, then press 4 again to stop. When you're done, you'll have an MP3-formatted file you can listen to online or download.
Unfortunately, this works only with incoming calls. If you're making an outbound call, like to a customer-service line, the feature won't work. (Tip: Use GetHuman to set up a customer-service callback using your Google Voice number. Now you can record away.)
You can also try some app-powered recording options. RMC: Android Call Recorder, for example, can easily preserve both incoming and outgoing calls, but like many similar apps for Android, it captures only ambient sound -- meaning you have to enable the speakerphone, otherwise you'll get only your voice.
iPhone users can try something like Call Recorder Free, which relies on three-way calling to merge your call with a recording line. But take note that the free version is fairly limited; to unlock most features, you'll need to unlock an in-app upgrade ($9.99).
For the best results, consider a voice-over-IP app that supports call recording. WePhone, for example, offers competitive rates for both long-distance and international calls, and starts/stops recording with just the tap of a button.
Have you found a better app or other solution for recording phone calls? Name it in the comments! We'll be listening...
It's been a long time since Microsoft had a Patch Tuesday this bad. By Friday they were conceding problems with several updates. Not only did they withdraw four updates, but they recommended that users uninstall one of them.
Yesterday they reissued that update, but they also announced that it had its own set of new bugs, one of which can make windows inaccessible or invisible. Three of the four withdrawn updates are still withdrawn and two of those are also subject to the missing window bug. Two other updates, previously uninvolved with the August updates, also have this missing window bug.
I have no hard numbers to go on, but I do suspect that the number of users affected by all these problems is, as Microsoft says, small. Perhaps very small. Even so, it's hard to escape the feeling that something went very wrong recently at Microsoft's update shop.
Not only have the developers at Microsoft had a bad month, but the communications machine has faltered as well. Microsoft has a large collection of blogs, several of which touch on update issues, especially the MSRC (Microsoft Security Response Center) blog. There have been problems with updates in the past and Microsoft has been rather forthright about them in these blogs. But the discussions of the recent troubles with updates are so fleeting, perfunctory and, I would argue, misleading, that the company seems more embarrassed than concerned.
Since I just wrote "misleading," I should explain. The MSRC blog entry announcing yesterday's re-release of MS14-045 usesweasel words to give the impression that the problems were caused by a change in the company's scheduling practices for non-security updates, but they don't actually say that this was the cause or that it was even related.
The blog says that Microsoft would start releasing non-security updates on Patch Tuesday, rather than throughout the month. In fact Microsoft has, for a long time, released non-security updates on Patch Tuesday, although they have also released them at other times during the month. For years the fourth Tuesday has been a second Patch Tuesday for non-security updates. Does the new practice mean that the fourth Tuesday will no longer be used? A different Microsoft blog earlier this month indicated that the point of the change in update practice was to bring out new features quickly, when they are available, and not just once a month.
Update on August 28: I have spoken to Microsoft and they say that they will tend towards releasing new features on the regular Patch Tuesday (i.e. the second Tuesday of the month) but that they will continue to release non-security updates on the fourth Tuesday.
A better question is what any of this could possibly have to do with buggy security and non-security updates, unless they are claiming that it led to inadequate testing. This they clearly do not say although, to be honest, they don't say it didn't happen either.
There are other communications gaps. If you read the re-released security bulletin carefully, and specifically read the Update FAQ, you see that "Microsoft strongly recommends that customers who have not uninstalled the 2982791 update [the old update that was withdrawn] do so prior to applying the 2993651 update [the new, re-released update]." They don't say you must do this, just that they strongly recommend it.
What happens if you don't? They don't say. Why does the 2993651 update, or Windows Update, not remove the 2982791 update first? This is unclear. In fact, at the same time, Microsoft recommends relying on Automatic Updates which will install the new update without removing the old one and not inform the user of the fact.
Update on August 28: I have asked Microsoft why the new update does not replace the old one. The company has no official response, but I’m hearing that it is not, in fact, necessary to uninstall the old update before installing the new one. Once the new update is in place it is used by the system and the old code is never executed, even though the update remains installed on the system.
To uninstall the old update go to Control Panel, Programs and Features, Installed Updates, find the 2982791 update in the Microsoft Windows section, right click and uninstall. You can find the update by searching for "KB2982791" in the Control Panel for uninstalling updates.
Another communications gap concerns new bugs in the new updates. The security bulletin is silent on them, but if you read the Knowledge Base article for the new update you'll see that there are two known issues with it. Neither are trivial and the second could be quite serious. It changes the z-order, or depth level of windows, so that they may be invisible or hidden behind other windows.
Furthermore, this z-order bug is also present in four other already-released updates (one of them is just a hotfix, so it will be less prevalent).
How often does this bug manifest when the user has any of the installed updates? No word on that but, as I said earlier, I suspect it's actually pretty rare, or we would have heard of them from parties other than Microsoft.
I've also been concerned that the same severe problem, such as the Stop 0x50 blue screen bugs for which the MS14-045 update was originally recalled, are also caused by updates for, at best, tangentially-related software. The same can be said of the z-order bug.
For years, Windows Update and the updates it delivers have had a high level of reliability. This has allowed Microsoft to default to delivery and installation of updates in Windows, to the great benefit of users. August 2014 has called this achievement into question. Can we just blindly trust Microsoft's updates anymore? At the moment, even Microsoft seems not to know.
The emerging world of information technology is one in
which data is king, social platforms evolve as a new source of business
intelligence, and cloud computing finally delivers on IT’s role as a
driver of business growth, according to a new report from Accenture
(NYSE: ACN).
The identified identifies eight emerging trends that challenge long-held assumptions
about IT and are poised to reshape the business landscape. The report
also offers “action steps” that high performing businesses and
governments can take to prepare for the new world of computing.
One of the most significant trends
identified in the report finds that the age of “viewing everything
through an application lens is coming to an end.” Instead, platform
architectures will be selected primarily to cope with soaring volumes of
data and the complexity of data management, not for their ability to
support applications.
The tried and true relational database will
not go away, but it will soon start to make way for other types of
databases – streaming databases, for instance – that mark a significant
departure from what IT departments and business users have relied on for
decades.
The report also predicts the
evolution of social media into social platforms. This means company
websites may no longer be the first port of call for customers. This has
the potential to disrupt the way companies conduct business, posing new
challenges – and opportunities – for IT.
For example, “social
identities” – based on the rich history of information that individuals
leave in social networks – will become much more valuable to businesses
than the traditional and isolated information they get when an
individual registers on their corporate website.
Accenture also sees a new
conversation emerging around cloud computing, which will become so
pervasive that the term itself becomes superfluous. According to the
report, hybrid clouds – software-as-a-service (SaaS) and
platform-as-a-service (PaaS) in combination with internal applications –
will “cement IT’s role as a driver of business growth.”
The
focus will shift from simple infrastructure solutions to developing
cloud strategies that deliver increased functionality and flexibility
using a mix of public and private cloud-based application and platform
services. While many challenges remain, cloud is nonetheless poised to
change the face of enterprise computing.
The fortress mentality, in which
all IT has to be architected to be foolproof, is giving way to a
security architecture that responds proportionately to threats when and
where they happen.” As a result, the role of people in data security
will decline, replaced by automated capabilities that detect, assess,
and respond immediately.
Individual privacy will take
center stage as a result of increased government regulation and policy
enforcement. The report concludes: “We expect that leading players will
develop superior levels of understanding, enterprise-wide, about the
distinctions between being a data processor – broadly handling the
personal data of others – versus being a data controller, thus lowering
the risks of unwitting breaches or privacy regulations and perceptions
of privacy breakdowns.”
Companies that continue to view
analytics as a simple extension of business intelligence will be
“severely underestimating analytics’ potential to move the needles on
the business.” Among other failings, traditional BI does not take
advantage of the wealth of unstructured data that is now available. IT
leaders will need to work closely with business leaders to identify
where analytics can be leveraged effectively, as well as the proper mix
of services required to optimize analytics capabilities across the
enterprise.
Information technology is evolving
from a world that is server-centric to one that is service-centric.
Companies are quickly moving away from monolithic systems that were
wedded to one or more servers toward finer-grained, reusable services
distributed inside and outside the enterprise. The goal: to decouple
infrastructure, systems, applications, and business processes from one
another.
Today, business process design is
driven by the need for optimization and cost reduction. Tomorrow it will
be driven by the need to create superior user experiences that help to
boost customer satisfaction. Great user experiences will require more
layered approaches than what is typical today. As such, application
design will be a multidisciplinary exercise: Typically handled today by
IT architects and business owners, tomorrow it will involve optimization
from the perspective of the process actor, with the emphasis on
simplicity and on removing inefficiencies.
We all know that the IT industry is one of the hottest and most
lucrative fields around these days. But do you know which specific IT
jobs are considered the top 10 IT jobs? The list below details the best
of the bunch and the information you’ll need to get into one of these
careers yourself.
Information technology jobs are expected to increase by 37% between now and 2016.
An Overview of the Top 10 IT Jobs
Information technology jobs are big commodities now and will remain so
in the future. Between now and 2016, the number of these jobs is
expected to increase by 37%. The average rate of growth for jobs in
general during this same time period is only projected to be 9-11%.
Although job prospects will be excellent throughout the IT field, many
of the best jobs are going to require higher levels of training and
experience. At the top of those specific professions, however,
six-figure salaries are quite common in many jobs.
The Top 10 IT Jobs
Here is some information about the top 10 IT jobs that are currently available:
• Lead Application Developer — As a lead application developer, your job
is to manage the teams that are responsible for developing software.
That means you can play an important role at every stage of the
development process, including designing, coding, and testing the
software. Generally, you will need a bachelor's degree in computer
science as a minimum education requirement, and most employers will want
you to have at least 3 to 5 years of experience in software development
under your belt as well. On average, you can expect to earn between
$80,000 and $110,000 per year in this position. Unfortunately, this is
one of the few IT jobs that is expected to decline in numbers slightly
in the next few years, so opportunities may not be as plentiful.
• Application Architect — When a new application is needed, the
architect is the mind behind its construction. That means you'll be
responsible for designing the different parts of the application,
including the interface and infrastructure, based on the standards
provided by the client. Although the minimum education required is a
bachelor's degree in computer science, your chances of securing
employment are better if you have a master's degree. You can also expect
to be required to have at least 8 years experience in developing
software and applications. The anticipated salary for this position is
between $85,000 and $120,000. The good news is that this is going to be a
fast growing field, with a current projected growth rate of over 30%
over the next decade.
• Messaging Administrator — These administrators are responsible for
helping companies stay in touch with one another. They handle email
systems, including fixing problems with the systems and providing
back-up options to ensure that none of the messages are lost. You should
expect to be in demand a great deal with your employer. A few years of
experience working with the same systems that your potential employer
uses is highly desirable, as is at least a bachelor's degree in computer
science or information systems. The salary range for messaging
administrator jobs is about the same as that for application architects.
• Data Modeler — In this position, you are going to be responsible for
developing models to illustrate data flow. To accomplish this goal, you
will need to analyze vast sets of data requirements. Most employers are
going to be looking for past experience working with data management, as
well as a bachelor's degree in a computer-related field. The
anticipated salary for this type of work is between $74,000 and $102,000
per year, while the anticipated growth in this area is about 38% over
the next decade, which is considerably higher than average.
• Network Manager — As a network manager, you will play a crucial role
in maintaining the company's networking technology. You will be required
to work with other team members to make sure the network is up and
running correctly at all times. Because the position is one of immense
responsibility, employers want you to have at least 10 years of
experience in the field, in addition to management experience. The
average salary for this position is between $75,000 and $99,000 per
year. Like most IT positions, job growth is expected to reach nearly 40%
by 2016.
• Senior IT Auditor — For this position, you will be responsible for
developing the review procedures for ensuring that the company's
computer systems are meeting the industry standards. You'll establish
testing and evaluation plans, as well. The position typically requires a
bachelor's degree in computer science or a similar field. Most
employers look for at least 5 years of experience working directly with
an IT auditing team. You can earn between $86,000 and $115,000 in this
position. Again, expect phenomenal job growth in this area.
