Techish

How to end robocalls and telemarketers for good (as heard on WTOP)

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Have you noticed an uptick in those super annoying robocalls, telemarketers, and scams hitting up your smartphone or landline all hours of the day and night? I have, and it’s driving me nuts. Last month, I had a bogus call to lower my electricity bill. A few weeks ago, it was a pause after I said hello, then a woman saying, “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m adjusting my headset,” before launching into a sales pitch of some sort. And then there’s the daily deluge of numbers that look legit — maybe a doctor’s appointment reminder or my daughter’s school calling — only to end up being an obvious scam. “This is George Michael,” says a male caller with a heavy accent, “calling from your online pharmacy with ... Read more

Beating robocalls and telemarketers on your home phone

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Blocking those annoying robocallers on your cell phone is a serious task that I've already tackled, but if you're still getting the constant calls on your home phone it can be just as big of a headache. Here's how to kick those creepy callers for good! I know, it doesn't work well, but still get on the list The first line of defense against pesky telemarketers and scam solicitations is the Do Not Call list. It's managed by the Federal Trade Commission and you can add yourself to the list by registering your phone number on the FTC's website. It's very simple and takes only about a minute. Telemarketers and robocallers who don't follow the rules and call numbers that are on the list ... Read more

ROBOCALL RAGE! Here’s how I finally stopped getting those annoying spam calls!

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Have you noticed an uptick in those super annoying robocalls, telemarketers, and scams hitting up your smartphone all hours of the day and night? I have, and it’s driving me nuts. Last month, I had a bogus call to lower my electricity bill. A few weeks ago, it was a pause after I said hello, then a woman saying, “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m adjusting my headset,” before launching into a sales pitch of some sort. And then there’s the daily deluge of numbers that look legit — like my daughter’s school calling, or a media outlet from Manhattan — only to end up being an obvious scam, “This is George Michael,” says a male caller with a heavy accent, “calling from your online pharmacy with your diet ... Read more

Find out now if you’ve been hacked (you probably have)

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Does your computer, Facebook profile, or email account feel a little off lately? Are things not exactly as you left them, with Messenger replies from unknown people, sketchy emails, and maybe even weird purchases on your Amazon account or PayPal? These are all telltale signs that you've been hacked. It's a scary thing knowing someone has breached your own personal digital privacy, and it can be confusing and just plain creepy, too. Here's how to tell if you've been hacked and the very next steps you should take. If you notice any of these things, you should automatically assume the worst: Sent emails that you know you didn't send - Hackers who discover your email password can use your ... Read more

Signs you have Malware/Virus on your gadgets

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As your gadgets store more and more of your personal information — bank details, health records, and work files —  it becomes a bigger and bigger target for hackers looking to score a quick buck. Spyware, malware, and computer viruses are just as big of a problem today as they've ever been, but cybercrooks are better at hiding what they do, and now they're targeting your smartphone too, which means it's time to educate yourself on the warning signs. Hijacked browsing This one is one of the most telltale signs: You're trying to click a link from one site and make it to another and your browser ends up heading in a totally different direction. Sometimes it'll land on an advertisement, while ... Read more

iOS Update: The 3 Big Reasons To Download iOS 10.3

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If you've got an iPhone in your pocket you probably have a new software update waiting for you. That is, unless you already updated, in which case we can skip the pleasantries and get straight to the good stuff. It's iOS 10.3, and it's packed with features that will make your mobile experience just a little bit better. Most of the new changes are things you won't ever see, like behind-the-scenes improvements to how your iPhone or iPad works, making it faster and more secure, but there are still a few really awesome usability improvements that you should know about. Find My AirPods If you're one of the big-time Apple fans that dove head first into the company's vision of a wireless ... Read more

CYBERSECURITY: What’s Alexa really recording? Here’s how to find out and even delete it

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There's been a whole lot of talk lately about the privacy and security implications of having an always-listening speaker like Amazon's Alexa in your home. Sure, it's hearing everything you say — after all, that's how it picks up on its all-important trigger phrase — but what is it doing with that information? Is it being recorded, and if so, who's listening? It has potential to be seriously creepy stuff, but there are some reassuring answers, too. The bad news — if you can consider it bad — is that Alexa definitely is listening to every word it can hear. If it didn't do this, it wouldn't be able to wake up instantly when you say "Hey Alexa," and it would lose its biggest convenience ... Read more

SLOW INTERNET? Tons of errors, nothing working right? It’s not you, it’s Amazon!

