A mobile phone virus that spreads by texting contacts in the victim’s phone book is hitting U.S. Android users, security firm AdaptiveMobile says. Dubbed Gazon, the worm tricks recipients into downloading an app by promising $200 in Amazon gift cards. Some 4,000 users have been infected — most in the U.S. [Keep reading]
Anyone who’s tried using the Internet to rent an apartment knows it’s a cesspool of scams and fake listings. But Kelly Kane found out this weekend that con artists are getting aggressive and vindictive. After she called out a would-be con artists on a fake ad, her cell phone number [Keep reading]
The Internet can be pretty weird, but “digital kidnapping” is about as weird as it gets. Internet “kidnappers” pilfer photos of other peoples’ kids, then share them acting as if the kidnappers are the parents. It’s called babyrp, short for baby roleplay. It can range from bizarre and arguably harmless [Keep reading]
I’ve received a couple of emails recently that made their way into my inbox (and away from my spam folder) that I think are troubling. They are well-drafted attacks designed to convince the recipient that their Gmail or YouTube account is about to be deleted unless he or she clicks [Keep reading]
As if on cue, the Internet exploded yesterday with a vigorous debate involving millions of people around the globe, celebrating the arrival of Net Neutrality. The debate was about the color of a dress. Thank goodness for Net Neutrality. So before I get to Net Neutrality, let me get this [Keep reading]
There’s been a lot of talk about raising the minimum wage lately, and it is good that workers and Walmart, TJ Maxx, and Marshall’s will soon have a little more money in their paychecks. Now, what about the rest of the country? Another comprehensive report issued by the Economic Policy [Keep reading]
By now, you’ve do doubt heard about a lawsuit alleging that Purina’s Beneful dog food is dangerous. Depending on the social media post of a link to a story about another social media post that you re-posted, you might now believe that thousands of of dogs (3,000? 4,000?) have died [Keep reading]
Americans are enjoying a nice raise at the moment, in the form of dramatically lower gas prices. The government’s Energy Information Administration estimates that the average household will spend $750 less on gas this year, which is like getting a roughly $1,000 raise, since the savings aren’t taxed. For a little [Keep reading]
Credit scores and credit reports have been somewhat of a mystery to the public for decades, but now U.S. consumers are gaining unprecedented access to them. The new transparency is undoubtedly positive, but a critical question remains: Will it help consumers, or just confuse them? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [Keep reading]
As a committed tech skeptic, I am often wrong =) Technology does wonderful, often magical things for the world, but there’s nothing more magical than those who do work on accessibility. I was lucky enough to be included in a beautiful TODAY show piece Friday by colleague and friend Kerry [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan