Month: December 2022

SMS fraud: Massive increase, numerous victims

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„Hallo Mama, ich habe mein Handy kaputt gemacht“(“Hi mom, I broke my cell phone”): with this message, scammers are currently contacting potential victims via SMS or WhatsApp. The Federal Criminal Police Office reported on Saturday that reports of such cases had recently increased by 350 percent. The damage is enormous. Using a number unknown to the victim, the fraudsters send messages to thousands of recipient numbers. In these, they pretend to be the victim’s daughter or son and claim to be writing from a friend’s cell phone (hence the unknown…

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Combination flu and Corona vaccine under review in U.S.

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Washington/Mainz, Germany – A combination vaccine developed by Biontech/Pfizer that could be used to vaccinate against covid-19 and influenza simultaneously in the future has been placed in an accelerated approval process by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The announcement was made Friday by Biontech, a German company based in Mainz, and its U.S. partner Pfizer (New York). The vaccine combines mRNA-based influenza with a Corona vaccine adapted to the currently prevalent BA.4/BA.5 omicron sublines and wild type. In early November, the two companies announced the start of a Phase…

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Further electricity price rise expected in January 2023

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In January 2023, electricity prices in Austria will continue to rise sharply. A new increase in electricity prices is expected in January 2023. The Austrian Electricity Price Index (ÖSPI) rises by 6.7 percent to 692.49 points in January 2023. Compared to the same month last year, the ÖSPI is 320.7 percent higher. Wholesale electricity prices continue to riseThe baseload price is up 6.7 percent from the previous month. However, it is up 307 percent year-on-year, the Austrian Energy Agency said in a release. The peak load price also increased compared…

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EU names deadline for USB-C requirement

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In October, the EU agreed on a standard charging cable. USB-C was set as the standard for charging sockets in 2024. Strictly when the regulation comes into force was announced this week. With the publication of a binding directive, the deadline is now set for December 28, 2024. From then on, smartphones, tablets, smart speakers, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, mobile game consoles, e-readers, keyboards, computer mice, portable navigation systems, and the charging boxes of earphones that are newly launched on the market must have a USB-C port for charging. In…

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Saving energy during the Christmas season: Tips on electricity consumption

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Due to the ongoing energy crisis, many people are saving electricity wherever possible. These tips will help you monitor your consumption and reduce it. Baking cookies, a cozy warm living room, and festive lights: that’s what the Christmas season means to most people. But because of the sharp rise in energy costs, many households are preceding the big splurge this year and striving to save extra energy. This is also shown by a recent Civey survey commissioned by energy provider Eon, of which around three-quarters of Germans (74.6 percent) pay…

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New variants: Corona drugs ‘not very effective’

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The EU Medicines Agency (EMA) has warned of the dwindling effectiveness of several antibody-based Corona drugs against recent subvariants of the virus. Laboratory tests have shown that the affected preparations are “poorly effective in neutralizing the omicron subvariants BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2 and XBB,” the Amsterdam-based agency said Friday. So-called monoclonal antibodies, administered by injection or infusion in the hospital, have helped alleviate symptoms of covid-19 in many high-risk patients or hospitalized sufferers. Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-produced proteins that help the immune system fight Covid-19. Major antibody-based Corona drugs include Evusheld from…

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Austria’s first digital driver’s license now available

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The Analog was yesterday. The digital driver’s license is the first “eAusweis” in Austria and works via cell phone. Using the app “eAusweise,” every motor vehicle driver in Austria can now digitize their driver’s license. For the time being, the digital driver’s license is valid exclusively in Austria, but it will also be valid within the entire EU. To use the free app via Android or iOS, one has to log in to the “Digital Office” application with the proof of identity “ID Austria.” State Secretary for Digitalization Florian Tursky…

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That’s why the eraser has a blue side

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Erasers, Ratzefummel or Raditze. No matter what we call them, we all remember the erasers of our school days. But what is the scratchy blue side for? In addition to fountain pens and pencils, there was one item that could not be missing from the primary school equipment: The eraser. Always ready to make small and significant mistakes in the math notebook disappear. The classic eraser has a red and a blue side. Red erases the pencil from the paper without problems; that’s clear. But the blue side is still…

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What is a brownout? How is it different from a blackout?

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Brownout is a term that is occasionally used in connection with the power supply. More specifically, when the power is purposefully shut off. What is a brownout? This question comes up occasionally when it comes to the power supply. Here is the explanation of the term – and the difference to the much better-known blackout. A brownout is when the power supply in a location or region is controlled and shut down in a targeted manner by grid operators. When can a brownout become necessary?According to the Federal Network Agency,…

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