Was talking to a very smart friend recently about the latest expensive solution looking for a problem, the Apple Watch. He convinced me that there actually is a problem, it’s just not *your* problem. It’s every company’s problem. The real market for the $400-$17,000 watch is the industrial market. Human [Keep reading]
Yes, airplanes can be hacked, just as power plants can be hacked. No, it’s not a widespread problem right now. Yes, we should talk about it before it becomes a widespread (and quite deadly) problem. No, we shouldn’t be harassing and detaining people who research these problems for a living. [Keep reading]
Now here’s a good idea. Discover Card consumers who lose track of the credit cards, but aren’t sure the cards are really lost yet, can temporarily “freeze” the cards with a new feature called “Freeze It.” New charges will be declined, which automated payments will continue, while the consumer continues [Keep reading]
It’s great that more folks are backing up their files using cloud-based services like DropBox. While hacker and virus writers get all the headlines, I think hardware failure is really the biggest risk most consumers face.Cloud services have become such a part of the way we live, however, that we’ve [Keep reading]
It’s obvious that smartphones and driving are a dangerous combination. At this point, it should be obvious that ever-more-drastic laws banning cell phone use while driving have been ineffective, other than as another revenue-producing tool for law enforcement. A new study of teen drivers offers some insight into why. Experts [Keep reading]
Victims of tax-refund identity theft have a nightmare on their hands — a long-term nightmare. A government audit found that it takes an average of 278 days for the IRS to resolve ID theft complaints and issue tax refunds. And that’s an improvement over the 312 days it took the [Keep reading]
Internet firms have a tough time dealing with the kids issue. The temptation to rope children into brand loyalty is great, but many of the things that are most effective are at least immoral, if not illegal. After all, kids’ brains aren’t fully formed, and they are even easier to [Keep reading]
The way Americans spend money is on the verge of its biggest change in decades, but the drumbeat of doubters continues to get louder. New chip-enabled credit cards are slowly getting into consumers’ hands in advance of a looming deadline later this year. But a Walmart executive recently told CNN [Keep reading]
I’ve described the many flaws in Ubernomics before, and you’ve about sexual assault allegations. Here’s a new Uber problem that users should understand. A Colorado man has been arrested and accused of returning to a passenger’s home after dropping her off at the airport to burglarize the home, seemingly because [Keep reading]
Even for researchers experienced at examining technology that might be invasive, this warning was alarming: “Your location has been shared 5,398 times with Facebook, Groupon, GO Launcher EX and seven other apps in the last 14 days.” The warning was sent to a subject as scientists at Carnegie Mellon University were studying [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan