eTatos - SmartNews #5: Don’t Trust Your Eyes & Ears!
Welcome to the fifth issue of our topic-rich eTatos - SmartNews!
If you are interested in self-improvement, productivity, future tech, tools, apps, inspiring quotes, entertainment, and uplifting news you surely will find benefits in our colorful content.
Additionally, we will present you with unique designs from “It’s Brown! It’s Black!”
Let’s get ready to smart up.
Highlights of this issue:
💼✉️🎓 The Ultimate Business Email Course: Smart Mailing & Inbox Zero - The Final Parts
🧘✨🌿 Mindfulness
📢🔎🤖 Don’t Trust Your Eyes & Ears! – Deepfake Phishing in the Era of AI
✨🎨📅 Our Design of the Month: We will see!
🌟📰😊 5 Good News To Lift You Up
The Ultimate Business Email Course: Smart Mailing & Inbox Zero - The Final Parts
Course Content (6 Parts)
Mindsets & Problems - How Emails Destroy Productivity [Issue #2]
Smart Emailing - Creating Emails Correctly [Issue #3]
The Email Charter - 10 Rules Against the Email Spiral [Issue #4]
The "@1-2-3-Plus-System" - Organizing Emails Wisely [This issue]
Inbox Zero and the "FASD Principle" - Mastering the Email Inbox [This issue]
CONCLUSION - The Final Rules to Internalize Effective Mail Management [This issue]
Part 4 - The "@1-2-3-Plus-System" - Organizing Emails Wisely
In the first three parts of our ultimate business email course, you learned how to change your mindset regarding emails and how to write emails the smart way. In this part, we will show you a great recipe to organize your emails. We call this bullet-proof method the “@1-2-3-Plus-System”.
First, forget any complex filing structure. As we mentioned in part 1 over-organizing your emails is a waste of time.
From now on, you will use only these 3+ email folders:
Create the following three folders below your inbox:
@1 – ACTION!
@2 – read
@3 – waiting
(The "@" ensures that the folders are always sorted to the top and indicates that these folders should be maintained regularly.)
These folders are the heart of your new smart email processing system and sort the emails in a clear, manageable way into three categories: do, read, or wait.
The first folder “@1 – ACTION!” (Do something!) contains every email that still needs to be handled or answered.
The second folder “@2 – read” (Read it later!) contains all the emails and documents that still need to be read.
The third folder “@3 – wait” (Waiting for…!) contains the emails waiting for an answer, completion, etc. by a third party.
In addition to the three core folders, you are free to add the following “Plus” folders:
Archive (and "automated" Pre-Archive, if applicable).
Reference material.
Temporary topic or project folders, if applicable.
These folders give your system the flexibility and focus, you need for real productivity.
Archive
This is the place for all the emails that you already processed, or don’t need to handle at all, but don’t want to delete.
If you use rules to automatically archive unimportant emails you could also create an additional "automated" Pre-Archive (Sifting once a week).
To avoid overly large archive files, create a mail archive for each year.
If helpful for you, subdivide the archive into folders "In" and "Out” (for emails you sent).
Create NO further subfolders!
Reference material
Use this folder for COPIES of emails that probably need to be referred to more often, for email templates, and so on.
Temporary topic or project folders (e.g., @Project)
These can be very useful if you are focusing on one topic or project.
Create them as needed and for temporary use only.
In these folders, you will COPY emails that are needed for working on this topic.
When finished with the focused work, delete them completely.
And there you have it: The only email folder system you will ever need. And in the next chapter, we will show you how to actively process your emails this way. Let’s dive in.
Part 5 - Inbox Zero and the "FASD Principle" - Mastering the Email Inbox
Now that you have the framework of your system in place, let us introduce you to a simple 4-step process to handle every email smart & quickly: The “FASD Principle”. This technique is action-focused. The most important habit you should implement is the INSTANT DECISION!
In practice, this means, each email is opened only once and processed directly based on these four options:
Forward
Action
Schedule
Delete
Here are the instructions for implementing the “FASD Principle” into your workday and supercharging your productivity:
F = Forward
Forward the email, if
it concerns someone else, or
the task is to be done by someone else, or
it can be delegated to someone else.
(Documents for which you are waiting for an answer, completion, etc. by a third party should be moved to the folder "@3 - waiting" for regular follow-up).
Delete or archive the email afterward.
A = Action
Read and take note of, and if necessary,
reply to, or
complete the task immediately,
if something needs to be done that takes no more than 5 minutes.
Delete or archive the email afterward.
S = Schedule
Add the task to the (digital) to-do list and, if necessary, schedule it specifically, if something needs to be done that requires more time.
Copy the necessary information from the mail into the task and/or move the email into the folder "@1 - ACTION!".
Extensive texts that only need to be read can be moved to the folder "@2 - read".
Delete or archive the email afterward.
D = Delete
Delete the email immediately if it is unimportant information, advertising, spam, and the like.
7 Basic Rules for Productive Email Management
Unsubscribe from all newsletters that you hardly ever read anyway and turn off all status notifications.
Disable all email notification signals (tones, pop-ups, etc.) to avoid ongoing disruptions. (This also applies to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets).
Review and process email inbox (incl. @-folders) once or several times a day in blocks and reverse chronologically.
Normally, each email is opened only once and processed immediately based on the "FASD principle"!
Every email request should be answered within 2 working days - at least with a piece of intermediate information.
Emails in the "Pre-Archive" folder are checked once a week and then moved to "Archive" or deleted.
For absences longer than one day, the automatic out-of-office reply should be activated.
CONCLUSION - The Final Rules to Internalize Effective Mail Management
These final rules will help you internalize effective email management.
Simplify
Limit email folders ("@1-2-3-Plus-System").
Arrange
Keep filing structure on the drive - not in Outlook or any other mail client.
Separate
Separate emails and task management (to-do list); do not misuse Inbox as a to-do list.
Reduce
Limit newsletter subscriptions and predominantly unsubscribe.
Focus
View mails intermittently several times a day rather than continuously.
Act!
When checking your emails, make a clear decision for each mail according to the "FASD principle". This immediately ensures that you think about whether something - and what! - needs to be done. This creates clarity and prevents the accumulation of emails in the inbox!
Automate
Create rules to move mails directly into folders and/or forward them; use Quick Step buttons in Outlook.
Keep rule
An opened/sighted email never remains in the inbox! The inbox is kept (almost) empty (Inbox Zero).
And that’s all. The complete course to master your business emails.
We are convinced that these techniques will save you a lot of time and increase your productivity accordingly.
Thank you for your time and trust in our methods.
We wish you success in achieving inbox zero!
Inspired by
David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD)
Merlin Mann's Inbox Zero
Chris Anderson's & Jane Wulf's Email Charter
and many years of experimenting with a wide variety of self-management techniques.
Mindfulness
In the frenzied ballet of life, where moments blur and days are swallowed whole, mindfulness emerges as our anchor.
It offers us the gift of presence, a silent refuge in the clamor of existence.
Through its gentle embrace, we uncover a clarity that transforms chaos into symphony, and the mundane into the miraculous.
It isn't merely an act, but a revelation, revealing to us not just the beauty of the world, but the delicate tapestry of our own souls.
In this dance, with mindfulness as our guide, every step becomes a revelation, and every breath, a silent ode to the present.
[ArtificialArt / Text: ChatGPT / Image: Midjourney]
📢🔎🤖Don’t Trust Your Eyes & Ears! – Deepfake Phishing in the Era of AI
Deepfakes – They Will Deceive You
In our digital world, the boundary between illusion and reality is becoming increasingly thin. Due to recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and deep learning, we are witnessing a new era of deception – the so-called deepfakes.
Deepfakes are forgeries of digital media content, now created with astonishing realism. This can include false audio recordings, counterfeit photos, manipulated videos, or a combination thereof. Even in live video meetings, digitally simulated participants have already been discovered.
Voice Phishing 2.0
The popularity of generative AI now allows anyone to clone any voice patterns and convert text – even in real-time – into speech. A new caliber of voice phishing (vishing) is approaching us all.
Imagine receiving a call from a beloved family member claiming to be in urgent distress and needing your financial support. Or perhaps your boss personally asks you for some confidential information. But what if these callers aren’t really your relatives or your boss, but fraudsters who have cloned their voices? These horror scenarios are no longer fiction. Such attacks have indeed already occurred numerous times and represent only the tip of the iceberg of potential abuse of these technologies.
