Techish

Tech broke my brain, then a two week digital detox fixed it. (Mostly)

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**This story originally ran in USAToday**   Panic. FOMO. Relief. That pretty much sums up the wave of emotions I experienced in the first five minutes after realizing I couldn’t get a reliable cell or WiFi signal for nearly two weeks straight during my recent adventures in Alaska. I hadn’t planned to take a two-week break from all my gadgets and screens, or really even take any time off from work at all when I traveled home to the Kenai Peninsula – where I grew up and most of my family still lives. I make this journey home almost every summer – and every summer – I experience some glitch in the whole modern tech experience. Until recently, my parents' internet service was dial-up ... Read more

How to tell if someone is watching you through your webcam

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That tiny camera on your laptop, smartphone, or tablet – the one that’s pointing your direction all hours of the day and night – has been the MVP of COVID. Many of us have relied on webcams for work, connecting with family, and even going to school this past year and a half. But webcams can have a dark side, too. Cybercriminals use them – or, more likely, use our fear about what a stranger might see if someone hacks into them – all too often these days. The Better Business Bureau warns people about a sextortion scam that’s been around for a few years but hit people especially hard as the pandemic boosted webcam use. It often starts with an email claiming that some creep’s been spying on ... Read more

If you are a social media influencer, this scam is coming for you

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When you go fishing, you put bait on the hook, right? You choose that bait  – and the water you drop it into – based on the kind of fish you are hoping to catch. The same is true when you are the fish (phish) and scammers are choosing a bait to put on their hook to catch you. You might not think of yourself as the kind of fish that’s likely to get caught. You are too smart to fall for romance scams, tech support scams, or that Nigerian letter thing. You are tech-savvy, a social media influencer, and a digital native. But if you swim in the waters of the internet, you are a phish and there is a scammer out there baiting a hook designed for you. What would you pay, to have your ... Read more

Are you addicted to technology?

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“Tiktok, Snapchat, and games like Candy crush are social engineering people to get addicted and stay addicted,” Jennifer lamented to me over text. “Can you show people — like my 21-year nephew who didn’t look up from his smartphone all day in the middle of Denali National Park — how he's been hoodwinked into this behavior and how his brain is helpless against it?” Social media, games, and much of the technology we use daily is engineered to make us like it and keep using it, as obsessively as possible. There are a lot of stories that detail how much effort tech companies go to when they build games, tools, and networks to make sure this is true. They are in the business of selling ... Read more

How to get your tech to read that book out loud for you

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Have you ever been deep into a book and had to put it down to go somewhere? What if you could get in your car, put on your sneakers, or close your eyes and fire up that book – right where you left off – and have your phone read aloud while you get where you need to go, get some things done, or just lie in a tub with a damp cloth over your your eyes? Sound good? You don't have to buy anything, probably. You can do this from your phone, your Kindle, or your Amazon Echo. Here’s how. Use Amazon's Whispersync The easiest, slickest, and most enjoyable way to have a book read aloud is to use Amazon’s Whispersync. You have to own both the Kindle version and the Audible version of the book ... Read more

Are apps charging your credit card and you don’t know it?

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Over a year ago, I signed up for a free trial for online fitness site NEOU. I canceled my account before the trial was up, but the company charged my credit card $50 anyway, signing me up for the annual plan at the new member’s price. I noticed the charge, complained, and they quickly refunded my money. A year later, though, the company charged me again. Again, I complained, and again, I got an apology and a full refund. I write about technology, so I probably sign up for more free trials than most people and systematically cancel them. But, still, I am frequently hit with unwanted charges to my credit card. This happens so often that I wondered if free trials are a scam designed to ... Read more

Is Amazon Prime Day worth it? And, how do you snag the best sales?

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Amazon Prime Day is almost here. It starts at 12 AM PT on Monday, June 21, and concludes at 11:59 PM PT on Tuesday, June 22.  In 2015, Amazon launched Prime Day to commemorate its 20th anniversary. Typical of the site’s penchant for taking over the world, Prime Day has taken just six years to rival what was previously the only day of the year – Black Friday – when people went insane over a sale. I never thought there was a deal worth braving an angry crowd for, so Black Friday never held much appeal for me. But is Prime Day worth it? Given that you don’t have to get up at dawn, wait in line, or get into fisticuffs to participate, it’s pretty easy to say that that Prime Day is worth it. ... Read more

Amazon Prime Day scams ramp up, here’s how to protect yourself:

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Check Point Research (CPR) sent us an email this morning, saying they've spotted an increase in malicious activity in the run-up to Amazon Prime Day 2021, one of the largest online shopping events of the year. This year's event, slated to occur on June 21-22, promises millions of deals and special offers to Amazon’s 150-million-plus Prime subscribers around the world. CPR says of particular concern is that nearly 80% of domains containing the word “Amazon” are potentially dangerous. CPR also reports that cybercriminals are impersonating the Amazon brand ahead of the annual shopping event in order to trick people into credential theft of their email addresses, payment details and passwords, ... Read more

Can your kids sue you for oversharing on social media?

