Things We Need to Know About the Technology We Use Every Day

Clips OnLine

A.  Using your iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Nook, and other devices:  We all know a little about technology.  Some of us know a lot.  But what about the new devices we're using?  Did you know that your iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, and other handheld devices can be used to access this blog? 

Yes, of course, you did;  but to see the full website instead of the article titles with arrows, scroll down to the bottom.  It says "home" and under "home" you'll see "visit web version".  Clicking on this will take you to the full website-much easier to read and scroll through.

B.  Apps you might want: Some new apps might help you through the winter.  For $.99, you can load sNOw School. Using "Live weather forcasts and historic data" This app tells the reader which public and private schools as well as universities are predicted to be closed.  Twelve states are covered.

Or a really useful app could help you in a winter emergency:  The free app., Weather Survival Kit "uses your location to call for help."  Also the app can tell you the length of time youi can keep the vehicle running "without a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning." (App information is from USA Weekend, Feb. 8-10, 2013, 17).

C.  10 Dumbest Mistakes That People Make with Their Smartphones.  This article was written by Adam Levin,at Credit.com and reprinted in ABC News(February 3, 2013). Levin cautions us that the smartphone is more than a phone;  it's a 'very powerful mini-computer that happens to make phone calls."  Not understanding that can cause us more trouble than we ever imagined.

Levin points out that all the info we put onto the smartphone is immense:  "Direct access "to all bank accounts. : It may store our passwords to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, even our email accounts. The phone numbers and email addresses of all our friends and colleagues are easy to find in our contacts directory. "

What if you leave your smartphone in a restaurant or a cab or even at a conference?  (By the way, Apple has an app called "Find My iPhone" that you might want to consider.  It's free.)
What happens if you browse your smartphone from a coffee shop or other public-access site.  It could be hacked.  Levin points out that we need to protect ourselves by understanding the "dumbest things that people do(or fail to do) with their smartphones."

What are Levin's "dumbest things that " we do?

1) No password protection. It's a pain, we know, to enter a password each time we access our smartphones.  But it might make the thief look elsewhere for an easier phone to hack.

2) Shopping online with an Internet browser instead of a shopping app.

3) Remaining logged into banking, PayPal, eBay, and other sensitive apps.(including your bank account and credit card account) and asking that the site remember your password.  No!  No!  No!

4) Automatically connecting to any available WiFi connections.

5) Leaving Bluetooth connections open. "Bluejacking, Bluesnarfing, Bluebugging. These are all words that describe a hacker exploiting the open Bluetooth connection on your phone. While this type of hack requires the intruder to be relatively close to you (less than 30 feet away), the intrusion can occur undetected in a busy airport, hotel lobby, restaurant, or at a conference."

6) Failing to properly purge data from old smartphones. Purge data before giving an old smartphone away, selling it or "taking it out of service."  Levin provides a link that contains a 'how-to guide" for purging data.

7) Downloading "free" apps that aren't actually free. Some are just disguised 'data-thief' sites.  Make sure to "Read reviews first, and make sure the apps you download come from reputable sources."

8) Storing sensitive data on phones. Don't store your critical numbers such as social security, passwords, or credit card numbers!

9) Failing to clear browser history. "By retracing your steps, a phone thief can use your history to hijack your accounts, steal your money and wreck havoc." Levin provides a link to a site that will instruct us on clearing browsed history.

10) No remote wiping software. "Tech-savvy hackers may be able to disengage these applications, but it's just one more layer of protection you can use to reduce your risks if you ever lose your phone. For more information on how to disable your phone remotely, read this story."

Levin's closing observation is powerful. "The ultimate guardian of the consumer is the consumer herself. Your identity is your asset. It is up to you to vigorously defend and protect it."

To delve into Levin's complete article, follow http://ABCNews.go.com/business/10-dumbest-risks-people-smartphones/story?id=18378994

Technology is so amazing, and we benefit from the numerous applications at our fingertips.  But we also need to be so very aware of mistakes that can cause us untold grief.  When we pick up our smartphone or other devices,we need to  remember how vulnerable we might be.