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- #brightsideglobal
In this video, you will learn about the potential dangers and risks of scanning QR codes that are placed on street signs, billboards, or other public places. You will also discover how to protect yourself from malicious QR codes that may lead to phishing, malware, or identity theft. Are you ready to find out why you should be careful with QR codes in the street? Then let's watch the video! #brightside #brightsideglobal TIMESTAMPS: 01:40 Why scanning QR codes might be dangerous 08:38 What nightlife looked like before electricity 17:08 The world's narrowest city This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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00:00You're walking down the street and notice a QR code right next to a parking meter.
00:05You have just parked your car, but for some reason, this QR code is grabbing all the attention.
00:11You think to yourself, hey, maybe this is how I pay for parking nowadays.
00:16You take out your phone and scan it.
00:18A link opens up and redirects you to a fishy-looking site that shows you where you have to pay
00:24and is asking you for a lot of money.
00:26There's no one around you to help, and you know for a fact this is not the price for two
00:32hours of parking.
00:33After going through the procedures, you look at your bank account and are in shock.
00:40They took a lot of your money.
00:42You call the bank to quickly freeze your account and ask them to help you get your money back.
00:47You scratch your head in confusion and look around you.
00:50Nobody seems to mind these QR codes scattered all over the city.
00:54You show them to other people in the city, and they're also surprised.
01:02QR codes stand for quick response codes, since they're easy to scan and get info on something.
01:08It only takes seconds to get an insight on something or check out the menu at a restaurant.
01:14While this has been an awesome way to make our lives easier, some people are using it for the wrong
01:20reasons.
01:21Many experts warn about randomly scanning QR codes off the streets, since it may lead to scam websites where people
01:29can take your information and bank details and gain access to your credentials, just like what happened when you were
01:35trying to pay for parking.
01:36So, that QR code that you scanned redirected you to a fake website, where you handed out all your personal
01:44information, including banking details.
01:46The people behind this scam can now access your account and take out as much money as they want.
01:52They might even ask for more details, like your email and phone number, which you shouldn't give out unless you
01:58trust the source.
01:59You call someone to assist you for them to take down the QR code.
02:04On social media, you find out there are dozens of people who are also falling for this trick and losing
02:10their money.
02:12This is equally common for people who access public Wi-Fi hotspots.
02:16In settings like a cafe, airport, or public park, you always choose the Wi-Fi network that has the name
02:23of the place you're sitting in, like Free Wi-Fi Cafe, for example.
02:27Without thinking, you instantly connect to the router and are redirected to a page where they ask you to log
02:34in with your email, password, and other information about you.
02:38Most of the hotspots are legit, but some belong to people who set up this hotspot to lure everyone in
02:45to give out their personal information.
02:47Once you enter their page, the people on the other side are watching you jot down everything they ask for.
02:53They even create a page where you have to fill in extra personal information about yourself, like addresses, place of
03:00work, and so on.
03:01The best way to properly avoid this is by asking anyone who can assist you and confirming whether or not
03:08you're connected to a safe Wi-Fi network.
03:11Or, if you frequently visit the place to do some remote work, always connect to the same Wi-Fi router,
03:17even though the bad one that was set up has the same password and an identical landing page.
03:25You just can't trust anything in your inbox these days, especially not the emails that claim you just won something
03:32or that someone is contacting you for a fishy business proposal.
03:36Such emails are usually presented convincingly and make you think that they're real.
03:41But the best way to spot them is to pay attention to the details of the content.
03:46Check for spelling mistakes or style of writing.
03:49If it looks like there are some mistakes or weird and unprofessional writing, this can be a red flag.
03:55Also, check if the email signature exists.
03:59Most companies have an email signature with the person's job description and credentials to verify the source.
04:05These emails contain links that can redirect you to websites where the people who sent out these emails can get
04:12all your information.
04:13You should also pay attention to the ones sending you the emails to check if they are verified and come
04:19from a legitimate source.
04:21So, if the email ends with anything other than the company's name, this can also be a red flag.
04:28Sometimes people try to pretend they're someone you know, your boss or a co-worker or even your friend.
04:34They would write to you in a very convincing manner where you would think that they're actually sending you an
04:40email.
04:40These sorts of emails may not be real.
04:43You should check for the source and the content and verify with the person who sent it to you before
04:49replying or giving out any information.
04:53The targets usually include people who have high positions in large companies and corporations.
