I get asked about VPNs a lot — virtual private networks. In theory, VPNs make your Internet surfing safer by making sure that no one between you and your intended connecting can read your traffic. The real story is quite a bit more complicated than that, however. That’s the subject [Keep reading]
Remember the news that victims of the Equifax hack might get $125 from a class action settlement, only to hear later the real amount would probably be a few pennies? And getting those pennies required a bunch more paperwork steps? And the lawyers who negotiated the settlement were going to [Keep reading]
If you’ve landed on this page, you are probably in a bit of shock that your bank account could be drained by a criminal and your bank doesn’t seem to care, or think you are entitled to a “refund.” In many cases, you are — you just haven’t talked to [Keep reading]
Any time a company wants you to go all-in on its ecosystem, watch out. Bundling can seem like a cost-saver — getting your phone, TV, and Internet from one service, for example. But there’s always a cost. Often, that cost means tolerating inferior products, as many cable bundlers know. [Keep reading]
Is texting good or bad for relationships? Sure, it’s lovely to check in with loved ones during the day, send a little digital cheer and some emojis. But instant communication can also really mess things up when sometimes a little space is necessary — say, when there’s a fight between [Keep reading]
Just don’t sign up for free trials. Odds are very high you’ll regret it. Perhaps you think you can outsmart the company offering them, but the more educated you are, the MORE likely you are to end up with surprise charges after a free trial. A new Bankrate.com study has [Keep reading]
It was a shock in August when Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s Twitter account started sending out racist Tweets. He’d been hacked, of course, but perhaps the biggest shock of all was how easy it was — @Jack was the victim of simple SIM card swapping. SIM “hacking” isn’t new — [Keep reading]
You get a free Amazon Echo Dot — a gift from a friend, or a company. Should you plug it in? Or will Alexa listen to your conversations? This is the latest question we received at the So, Bob podcast. Actually, it was a bit more nuanced than that. A [Keep reading]
Is tech hacking your happiness? And can you reverse that — can tech help make you happier? These are the questions Alia and I explore with Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and numerous other best sellers. People pay good money to hear Gretchen dispense her special kind of [Keep reading]
The So, Bob podcast preaches taking control of your tech — rather than letting tech control you. So as software developers might say, we ate our own dog food and took a decent break after season one’s last episode in July. But The So, Bob podcast is back starting on [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan