General Topics

We’ve all experienced annoying viral requests that seem to crop out of nowhere on Facebook. The kid you sat next to in 8th grade Spanish sends you a friend request. He seems innocuous enough, but you haven’t spoken to him in decades.  Within days, you’re flooded by his posts asking his page visitors for money…

In the early rise of the online age, website and Internet developers were flying blind. The amazing world of possibilities the Internet opened needed regulations, but the tech gurus behind its evolution didn’t want to stifle creativity and free speech, and wanted to ensure the world wide web was free and open to all.    In…

Confirm military status by requesting to view a form of ID

If you’re like most people, you’re probably aware of the concept of identity theft. A criminal gets access to enough of your personal information to pretend to be you. They use that information to open new credit cards, get new loans, or even buy a new car or house in your name. Since it’s in…

Computer virus. It’s a scary phrase, conjuring images of hackers in hoodies cracking encryptions, stealing data, and performing great feats of technology that do huge amounts of damage to individuals, businesses, and governments. Though most of our ideas of hackers come from Hollywood blockbusters, computer viruses are unfortunately not fiction. They are everywhere, and they…

In an era where digital platforms dominate the travel industry, fake travel agencies have found fertile ground to deploy various scams, tricking unsuspecting travelers with seemingly irresistible deals and offerings. So, how do you avoid falling into these snares? Learn how to verify a legitimate travel agent! We’ve done the heavy lifting to research guidelines here…

When you’re on the road, few things are more stressful than suddenly seeing flashing lights in your rear-view mirror and realizing that you are being pulled over. The first thing that usually pops into your head is, why? Were you speeding? Are you going to get a ticket for a moving violation of some sort? Probably…

There’s a lot of money involved in real estate. So scammers definitely want a piece of the pie. If you own a house or property, they have scams to target you. If you’re hoping to buy or sell a house sometime soon, they have scams for you, too. Even if you rent, you can still…

There’s been a lot of discussions in recent years about the dangers of social media and the internet for kids. And children definitely face risks online. But most of the conversation has focused on kids’ use of the internet – whether or not you should monitor their online activities, what kinds of phones are safest,…

How many apps do you have installed on your smartphone? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? A 2022 study found that the average smartphone user has 40 apps installed on their phone. If you use your phone a lot or use it for work, you probably have more. And each of those apps has its own developer,…

Every parent knows that eventually, their kids will need to have The Talk. It’s an important part of their development from child to adult, and knowing the facts can help them stay safe. But many parents don’t think about that fact that in this tech-forward modern world, there’s another “Talk” they need to be having,…

If you were to count how many times a day you used some kind of technology, how many do you think it would be? Depending on how you define technology (does a car count? What about a microwave?) the answer could be in the thousands. And most of the time we don’t think much about…

Timeshares can be a really great opportunity for some people. If you find one that fits with your vacation habits and doesn’t break the bank, some appreciate the convenience of having an automatic vacation space that they don’t have to worry about maintaining when they’re not using it. But there are also plenty of reasons…

You wouldn’t let a stranger have unlimited time alone with your kid. But if your child has a tablet, smartphone, or any device with a communication feature, predators may be able to get that kind of access to your child. This is especially a risk if your kid spends time on social media. As a…

Have you even seen a tech genius in a TV show use a computer to locate someone? Or used an app like Apple Maps or Google Maps to get directions somewhere? Or felt like ads somehow know which stores or restaurants you’re near, even when you’re somewhere new? The technology in use in all of…

When your kid reaches a certain age, they need a phone. Whether it’s because they need to be able to tell you when to pick them up, so they can reach you in an emergency, or because not having one when all their friends do is harming their social life, at some point they will…

In the modern world, we need the internet for daily life. Work, school, banking, shopping, social connection, and more are done either fully online or with online components. Regular internet use is both common and necessary. But it can become a problem when it crosses the line from regular use to addiction. And the effects…

You’ve probably seen them somewhere. A sign by the road, an ad on a billboard, or even a postcard mailed to your house declares that they buy houses. They promise that they’ll take your house no matter its condition. And usually they throw in guarantees that they’ll pay cash and the process will be fast.…

Student loans came out of their forbearance period and payments resumed towards the end of last year. Nobody likes getting an extra bill added to the things they have to pay each month – especially when it’s a bill you haven’t had to worry about for the past few years. Unfortunately, scammers know this too.…

If you’re making plans to travel internationally, there’s a lot of things to think about. Are your travel documents in order? Is your hotel or vacation rental booked? What’s your plan to stay safe? Are you going to have fun and see everything you wanted to see? If you think about someone stealing from you,…

In October 2023, a hacker got access to user accounts with genetic testing service 23andMe. Fourteen thousand accounts were compromised – only 0.1% of their fourteen million users. But in early December, the company revealed that the 23andMe hack affected more people than anyone expected. Even though the hacker accessed only 14,000 accounts, they used…

Google is a tool that most of us use every day, or close to it. Whether it’s to check the score of your game, get information you need, verify a fact, or win an argument, we all know the quickest way to learn the facts – just Google it! But there are some things you…

As a parent, you want what’s best for your child. But if they’re being bullied in school or online, they may not want to tell you about it. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to protect them, though. By watching for signs of bullying, you can intervene and help them deal with the…

Google offers various services that allow users to upload images, including Google Photos, Google Reverse Image Search, and Google Lens. While these platforms make our lives incredibly convenient, questions often arise regarding the ownership and rights of the uploaded images.  One of the most commonly asked questions regarding these services is whether or not you…

If you’re a TikTok user — and let’s face it, who isn’t these days? — you might be wondering if you’ll be allowed to use the app in the coming years. TikTok has gotten heavy criticism over privacy and security issues since 2020, when the Trump administration threatened it with a ban if the Chinese…