Smartphone use continues to increase. More than one third of Americans have dropped landlines and only use mobiles. It is very possible that within the next 10 years, the landline will be obsolete and we will all be wireless. And when there’s a major transition in technology, the newness of it all creates a perfect…
With over one billion people connected to Facebook, we have to assume that many of them are criminals. (Criminals are people with friends too!) But the criminals we need to be concerned about are the ones who create all kinds of scams designed to do everything from getting us to open our wallets to clicking…
There are numerous considerations to be made when investing in a home security system today. While the options for the type and scope of system have been narrowed down, it’s the nuances of price, service, contracts and if it’s a do-it-yourself (DIY) project, among other things, that can all make or break the long-term satisfaction…
We all make mistakes; the key is to make them once or twice and learn from them. If you keep making them, bad things happen—and home security mistakes are not ones you want to repeat. Here are a dozen mistakes that you don’t want to make even the first time. Cheap locks. It’s easy to…
People talk—A LOT. They can’t stop talking. Talking, getting something off your mind and out there feels good. Talking takes the pressure off one’s mind; our mouths are like relief valves for our heads. The problem has always been that people blurt out whatever is on their mind and say things that often get them…
Ever lose a mobile device? Have one stolen? Know someone who has? Device loss and theft is a common issue when it comes to identity theft and results in data breaches. Some studies have shown as many as 2.5 million laptops are stolen annually, which equates to a laptop stolen every 12 seconds. It used…
Ever lock yourself out of your car or home? I’ve done each at least once this year; that’s about my average. After the last time I got stuck on the cold side of my front door, I decided to go with keyless locks for my home, specifically the Schlage Touchscreen deadbolt, and it has solved…
Linda was ripped off for $8,000 all because she believed Greg was whom he said he was. Linda, from North Carolina, was nabbed by an online crook who promised her love. This year, 17 (possibly more) such victims have reported a dating scam that has cost them a combined $700,000, says the North Carolina Attorney…
Stop what you are doing. Walk over to your front or back door. Open it. Look down at the doorjamb where the holes are—you know, where your doorknob and deadbolt locks (hopefully they are Schlage) go into the frame. Those 3/4-inch-ish holes are surrounded by what’s called a strike plate. The strike plate has two…
It began with the laptop. The laptop was the first portable internet-connected device that freed up millions to create a mobile workforce. Next was the smartphone, which didn’t really take off until Apple opened it up to developers and allowed the creation of applications that made the smartphone what it is today. Apple did it…
