There’s something primal about the reaction you have when spotting a desperate “Lost Dog” sign posted on a tree or in a coffee shop. If you’re like me, you picture a little boy crying nightly for his lost friend; a guilt-ridden parent wondering what he or she could have done; [Keep reading]
Amazon has a problem. A really, really big problem. Let me try to explain it in a small way. Imagine you owned a coffee shop, and for simplicity’s sake, you sold coffee for $1 a cup. After a really, really busy day, when you sold 750 cups of coffee, because [Keep reading]
What ailment is so devastating that its symptoms can range from an incorrect medical diagnosis, to (virtually) killing you, to hurting your kids’ chances of getting college financial aid? That distinctly digital-age malady? Identity theft. In a world of overused metaphors, this one is spot-on: If Franz Kafka were writing [Keep reading]
If you love someone, set them free. And if you respect someone, you want the best for them — whether you are with them for a week, a year, or a lifetime. In an age when employers are increasingly are using fine print to ensnare workers with less-favorable terms, such [Keep reading]
I’ve spent 20 years interviewing thousands of people who’ve fallen for scams and ripoffs. I’ve interviewed hundreds of criminals, too, not to mention pseudo-criminals who work at corporations that survive almost entirely on their ability to fool people. I’m frequently asked: what makes people fall for scams? What makes someone [Keep reading]
“We’re improving ads based on apps and sites you use, and giving you more control,” says the notice I received this morning from Facebook. Uh oh. Any time a company says they are giving me “more control,” I know something bad is happening. When did I lose control? I clicked [Keep reading]
“I already swept the floor” said the annoyed woman behind the cash register, yelling over her shoulder to no one in particular. She managed to take my order, and my money, without ever looking at me. It was the 100th transaction recently that occurred at this particular brand of coffee [Keep reading]
Why would it take data broker DataLogix a full 90 days to respond to a consumer request? Submitted by email? Welcome to the outrage of the day. I’m committed to learning more about the murky industry that is data brokers, and one of the best ways is to see what [Keep reading]
OK, free market defenders, time to stand up and be counted. Do you believe in competition, or not? Aptly named “non-compete clauses” are creeping into standard employment agreements across a host of low-wage industries, according to a story in The New York Times. One such clause prevented a 19-year-old college [Keep reading]
Heather Dahl directs global analyst relations at a major communications technology firm Her new illustrated book, the Cynja, introduces kids to the world of technology and cybersecurity — you’ll hear more about this from me soon. She’s also Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Press Foundation. During [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan