Security and Privacy

HBO’s Deeply Unsettling View of Our Futures

Most of us don’t think about what our digital footprint means. Think about the dossier Facebook, Instagram or Twitter have on you. Not to mention Amazon’s knowledge of your shopping and Google’s of, well, everything. HBO gave us a glimpse into what that could mean with a Westworld tie-in dinner this week that left us all a little bit unsettled.






BullGuard’s VPN Service Keeps My Data Secure

Total internet protection is something that we should all take a bit more seriously. VPN’s are meant to give you the flexibility to securely access the internet wherever you are, and one of the best that I’ve personally used is BullGuard. 


DokiPal Brings Smartwatches to the Elementary School Set

Technology improvements creep downwards from cutting edge to every day to eventually being aimed at kids. It’s inevitable that as smartwatches become more popular, kids are going to be interested. Doki sees an opportunity here for a way to offer kids what they want while keeping it age-appropriate with their new watch, the dokiPal.


Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro Improves Protection

I have been using the Vivint Smart Home for some time, and it has really become a regular part of our lives. The initial install and thoughts can be found here (pt1) and here (pt2). The Outdoor Camera Pro has since been released, and I have had the chance to take a look at it. The new camera and features are fantastic.



Google Advanced Protection Provides the Ultimate Security for Your Account

These days it seems you can’t go a few days or maybe hours before hearing about having online accounts being hacked or breached. For a lot of us, our Google account is one of the most important parts of our online identity. While you can already use things like 2-factor authentication to protect yourself, Google Advanced Protection takes it to a whole new level!


Keeping Kids Safe Online Starts at a Young Age

My son is in kindergarten, and his favorite part of school is coding class. I was surprised (and a little jealous) that he gets to play coding games and drive robots. Today, though, their lesson was a little different: they learned rules for staying safe online.


InvisaWear Takes a Tragedy and….Inserts Themselves?

Over the weekend, a college student got into a car she thought was an Uber, and tragically she was murdered. This is an awful story. Somehow, the folks at invisaWear, jewelry that offers emergency GPS beacons, thought this tragedy was a good opportunity to promote their product.



BoxLock Is a Clever Smart Lock Aiming to Thwart Porch Pirates

BoxLock is a clever smart lock that will protect your precious packages from porch pirates after they’ve been delivered. When paired with a secure parcel box, BoxLock is a strong line of defense to thwart package thieves. BoxLock has a built-in barcode scanner, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity, and a 30+ day rechargeable battery. BoxLock retails for $129.





HeartKey Can Be a Wellness Watchdog and a Car Key!

You know how spy movies try to show how technologically advanced they are by using retina scanners? Well, apparently they’re behind the curve because B-Secur is pushing their EKG technology, HeartKey, as the ultimate algorithm to identify you as well as make sure that lifetime addiction to Dunkin’ Donuts hasn’t caught up with you yet.


Ooma Smart Cam Has High-Definition Video, Facial Recognition, and More

The Ooma Butterfleye we reviewed back in 2018 was a great home security camera that I still use to this day, but there were a few things I’d hoped Ooma would eventually update. Seems they listened, as Ooma has announced their next generation Ooma Smart Cam with more to love and view — in, or out of their home.


My Unbiased Review of NordVPN

Over the past year, I’ve traveled to quite a few places, some with the shadiest unsecured internet you can imagine, from Starbucks to hotels in different countries, and I gained a bit more peace of mind thanks to my virtual private network, or VPN of choice – NordVPN.


Smartening up an Apartment on Any Budget

Smart homes have moved from the realm of tech geeks to mainstream America. Even if you don’t set out to have a smart home, the various ways to connect devices and everyday items have become so easy it is impossible to avoid. It’s a bit tougher when you rent, but there’s plenty of ways to make your apartment smarter!