A dodgy WiFi network can brick your iOS device 

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If you use an Apple iPhone, iPad or other iDevice, now would be an excellent time to ensure that the machine is running the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system — version 9.3.1

Earlier in the year it was discovered that setting the date to January 1970 would brick your iOS device. Now someone has realised you can spoof the NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers your iPhone uses to set the time; sending back that trigger date and bricking your device. You have to connect to a malicious WiFi to cause this but update to iOS 9.3 or later and you’re safe regardless.

MaxMind’s database sending people to a farm in Kansas 

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As a result, for the last 14 years, every time MaxMind’s database has been queried about the location of an IP address in the United States it can’t identify, it has spit out the default location of a spot two hours away from the geographic centre of the country.

MaxMind picked a random location to use as the U.S. default when it couldn’t locate an IP address accurately. That location turned out to be a farm.

They had no idea this was happening but are now updating their default locations to be in large masses of water.

Ecotricity to launch 100% green energy phone service 

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We’ll power the entire Ecotalk operation – all calls, texts and data – with 100% green energy from the wind and sun. We think it will be the first carbon free mobile phone service of its kind in Britain, if not the world.

We’ll be following some of the key principles of Ecotricity – such as our ethical pricing policy. We’ll have a simple range of monthly bundles to choose from, with no exit fees, and everyone will always have access to the latest best price for each bundle.

We’re also adapting our ‘bills into mills’ model – where we harness our customers’ energy bills to build new wind and sun mills. With Ecotalk, we’re going to harness our customers’ mobile phone bills and use the revenue to buy land and ‘give it back to nature’ – creating vitally needed nature reserves. Our main focus will be to create habitats for bees, and in the process we’ll create new habitats for all kinds of insects, birds and mammals.

The other key part of what Ecotricity does, which we intend to mirror with Ecotalk, is give the very best customer service.

Interesting to see Ecotricity moving into the communications space with a 100% green mobile phone network; Ecotalk. I’m assuming they’ll sit on top of an existing carrier as an MVNO, offsetting the carbon with their own solar and wind farms.

Green credentials aside; I’ve been extremely happy with Ecotricity’s customer support, whenever you phone up a human answers the phone right away.

I’ve used Ecotricity for my home’s electricity and gas for the past few years – it’s 100% green and costs no more (often less) than the big six providers in the U.K. If you signup and reference my code, RAFA-LCQJW, we’ll both get a £50 voucher.

Update: they’ve now launched – https://www.ecotalk.co.uk