THE public has been urged to take time to understand technology to avoid lagging behind as it changes faster as days go by.

The Ilala Municipality Mayor, Jerry Silaa, told journalists at an Information Technology Seminar organized by the Information Resource Management (IRM) of the Embassy of the United States of America (USA), that gadgets such as mobile phones of two years ago are different from the current ones due to changes in technology.

"Technology today is changing so fast, mobile phones of two years ago, are different from those that are currently in use, we all need to be abreast with these changes, so we are not left behind," he explained. Mayor Silaa commended the IRM for conducting such seminars to enlighten other IT experts and the public of new technologies that are on the market and explain how such technologies can be used in the growth of the country's economy.

He urged other institutions, including the Ministry of Science and Technology to conduct such seminars to enlighten the public with changing technologies so the public is not left out of the changing world of technology.

"These seminars are quite useful, such meetings should be held frequently, not just by IRM but by other institutions, even the Ministry of Science and Technology to keep us abreast of the advancing technology," he added. The Information System Assistant at the US Embassy, Mr Festo Makune, outlined various threats to mobile phones, especially Smart phones and the importance of security software to protect data on mobile phones.

Mr Makune noted that as technology is advancing and changing at high speed, smart phones continue to get smaller with a capacity to store important data. "Smart phones are getting smaller such that one can hold them in their hands, having it is like walking around with your office in the palm of your hand.

They are becoming popular on daily basis," he explained. He stressed the importance of security on the mobile phones to safeguard important data, which might fall in wrong hands. He noted that the passwords and pin codes on mobile phones were the best and cheap way of protecting one's mobile phone.

Ms Ahobokile Mujillah, System Administrator at Vodacom, underscored the importance of such seminars to IT experts, in the light of changing technologies which keeps advancing on daily basis. She noted the importance of the public setting aside time to get to know the gadgets they buy including mobile phones, and figure out best way to protect the data from being intercepted by the wrong people.