Digital Smarts Blog

Researchers from England have found that “likes” on Facebook for companies and celebrities are not all they are cracked up to be. In what the MIT Technology Review calls “the first systematic investigation into the nature of “like” farms and how they operate,” researchers found that the “likes” paid for by companies to boost their Facebook followings are, more often than not, fake. Automated bots also generate “likes” by the thousands.

Researchers from England have found that “likes” on Facebook for companies and celebrities are not all they are cracked up to be. In what the MIT Technology Review calls “the first systematic investigation into the nature of “like” farms and how they operate,” researchers found that the “likes” paid for by companies to boost their Facebook followings are, more often than not, fake. Automated bots also generate “likes” by the thousands.

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has passed on his set of rules for not getting overwhelmed by email in a new article in Time magazine. One of his recommendations is to send quick responses, reminding readers that less said in an email is often more. In addition, he brings up the point that using the blind copy (bcc) feature has become rather useless in a transparent world where so much of what we send ends up in front of unintended audiences anyway. He also suggests forwarding emails to yourself that contain items you may want to recall later and adding a few keywords that will aid in a future search for that email. This email forwarding trick is useful for important documents that you might need to access to on a phone or other digital device if you need them when you are away from home.

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has passed on his set of rules for not getting overwhelmed by email in a new article in Time magazine. One of his recommendations is to send quick responses, reminding readers that less said in an email is often more. In addition, he brings up the point that using the blind copy (bcc) feature has become rather useless in a transparent world where so much of what we send ends up in front of unintended audiences anyway. He also suggests forwarding emails to yourself that contain items you may want to recall later and adding a few keywords that will aid in a future search for that email. This email forwarding trick is useful for important documents that you might need to access to on a phone or other digital device if you need them when you are away from home.

“All Secrets Can Be Told” is a FREE lesson plan, along with a video called “Tom’s Secret,” that is available for parents, schools and other child-serving organizations. It was developed by Child Lures/Teen Lures Prevention, a group that works to prevent all forms of mistreatment, including sexual exploitation. One of the biggest challenges parents and teachers have is getting kids to talk about things that might be happening to them. The goal of this group and their materials is to promote “ongoing conversations with children about healthy social relationships, personal boundaries, mutual respect and kindness towards others - from an early age through college.” Through the distribution of their materials they hope to give kids the courage to ask adults for help with safety issues and to talk about secrets without feeling coerced or threatened to keep them, especially those sexual in nature.

“All Secrets Can Be Told” is a FREE lesson plan, along with a video called “Tom’s Secret,” that is available for parents, schools and other child-serving organizations. It was developed by Child Lures/Teen Lures Prevention, a group that works to prevent all forms of mistreatment, including sexual exploitation. One of the biggest challenges parents and teachers have is getting kids to talk about things that might be happening to them. The goal of this group and their materials is to promote “ongoing conversations with children about healthy social relationships, personal boundaries, mutual respect and kindness towards others - from an early age through college.” Through the distribution of their materials they hope to give kids the courage to ask adults for help with safety issues and to talk about secrets without feeling coerced or threatened to keep them, especially those sexual in nature.

Do parents need screen limits? It has been a hot topic of late with some research showing a possible link between smartphone ownership and a rise in emergency visits for kids under the age of 5. Take a look at this article entitled “Screen Time Limits for Parents” on the Common Sense Media site for ideas on how to model digitally smart behavior for your kids.

Do parents need screen limits? It has been a hot topic of late with some research showing a possible link between smartphone ownership and a rise in emergency visits for kids under the age of 5. Take a look at this article entitled “Screen Time Limits for Parents” on the Common Sense Media site for ideas on how to model digitally smart behavior for your kids.

Technology research firm Gartner has predicted that within the next year, 75% of all mobile apps will fail the most basic of security tests. Although the apps will still be functional, the hidden security risk of using an app that has access to your personal information, location, and other user specific data can become a potential issue. It is now than ever important to monitor the apps that you and your family download and the kind of personal information they require to run or store. Don’t know which ones have your personal info? Download an app like MyPermissions and find for sure.

Technology research firm Gartner has predicted that within the next year, 75% of all mobile apps will fail the most basic of security tests. Although the apps will still be functional, the hidden security risk of using an app that has access to your personal information, location, and other user specific data can become a potential issue. It is now than ever important to monitor the apps that you and your family download and the kind of personal information they require to run or store. Don’t know which ones have your personal info? Download an app like MyPermissions and find for sure.

The announcement of a new Apple iPhone always creates a scurry of activity in the smartphone arena as people decide whether or not to upgrade or change platforms. But what about that old phone of yours? Some may suggest selling your old phone, but many experts feel that can be risky. Identity theft is still a possibility even if you think you have cleared that phone of all your personal information. Jennifer Jolly, a USA TODAY tech columnist, put together a list of Genius things to do with an old smartphone. Some of her suggestions include using your old phone as part of video surveillance system for your home, or as a baby monitor. You can also use it to keep doing many of the functions it is already doing – media player, digital camera, or even as a toy for your kids and their apps.

