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THE RED TAPE CHRONICLES

Technology has hidden side effects -- we reveal them here

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Red Tape Wire Service

Cybercrime / Privacy

Zelle fraud emergency kit and FAQ

November 7, 2019 Bob Sullivan 148

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]

Bob Sullivan's podcast projects

So, Bob podcast: Should I go all-in with Google or Apple, or spread my tech toys around?

November 5, 2019 Bob Sullivan 0

  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]

Bob Sullivan's podcast projects

Has texting helped or hurt your relationships? A So, Bob podcast

October 28, 2019 Bob Sullivan 0

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]

Cybercrime / Privacy

That free trial? Yea, it’ll cost you. And no, you can’t outsmart this gotcha

October 25, 2019 Bob Sullivan 2

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]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Smartphone hijacking hits the big time; how to protect yourself

October 24, 2019 Bob Sullivan 1

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]

Bob Sullivan's podcast projects

So, Bob: The Gretchen Rubin interview on tech and happiness

October 10, 2019 Bob Sullivan 0

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]

Bob Sullivan's podcast projects

So, Bob podcast — We’re back for season 2

October 1, 2019 Bob Sullivan 0

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]

Gotchas / Consumer

What’s in your wallet? A lot less interest, unless you notice this one word…

October 1, 2019 Bob Sullivan 2

Turns out, Capital One is in fact anything but a-typical. Unless you are dead, you’ve seen the ads on TV for Capital One. A coffee shop in a bank?  Capital One is anything but typical, we are told. And then the actor (Jeremy Brandt) tells us, over  and over, “One [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

BofA ate my debit card, then tried to charge me $5 for a replacement – 90 minutes later, I got my $5 back. Did I win?

September 17, 2019 Bob Sullivan 4

Bank of America recently destroyed my debit card, then tried to charge me $5 for a replacement. Really! Worse still, it took about 30 minutes on the phone for me to get that $5 replacement fee waived, something no rational person would do — heck, that’s less than minimum wage [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Two great new speakers just added to ‘Meet the Hackers’ seminar in D.C. on Oct. 14

September 16, 2019 Bob Sullivan 0

We just added Chloe Autio of Intel and Randy Sabett at Cooley will now join an already great lineup of experts I’ll be hosting in DC next month.  If you are in the DC area, or can be, please consider joining in this important conversation. It’s time for hackers and [Keep reading]

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About me

BOB SULLIVAN is a veteran journalist and the author of four books, including the 2008 New York Times Best-Seller, Gotcha Capitalism, and the 2010 New York Times Best Seller, Stop Getting Ripped Off! His latest, The Plateau Effect, was published in 2013, and as a paperback, called Getting Unstuck in 2014. He has won the Society of Professional Journalists prestigious Public Service award, a Peabody award, and The Consumer Federation of America Betty Furness award, and been given Consumer Action’s Consumer Excellence Award.

Bob Sullivan

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