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If you are like 82% of parents in America, you have posted photos or videos of your kids to social media, a blog, or other places online. This might seem completely natural and innocent when you are doing it. There’s even a name for it — sharenting — and everyone else does it too, right? Your kids are cute, funny, and a big part of what you do every day. Why not share photos of them? Because your kids are humans with a moral — if not legal — right to privacy, they won’t always be children, and you are probably doing it wrong. “Kids at ages ten, eleven, and twelve, often have a digital coming of age,” explains Stephen Balkam, Founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute.  “And ... Read more

Gift Guide: Splurge-worthy spends for dads, grads (and maybe yourself)

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Did you just win the lottery? Or maybe you've been saving up for that one special bit of new technology to make life feel all the more futuristic ... and just plain awesome. Also? When it comes to celebrating milestones — like I don't know, maybe graduating from college during a pandemic or fathering a human — sometimes you just have to go all out. This year is all about the upgrade and only the best will do! Gift dads, grads, and all the people you really, really love one of these incredible, splurge-worthy gadgets they will love for years to come. Yes, some of these picks ($74,000 robotic dog...) are a little over the top, but we can also dream, right?! Samsung Neo QLED ... Read more

GIFT GUIDE: Genius gadgets for deserving dads and grateful grads

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We have so much to celebrate! After living in the shadow of a worldwide pandemic for more than a year it’s time to ring in those big milestones for Dads and Grads alike. What better way to do it than with the very best gadgets, outdoor gear, subscriptions, and more? Here are my favorite picks, from the almost-free to the still totally-budget-worthy items sure to be a hit for years to come! Let’s start with the best new tech to help Dad get his grill on:  Traeger Ironwood 885  This is the coveted wood-pellet grill that lets you smoke, bake, roast, braise, BBQ, and GRILL — of course — all with one super-smart device. It’s packed with next-gen features like their “WiFIRE” ... Read more

Amazon Sidewalk shares your Internet connection with neighbors. Here’s how to turn it off.

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Amazon is using our Ring doorbells and Echo smart speakers, among other smart home devices, to make a new kind of wireless network called Sidewalk. It automatically shares a slice of your home network with your neighbors’ devices, unless you OPT out of that function. Not everyone loves that idea. Nor do "all the people" like the idea of Amazon opting everyone "in." On Tuesday, June 8th, Amazon switched Sidewalk on — for everyone. If you don't love the idea of sharing your personal WiFi with everyone else around you, you have to opt-out of this new feature. We show you how below. But first, why, what, and WTF? Here's what it does: Sidewalk is a low-power, low-bandwidth, ... Read more

Five Super Easy Ways to Tell if That Link is Legit or a Scam

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You got an email – or a text – from your bank, Fedex, the IRS, or someone you tend to pay attention to when they send emails. So, wondering where your shipment is or attempting to resolve a financial issue, you click on the link in that message, log into your account, and … oops. You just fell for a phishing attack. A scammer has your login credentials. Phishing is a clever scam designed to trick you into giving important login credentials to a thief who wants to use those credentials to rob you. It is the most common form of internet crime, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, with 241,342 known victims in 2020. This type of scam is most often done via email but is ... Read more

USA TODAY: Robocalls making you crazy? Here are 5 ways to stop them on your smartphone:

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***** THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY RAN IN USA TODAY***** Remember back in the day when your phone rang, and you would answer it? Robocallers have ruined that. Now we stare suspiciously at every call and send unknown numbers, even when it looks local, straight to voicemail. And for good reason! So far, in 2021, scammers have made 22 billion calls nationwide. That's roughly 67 calls to every man, woman, and child in America. Answering calls from an unknown number invites a scammer – and in many cases, actual criminals – into your life. Here are the five most straightforward ways to block robocalls and eventually get them to – mostly, hopefully, fingers crossed – stop calling us for ... Read more

Apple’s WWDC 2021: Here’s what you’ll care about:

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TD96VTf0Xs Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) — the company’s annual conference for software makers — kicked off today with a two-hour keynote address. The virtual shindig showed off a slew of new updates for the company’s major products, including a sneak-peek of iOS 15. No new hardware, this show is all about software and upgrades to make the phone, tablet, watch, or computer better than it already is. Here are the major announcements, updates, and other news that will impact you and your Apple gadget. iOS 15: Apple says it helps you connect with others... ...be more present and in the moment, explore the world, and use powerful ... Read more

Ready to travel? Take this tech along for the ride:

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***This story first posted to USA Today*** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hS4AzdqLCY After more than a year stuck at home — and thanks to the just-relaxed mask mandates for the fully vaccinated — some 37-million people plan to travel over Memorial Day. If all goes well, summer vacation season could be off to a banner start, and life might finally start resembling something closer to "normal." But the sudden freedom to travel again doesn't mean it's all smooth sailing. Airfares are on the rise, rental cars are in short supply, and hotel room rates are skyrocketing. Even finding an available — and affordable — vacation home or campsite near many popular destinations in the U.S. ... Read more