Without question, 2011 is the year for hackers of all kinds to get their 15 minutes of fame. But it feels like it’s lasting a lot longer than 15 minutes. With so many different breeds of hackers, each with their own agenda and an endless supply of potential targets, the media has certainly been more…
If someone asked me to go “gold farming,” I’d probably assume we were going to grab a couple pans and head north to a stream in New Hampshire, and with any luck, strike it rich. But gold farming doesn’t refer to literal gold. Rather, gold farmers accumulate virtual currency by playing massive multiplayer online games.…
Is your data in the cloud? Right now as we speak billions are being invested my major corporations to store and back up data in the cloud. It’s cheaper and it’s safer. When you think of a cloud, do you picture fluffy white pillow-things that float in the sky without a care in the world?…
By green, I mean what you might call your cashola, mula, peso, mark, deniro, bread…or just money. I have a few, possibly contradictory philosophies about protecting one’s money. But hear me out. First and foremost, never, ever fight a burglar, mugger, robber or home invader over money. If some whacko wants your dough, give it…
The last thing anyone ever wants to think about is your child getting taken away from you by a stranger or even someone you know. And while the statistics aren’t nearly are bad as one would think, parents think about child abduction all the time. Regardless of statistical probabilities, there is a chance your child…
From childhood on, throughout life we develop relationships starting with your neighbors, classmates and eventually through work and of course through friends of friends. In high school I met this kid through my girlfriend’s girlfriend. He was a talented kid with lots of potential. I’m not using his real name, so let’s call him John.…
I don’t see any signage saying “Home Security System”, and your front door is mostly glass and you sometimes leave the doors unlocked for bike rides. I see you go to bed around 10 to 10:30. Most of your lights are off by nine. You rarely pull the shades down. You often leave a light…
When you think “prison camp,” you probably don’t picture a place resembling summer camp, with arts and crafts, hiking, swimming, and playing games. But in the Jixi prisoner labor camp in the coalmines of northeast China, they break rocks all day and play games at night. Online games often reward players who accumulate a certain…
In Nashville where smoked ribs, country music and 68 year old grandmothers sleep with shotguns, a take no prisoners Nana picked off two home invaders breaking in as she slept. She was quoted saying “Never in my whole life have I ever harmed anything or anybody, but I’ve never been put in that position.” Well…
My assistant sends me this: “Here’s a story that you can use for a Home Security blog if you want: Jodie (my daughter) gets a phone call Friday night from her best friend Audrey about their old best friend Nancy. Nancy was Jodie and Audreys best friend up until 6-8 months ago when Nancy started…