The announcement of a new Apple iPhone always creates a scurry of activity in the smartphone arena as people decide whether or not to upgrade or change platforms. But what about that old phone of yours? Some may suggest selling your old phone, but many experts feel that can be risky. Identity theft is still a possibility even if you think you have cleared that phone of all your personal information. Jennifer Jolly, a USA TODAY tech columnist, put together a list of Genius things to do with an old smartphone. Some of her suggestions include using your old phone as part of video surveillance system for your home, or as a baby monitor. You can also use it to keep doing many of the functions it is already doing – media player, digital camera, or even as a toy for your kids and their apps.

In order to comply with state-mandated attendance requirements, schools are under pressure to hold off on announcing weather related closings until conditions are officially declared unsafe by the state or the town. The chance that parents will be trying to get kids to school in bad rain or heavy fog or snow is increasing. Hudway, an app that helps drivers focus on the road and keep their hands on the wheel, can help you navigate in low visibility conditions by using your smartphone to project onto your windshield information you need to find the road and stay on it. No additional equipment is needed and the voice assist feature can help you also navigate curves and other dangerous road conditions. Try the free version on the Apple App store or Google Play.

In order to comply with state-mandated attendance requirements, schools are under pressure to hold off on announcing weather related closings until conditions are officially declared unsafe by the state or the town. The chance that parents will be trying to get kids to school in bad rain or heavy fog or snow is increasing. Hudway, an app that helps drivers focus on the road and keep their hands on the wheel, can help you navigate in low visibility conditions by using your smartphone to project onto your windshield information you need to find the road and stay on it. No additional equipment is needed and the voice assist feature can help you also navigate curves and other dangerous road conditions. Try the free version on the Apple App store or Google Play.

Did you know that your online activity is tracked on average over 200 times a day? Take a look at this guide to tech tools like PrivacyFix that can help you get a snapshot of what information is being shared.

Did you know that your online activity is tracked on average over 200 times a day? Take a look at this guide to tech tools like PrivacyFix that can help you get a snapshot of what information is being shared.

There is a lot of discussion about the dangers and risks that come with using technology. Privacy concerns, cyberbullying and identity theft are all hot topics, but even scarier is the rise of cyberstalking. The use of digital tools by husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, lovers, and exes is becoming more and more common in cases of domestic abuse. An article on the National Public Radio site entitled Smartphones Are Used To Stalk, Control Domestic Abuse Victims lays out exactly how tools like mSpy work to monitor targets and how they become a way for their users to dominate and control victims. Contacts, call logs, text messages, call recordings, photos, video files, and browser history can all be accessed using mSpy. There's a keylogger function that records everything the target types into his or her smartphone (including web addresses, usernames and passwords), and a location tracking function that shows where the device has been, how long it was there, and how it got there and back. In addition to pulling information from the device, mSpy also gives stalkers the ability to alter settings on the phone, such as blocking calls from a certain number.

Of course this software isn’t marketed as an app for an obsessed lover. Spyware like this is marketed to parents who want to watch their kids or employers who want to watch their employees – supposedly with their full knowledge. Apps like mSpy have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and even though customers sign an agreement acknowledging it's illegal to secretly spy on someone, no one is monitoring how and on who these digital tools are being used.

There is a lot of discussion about the dangers and risks that come with using technology. Privacy concerns, cyberbullying and identity theft are all hot topics, but even scarier is the rise of cyberstalking. The use of digital tools by husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, lovers, and exes is becoming more and more common in cases of domestic abuse. An article on the National Public Radio site entitled Smartphones Are Used To Stalk, Control Domestic Abuse Victims lays out exactly how tools like mSpy work to monitor targets and how they become a way for their users to dominate and control victims. Contacts, call logs, text messages, call recordings, photos, video files, and browser history can all be accessed using mSpy. There's a keylogger function that records everything the target types into his or her smartphone (including web addresses, usernames and passwords), and a location tracking function that shows where the device has been, how long it was there, and how it got there and back. In addition to pulling information from the device, mSpy also gives stalkers the ability to alter settings on the phone, such as blocking calls from a certain number.

Of course this software isn’t marketed as an app for an obsessed lover. Spyware like this is marketed to parents who want to watch their kids or employers who want to watch their employees – supposedly with their full knowledge. Apps like mSpy have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and even though customers sign an agreement acknowledging it's illegal to secretly spy on someone, no one is monitoring how and on who these digital tools are being used.

Facebook users seem to be rethinking online privacy, with millennials proving to be more wary about giving up their personal information than older users. "Previously there had been a sort of undue trust in the magic of cloud services. People are starting to reconsider that," says Justin Brookman of the Center for Democracy & Technology. Despite years of resistance, Facebook recently changed its default for new posts from “public” to “friends”, and introduced tools to  untag yourself in other people’s photos and change old posts from public to friends-only. When did you last check your privacy settings to make sure you are taking advantage of the new protections Facebook offers?

Facebook users seem to be rethinking online privacy, with millennials proving to be more wary about giving up their personal information than older users. "Previously there had been a sort of undue trust in the magic of cloud services. People are starting to reconsider that," says Justin Brookman of the Center for Democracy & Technology. Despite years of resistance, Facebook recently changed its default for new posts from “public” to “friends”, and introduced tools to  untag yourself in other people’s photos and change old posts from public to friends-only. When did you last check your privacy settings to make sure you are taking advantage of the new protections Facebook offers?