Protect Yourself!
Here are some strategies to help you protect yourself from these deceptively real attacks:
1. Always be skeptical and question everything: Even if a person or message appears absolutely authentic, question the situation. Make sure it is indeed the person they claim to be.
2. Watch for unusual behavior: If someone acts completely differently than expected, it could be a sign that something is wrong.
3. Be careful with astonishing visual content: A surprising photo or video could have been manipulated.
4. Be wary of financial or confidential requests: If you receive a voice message or call from someone asking for money or confidential information, be very cautious.
5. Look for signs of forgeries in images and audio files: In images, blurry areas, reduced facial expressions, an empty gaze, and strange light and shadow conditions can indicate a forgery. In audio files, signs such as unnatural, metallic sounds, monotonous speech, unnatural speech patterns, and unusual pauses can indicate manipulation.
6. Be cautious with unknown and suspicious sources: Be inherently distrustful of unknown or untrustworthy sources. It’s always better to check twice before divulging confidential information or responding to a request.
Countermeasures
Technologies such as AI and machine learning are not only used to create deepfakes but also to detect and combat them. AI-based software can identify deepfakes by looking for anomalies that go beyond the human eye or ear. These tools are becoming more sophisticated and can help protect us from the dangerous effects of these fraudulent practices.
You can verify the authenticity and origin of a photo yourself on the internet using a reverse image search. Here are several services available:
https://www.labnol.org/reverse/
The metadata of a photo, which provides information about the location and time of the shot, can be read at http://www.exifdata.com/.
If you suspect a video is a deepfake, you can have it checked at https://scanner.deepware.ai/. A reverse search for YouTube videos is possible at https://citizenevidence.amnestyusa.org/.
The future is here, and it is marked by artificial intelligence and digitally created content. With every technological advance comes new challenges and dangers. But by staying informed and skeptical, you can ensure you don’t fall victim to deepfake phishing. Stay vigilant and be safe.
In a world where deception has become so easy, a critical viewpoint forms our strongest weapon.
Disclaimer: No liability is assumed for all links provided in the article.
🤖P.S.
Here, you will find links to the best AI tools and services available in 2023, all curated by a human, along with the latest AI news and exclusive custom-made chatbots.
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Our news channels are filled with negative headlines: Crimes, wars, deaths, crises, disasters, conflicts... Did you ever think about what this constant flow of negativity causes you? We say it's time for another kind of news. Focused on the positive news the world around us delivers. And a category just perfect for finishing our eTatos - SmartNews.
Here Are 5 GOOD NEWS Curated To Lift You Up:
[1] ‘Only AI Made It Possible’: Scientists Hail Breakthrough in Tracking British Wildlife
Technology proves able to identify dozens of species in thousands of hours of recordings. Read more.
[2] Extraordinary Video Captures Killer Whale Seeking Human Help to Rescue Trapped Mother
In a stunning display of intelligence and cooperation, a young killer whale recently sought assistance from a group of humans to save its entangled mother. See the heartwarming video here.
[3] More Critically Endangered Arctic Fox Cubs in Finnish Lapland
Last year was the first year since 1996 that the critically endangered arctic foxes were found breeding in Finland. This year there have already been 25 new cubs born in Finland. The population estimate is thought to have risen to 550 in Scandinavia, up from about 50 in the early 2000s. Read more.
[4] Implantable Artificial Kidney That Frees Patients From Dialysis Is in Sight
The Kidney Project proves its bioreactor can keep kidney cells alive for at least one week. Read more.
“The bioartificial kidney will make treatment for kidney disease more effective and also much more tolerable and comfortable.”
[5] Missing Toddler Found Sleeping On Top of Family Dog 3 Miles Away From Home
A toddler who wandered away from her family home was found sleeping in the woods with her family pets serving as her pillow and protector. The dogs had followed the girl out into the woods and appeared to have stayed with her for the entire journey. Read more.
To Be Continued...
That’s it for our fifth issue. Let us know if you enjoyed it.
Carpe diem & be kind.
Dirk & Raquel
Disclaimer: The content of this newsletter is NO financial or legal advice. All content provided is for educational, entertainment, and informational purposes only.