04:58They are considered the big fish in the game.
05:01Your emails also include links in which you can give out sensitive information which they can use against you.
05:08Protecting yourself online is not easy and requires a lot of concentration and hard work.
05:14There are many techniques that can make your sensitive data end up in the wrong hands.
05:19QR codes are just one example of misusage of new technology that is supposed to make your life easier.
05:26But don't worry.
05:27This doesn't mean that all QR codes are up to no good.
05:30Just like with every new piece of technology in the market, there will always be a way for it to
05:36be used for the wrong reasons.
05:39The Internet, as we know it, is entering a new phase, Web 3.0.
05:44The Internet was born in the 60s, when it was meant to connect computer devices to universities across the United
05:50States.
05:51Only four were initially used, but eventually, many other universities took part in this, and it stretched to Europe.
05:59After that, it was known as the Internet.
06:02We saw the first promising years of the Internet during the 90s, which was known as Web 1.0.
06:08It might sound complicated, but it just means that websites were static, and users couldn't interact with them.
06:15Nonetheless, everyone knew that this would be the new way of communicating and gathering information.
06:22It was only a matter of time before people could upload content on the Internet.
06:27Blogs, forums, comment sections, report pages, and messaging portals made it possible for people to interact with the websites they
06:35grew to love.
06:36Web 2.0 gave rise to popularity for modern-day social media, which made it easy for people to upload
06:43their own music and videos
06:44and stay connected with friends and family from all over the world.
06:48While this was an amazing achievement, some downsides were inevitable.
06:53It's easy for anyone to dig up information about anyone publicly online.
06:58In this day and age, online privacy is basically non-existent.
07:02But the main issue with Web 2.0 is that whenever someone uploads a piece of content, it does not
07:09technically belong to the user anymore.
07:13Web 3.0 is built around blockchain technology,
07:16and this will be the new and improved Internet.
07:20Blockchain is a publicly accessible domain that shows transparent transactions for any user.
07:26This means that if you upload a piece of your artwork, they will know that you are the original creator.
07:32Nobody can claim your artwork as theirs.
07:35And this goes for anything that can be traded online.
07:38This will protect the content creator to the fullest.
07:41As of 2022, we're still in the early stages of this, and it's only going to get more interesting.
07:48Major corporations are developing metaverses where people can transport themselves into virtual realities.
07:55In this world, you can socialize, buy stuff, and interact with the world around you.
08:00You can pick any avatar you want and wear anything you feel like.
08:05Hey, you want to dress up as an astronaut?
08:08You can.
08:09You can go to different planets across the metaverse and meet all kinds of crazy-looking avatars.
08:15In the workplace, you can even attend different meetings with co-workers to discuss work-related stuff while physically sitting
08:22at home.
08:23Gaming will also be elevated to a brand-new experience where players are immersed in a world where they can
08:29be anyone or anything.
08:31This will be the future that we will get to witness in the coming years.
08:39It's 10 p.m.
08:41You suddenly feel hungry and go to the fridge, but there's nothing inside.
08:45You decide to hop to the nearest supermarket.
08:47There, you find the snack you want and pay by card.
08:50On the way home, you wonder, was it this easy to get food in the city a century ago?
08:55One of the streetlights flickers and goes out.
08:58You are now in the dark, feeling scared.
09:01Now you know how people felt after sundown in the pre-electricity era.
09:07We are so used to power that we forget that it isn't even a century old.
09:10But in 1925, only half of all U.S. homes had electricity.
09:15Without it, nothing would be possible today.
09:18The light in your room, the refrigerator, store signs and credit card.
09:22They all need electricity to run.
09:26So, how did people live without it?
09:28Did our cities lie in complete darkness?
09:31Not quite.
09:31The history of illuminating our homes and streets is thousands of years old.
09:40Recently, 2022, archaeologists discovered the oldest intact oil lamp.
09:45They estimated it was 2,300 years old.
09:48There is evidence of workshops that produced these lamps on a massive scale.
09:52Italian scientists have discovered similar lamps in Modena.
09:55This city was the center of oil lamp production in the Roman Empire.
09:59The workshops were so widespread that they even had different brands.
10:03Fortis, Feetasbai, and Strobili.
10:06Some brands were in high demand.
10:08So, other manufacturers copied their maker's marks.
10:11And you thought that fakes were a modern problem.
10:14These oil lamps were simple in design.
10:17High-end lamps were made from bronze and other metals.
10:20But the most common material was clay.
10:23People would pour oil through the central hole and then burn a wick inside the nozzle area.
10:28The wick was mostly linen.
10:30But oil lamps were small in size and were used indoors.
10:34There was no way to light a whole street with them.
10:36The alternative was, you've guessed it.
10:39Candles.
10:43Humans still use candles today.
10:45Your grandma probably has a candle and a box of matches hidden in a drawer somewhere.
10:49Just in case of a power outage.
10:52Humans have been making candles for 5,000 years.
10:55When you think of a candle, you think of beeswax.
10:58But the range of candle materials is pretty wide.
11:01In the Middle Ages, only the rich could afford beeswax candles.
11:04The rest of the population had to be happy with tallow.
11:08By modern standards, candles have terrible energy efficiency.
11:12Do you remember the time when you first saw a candle and tried to touch it?
11:16Ouch!
11:17You never got that idea again, did you?
11:19Candles use a lot of energy to generate heat.
11:22That's why they are far from ideal light sources.
11:24And the light they emit is not the kind we need.
11:27It's infrared.
11:28Humans cannot see this sort of light.
11:30The numbers are staggering.
11:32Only 1% of candlelight is visible to us humans.
11:35Modern light bulbs are way more efficient.
11:37They shine 80 times brighter than candles.
11:41In such dim conditions, our ancestors had to be imaginative.
11:45For instance, they covered artwork with a thin layer of gold.
11:48This technique was called gold leaf.
11:50Artists didn't do this to make their artwork look luxurious.
11:53They wanted their paintings to glow in the candlelight.
11:56And they had another ally in the struggle against darkness.
11:59Natural light.
12:00Have you ever wondered why old churches have tall, elongated windows?
12:04Their main function was to let sunlight inside.
12:07After all, these structures were huge.
12:10There was no other way to illuminate them.
12:12Just take Notre Dame, Paris, France, as an example.
12:15It covers an area four times as large as a hockey rink.
12:18And the building was 211 feet high.
12:21That's about half as tall as the Great Pyramid of Giza.
12:24So it made sense to build large windows.
12:27In homes, mirrors had the same effect as windows.
12:30They would reflect natural light around the house.
12:33Before electricity, our homes were packed with mirrors.
12:36And how many do we have today?
12:38One in the bathroom and maybe one in the hallway.
12:41That's because we no longer need them to reflect light.
12:44All those mirrors have been replaced with a simple flip of a light switch.
12:48Today, interior designers advise people to remove mirrors from their bedrooms for better sleep.
12:54Talk about a plot twist.
12:57But what about buildings that people visited at night time, such as theaters and opera houses?
13:02The solution was surprisingly low-tech.
13:05Candles.
13:06Like, thousands of them.
13:08Builders mounted them on large chandeliers.
13:11But there was a problem.
13:13All those candles created heat and would burn for an hour or so max.
13:17Playwrights and composers had to add pauses, so staff would have time to replace the candles.
13:23Have you ever shattered a light bulb by accident?
13:26Not a pleasant experience.
13:28But luckily, you can clean the glass with a broom in seconds.
13:32Before electricity, such clumsiness cost people their lives.
13:36Knocking over a candle could start a major fire.
13:39And there was another danger.
13:40Ladies wore long dresses that presented a fire hazard.
13:43Our ancestors were literally playing with fire.
13:46And this is all indoors.
13:49Outside the house, you would have to carry a flaming torch.
13:52Or hope that the sky wasn't cloudy, so you could navigate by moonlight.
13:56And one smart American decided not to go out at night at all.
14:01Benjamin Franklin went to bed at 10 p.m. and got up at 5 a.m.
14:05But over in London, going out at night created a new business.
14:09Link boys carried torches for Victorians.
14:12These youngsters would wait outside inns for patrons to come out after dark and offer their services.
14:16And they did their job in times of thick fog as well.
14:19That's the English weather for you.
14:23Before electricity, it was dangerous to go outside after sundown.
14:27But this was about to change in 1807.
14:30That's when a German engineer, Frederick Windsor, lit a street in London using gas lamps.
14:35It was finally becoming possible to go out at night and feel safe.
14:39Now these gas lamps weren't easy to operate.
14:41At dusk, a lamplighter had to carry a torch to turn them on, so to say.
14:45And then, at dawn, they had to do another round to put out the flames.
14:49That sounds like some good cardio.
14:51And it was.
14:53During their entire career, a lamplighter could easily walk 150,000 miles in total.
14:59And then came electricity.
15:01In the 1870s, Thomas Edison was the first to produce commercial light bulbs.
15:07A city in the west of Romania, Timisoara, became the first place in Europe to have electric streetlights.
15:13Half of the homes in Britain had electric power by the end of the 1930s.
15:17The age of electricity had begun, but there was still room for improvement.
15:24At the time, the most common type of light bulb was incandescent.
15:28This means that the light bulb has a filament inside that produces light when heated by electric power.
15:33This type of bulb is similar to a candle.
15:36It produces heat rather than light.
15:39And the ratio will stun you.
15:4195% of the electricity that flows through the light bulb is converted into heat.
15:46Yes, you've heard it right.
15:47Only 5% of energy is used for creating actual light.
15:51Despite this, electric power has changed the way we live.
15:56In the year 1800, only 2% of the world's population lived in cities.
16:00And there is a good reason for this.
16:02Cities were dark places, illuminated only by candles and oil lamps.
16:06There was no street lighting.
16:08After electricity became a thing, the numbers turned.
16:12According to the World Bank, more than half of the world's population, 56%, lives in cities today.
16:18And our urban settlements look a lot different than they did just a century and a half ago.
16:23They now shine bright on satellite images.
16:25From space, Las Vegas is the city that shines the brightest at night.
16:31But the story of illumination is far from over.
16:34In 2006, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S., became the first metropolitan area to use LED for street lighting.
16:42It is short for light-emitting diodes.
16:44This new type of lighting uses at least 75% less energy than the light bulb perfected by Edison in
16:50the 1800s.
16:51And they last longer, too.
16:53Up to 25 times.
16:58China's Yunnan province has a county that's situated right in the valley between two mountains and on either side of
17:05the Nanxi River.
17:06And this place stretches quite far.
17:08It's considered to be the narrowest city in the world.
17:12Yanjin County is connected by a few bridges and has many amazing, colorful buildings among the riverbank.
17:19In the upper levels of the town, a bit away from the river, there are many shops and restaurants pinned
17:24side to side, both traditional and modern-looking.
17:28You can walk along the road with the river right below you and know that you're standing in the middle
17:33of the city.
17:34Well, sort of.
17:35Technically, the middle of the city are the bridges.
17:38The county is 37 miles north to south and 25 miles east to west, including the mountains.
17:45The population is almost half a million people, and the territory is more than 770 square miles.
17:52There are two rivers that split into three parts.
17:55If you're standing on either side of the river, you'll notice how close the other side of town is.
18:00Despite the length of the city, there aren't that many bridges around.
18:04The main hub is located down by the river, which is at 1,100 feet.
18:09The highest elevation goes up to 7,200 feet.
18:13Because the city is built in such a unique way, the weather pattern is specific to the county.
18:18The summers are really hot, especially by the river, and the winters are very wet.
18:23That's all thanks to the geographical location.
18:27The town is 100 feet at its thinnest and 1,000 feet at its widest.
18:32To put that in perspective, the narrowest part is shorter than an Olympic pool, and the widest is around 7
18:39of those.
18:40The city is almost impossible to get lost in, but it even has a railway system to transport people out
18:46of town and from one end to another.
18:48It's situated slightly above the river, towards the mountains, and goes through a small tunnel in one of them.
18:54You can catch some amazing views while relaxing on a smooth train ride.
18:59Because the town is so narrow and real estate so limited, most of the apartment buildings are concentrated along the
19:05riverbank.
19:06You can literally dive from any balcony and swim in the river.
19:10But some of those spots aren't safe for swimming, since the river isn't smooth.
19:14The buildings have pillars in the foundation to prevent any potential river flooding, in case the water levels rise.
19:21The river doesn't exactly flow in a perfectly straight line, but rather a series of jagged turns and corners.
19:29So, from an aerial point of view, the whole town resembles a slithering snake.
19:34Depending where the buildings are, the first floor will sometimes be found on the fifth.
19:39The bottom four floors are just pillars supporting the building.
19:43Some buildings are quite tall, so you can get some amazing views, while others are closer to the ground.
19:49Either way, you gotta admire the creativity put into the engineering.
19:53To build a whole town in such a place isn't easy.
19:57Besides the town being charming as it is, the cultural aspect is another reason to visit this place.
20:03Once a year, the Dancing Flower Festival takes place.
20:06A group of locals dress up in traditional clothes, in a special space where the dancing is.
20:12There's also the old town of Dusha.
20:15Even though most of the town adopted modern ways of living, they still keep the old traditional architecture around.
20:21This little charming spectacle is more than 2200 years old,
20:25and was an important passage linking Yunnan province and central China during the 3rd century.
20:31The entrance to the old town combines the ancient architecture with modern designs.
20:36At the entrance of the town is the famous Old Pavilion.
20:40Walking along its roads makes you feel like you're in the ancient times.
20:44They're all rugged, yet still well-preserved since they built them centuries ago.
20:49And nearby is the mountain scenery, which has limestone peaks covered with flowers and herbs.
20:54You can get lost in a natural maze of trees and rocks.
20:58This place is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the main town, and isn't so far away either.
21:05The town has a deep history, and has been populated for hundreds of years.
21:09The county was famous for its salt trade, since it's strategically one of the best routes for caravans and traders.
21:16But sadly, the economic situation isn't easy for imports today.
21:21Since there's only one access road to the town, trucks bringing in goods are always limited.
21:26It does well on tourism for foreigners, and local Chinese too.
21:31The old town of Lijong is another charming town in the same province as Yanjin.
21:37The town is built on an uneven landscape, but adapted to it perfectly.
21:41In ancient times, the location served as a strategic point for trade between surrounding provinces,
21:47and even connected with the Silk Road.
21:50It was also a cultural melting pot between different ethnic groups in the region for over 800 years.
21:56So, most of the traditions and architecture are a result of all those years of trading and sharing and mixing
22:04different cultures.
22:05It's also a good location that gives access through the mountains.
22:09The rivers and springs flow down to the town through ancient canals that are still used to this day.
22:15The town is divided into the Dayan Old Town, Baisha, and Shuye.
22:20Dayan Old Town was considered to be the commercial center for Lijong.
22:24It has amazing architecture that feels like you're in some kind of movie.
22:29Many of the buildings have unique tiled roofs and arched gateways, all carved with murals.
22:34This part of town still has some of its old landmarks, even today.
22:38They even preserved some of the utensils from the past.
22:42The Baisha isn't that far north of the Dayan Old Town,
22:46and comprises housing units that are centuries old.
22:49The Shuye housing is located northwest of the Old Town and arranged in the mountains surrounded by lots of water.
22:56The water system is distributed very neatly and keeps the charm of the town.
23:01Here, you can find a blend of many cultures and traditions collected throughout the centuries.
23:06The Old Town of Lijong is a unity between people and nature.
23:10They utilized the mountains, trees, rivers, and architecture to create a perfect harmony for living.
23:18The water originally comes from the snowy mountains and flows to the town and supplies the farms.
23:23The whole town itself is built around the water, which influenced the style, landscape, urban layout, and everything else in
23:31between.
23:31Many canals are linked to the buildings and alleyways to make sure the town doesn't go dry.
23:36Yang Chou is famous for its bamboo cruise boats for fishing and transportation.
23:42It's surrounded by broad expanses of land and mountains in the background.
23:46In these boat tours, you can have an up-close experience of the traditional village life and how they fish
23:52to sustain themselves.
23:54You can even find some unique wildlife lurking around.
23:57Besides the river, the town is located in the center of the mountains, with the river not too far away.
24:03The marketplace is buzzing with local artisans, displaying their works and art for tourists to bring home.
24:09You can find cycling trips in various places and let the cheerful atmosphere sink in.
24:14Moon Hill is famous for the amazing panoramic view of the mountain peaks and the rest of the province.
24:21You can also check out the water cave if you have an extra taste for adventure.
24:25And while you're at it, you can go climbing, kayaking, and trekking.
24:29To get an even better view of everything, you can catch a ride on a hot air balloon that'll float
24:35you to the top and immerse yourself in the beautiful landscape.
24:38You can get a view of the stone village perched on top of a hill surrounded by walls dating back
24:44centuries.
24:45The place is around 1,400 years old and is also a mix between different ethnic groups adding the richness
24:52to the culture.
24:53Many locals have kept the same festivals and customs, but even though the place has deeply rooted cultural traditions, it's
25:00adapted to the modern ways of life.
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