For many of the top information technology jobs, six-figure salaries are common.
•
Senior Web Developer — As the head web developer, you'll be responsible
for handling all aspects of the process to bring your applications to
the Internet. That includes working with the development and marketing
staff. Most employers want to be sure that you have at least 5 years of
experience working with a wide variety of web-related technologies. A
degree in computer science is also necessary. The salary for this job is
between $76,000 and $108,000. Again, these positions should increase by
about 37% by 2016.
• Business Intelligence Analyst — In this role, your position will be to
create the methods for data analysis. You'll also be responsible for a
number of other issues as well, including reporting on solutions and
analyzing data that can be communicated to senior management in the form
of reports. You will need a bachelor's degree in a computer-related
field and a number of years of direct work experience. The average
salary is between $78,000 and $108,000 per year. Job growth is expected
to be comparable to growth for the other IT positions.
• Staff Consultant — In this position, you'll need to work with your
colleagues for project planning. Usually, you'll need to have a
bachelor's degree in computer science or business. You will also need to
have at least 2 years of experience in business and in consulting. The
average salary for this type of job is between $60,000 and $82,000. This
field is expected to increase by 78%, which is the highest rate of all
the top 10 IT jobs.
• Tier 2 Help Desk — Although not one of the most prestigious of the top
ten IT jobs, working at the tier 2 help desk is essential. You would
take the calls that can't be solved by the Tier 1 staff, and you have to
filter out the issues which require in-person service. Having past help
desk experience is essential. Most employers would also like these
employees to have either a two- or four-year degree in computer science.
The salary for these jobs is typically between $35,000 and $46,000 per
year. As more companies expand their computer and technology products,
more help desk staff will be needed, so strong growth is expected.
FortiGate
consolidated security platform delivers unmatched performance and
protection while simplifying your network. Fortinet offers models to
satisfy any deployment requirement from the FortiGate-20 series for
small offices to the FortiGate-5000 series for very large enterprises,
service providers and carriers. FortiGate platforms integrate the
FortiOS™ operating system with FortiASIC™ processors and the
latest-generation CPUs to provide comprehensive, high-performance
security. Each FortiGate includes the widest range of security and
networking functions on the market, including:
Firewall, VPN, and Traffic Shaping
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
Antivirus/Antispyware/Antimalware
Integrated Wireless Controller
Application Control
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Vulnerability Management
IPv6 Support
Web Filtering
Antispam
VoIP Support
Layer 2/3 Routing
WAN Optimization & Web Caching
FortiGate appliances provide enterprise-class protection against
network, content, and application-level threats. Dynamic updates from
the FortiGuard Labs global threat research team ensure your systems are
protected against the latest threats. FortiGate platforms incorporate
sophisticated networking features, such as high availability
(active/active, active/passive) for maximum network uptime, and virtual
domain (VDOM) capabilities to separate various networks requiring
different security policies.
FortiGate
consolidated security platform delivers unmatched performance and
protection while simplifying your network. Fortinet offers models to
satisfy any deployment requirement from the FortiGate-20 series for
small offices to the FortiGate-5000 series for very large enterprises,
service providers and carriers. FortiGate platforms integrate the
FortiOS™ operating system with FortiASIC™ processors and the
latest-generation CPUs to provide comprehensive, high-performance
security. Each FortiGate includes the widest range of security and
networking functions on the market, including:
Firewall, VPN, and Traffic Shaping
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
Antivirus/Antispyware/Antimalware
Integrated Wireless Controller
Application Control
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Vulnerability Management
IPv6 Support
Web Filtering
Antispam
VoIP Support
Layer 2/3 Routing
WAN Optimization & Web Caching
FortiGate appliances provide enterprise-class protection against
network, content, and application-level threats. Dynamic updates from
the FortiGuard Labs global threat research team ensure your systems are
protected against the latest threats. FortiGate platforms incorporate
sophisticated networking features, such as high availability
(active/active, active/passive) for maximum network uptime, and virtual
domain (VDOM) capabilities to separate various networks requiring
different security policies.