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Are you trying to get work done and it's taking FOREVER for any site to load, getting tons of errors where you normally don’t? apps to download, or even trying to catch a break with your streaming TV? Don’t panic! It’s not you, it’s Amazon. A big outage is sweeping across the country right now, and Amazon Web services is to blame. Amazon Web Services is kind of like the backbone of a lot of your favorite websites and apps. You never really hear about it until something bad happens, but Amazon’s cloud storage is what helps lots and lots of websites and services store their content remotely so that people all over the world can access it as fast as possible. A ton of websites use it, ... Read more

YOU ASKED: Here’s a list of fake news sites

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Our story on recognizing fake news sites struck a huge nerve this week, and for good reason. There's a lot of it going around - especially on social media sites like Facebook - where millions of people read and share it without even knowing it. When I dug around on my own Facebook, several friends have indeed shared bogus stories over the past year. Several credible news outlets and a site called Fake News Watch have put together lists of sites "known to be untruthful, ranging from satirical websites to sites trying to pass off lies as truth." Here are the top known fake sites, and below thatlinks to a few of the best lists we've found so far: FAKE/HOAX NEWS SITES: (The top three ... Read more

HOW TO: Spot a Facebook fake trying to scam you

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A few weeks ago, I got a Facebook request from “myself.” Obviously, it wasn’t me and I recognized it right away as a common Facebook cloning scam. The way it works is simple. Cyber-crooks snag a photo of you, usually right from your own profile page, poach any information you’ve made public, then reach out to all your real friends and family. Once anyone you actually know accepts the Fakebook-fakes’ friend-request or engages with them on Messenger, the scammers typically make a play for money, personal info, or even try to infect your computer or phone with malware. When the same thing happened to my mom last year, the scammer (pretending to be my mother) hit up my cousin with a ... Read more

HOW TO: Figure out if your smart TV is spying on you (it’s easy)

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Popular TV-maker Vizio agreed to pay a 2.2 million dollar settlement for spying on viewers programs and selling information to marketers. According to FTC, Vizio installed software on more than 11 million TV’s in order to track what people watched and sell the info to advertisers, all without customers’ knowledge or consent. Turns out, this kind of tracking is pretty common — but TV makers have to tell you about it and give you the chance to opt-out. It all happened between 2011 and March 2016. If you own a Vizio Smart TV, here’s how to make sure those tracking features are turned off: VIZIO: Vizio has instructions on its website. Go into Menu → System → Reset ... Read more

5 easy ways to spot fake news

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Towards the end of 2016 and well into this new year the big social networks like Facebook and Twitter have come under major scrutiny for failing to detect and police fake news stories. It’s a major problem, and completely unknown websites with zero credibility continue to craft their own narratives out of thin air, leading to some extremely serious situations such as the gunman who entered a Washington D.C. pizza shop because he believed children were being held captive inside it. Facebook in particular has announced measures to monitor the spread of these false narratives, but you can also perform your own due diligence to help squash fake stories you see being shared by your friends ... Read more

Facebook Fort Knox: How Secure Is Your Account Really?

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There are certain things you just have to do every year: Get your teeth cleaned. Change the oil in your car. Put fresh batteries in your smoke detectors. Run a security check-up on your Facebook account. Wait, what? That’s right, as your online life evolves, your cyber security risks grow too. But there are tools right at your fingertips that can help maintain some semblance of privacy — if you know where to find them. Privacy Checkup There are now 1.49 billion monthly active users on Facebook, with the average person in America spending nearly 30 hours a month hanging out on this particular site. If you haven’t gone through Facebook’s Privacy Checkup lately (or ever), this is a ... Read more