Security and Privacy

Aura Home Security System Is a Discreet Way of Monitoring Your Place

If you have an extra couple of hundred dollars ($499 to be exact) and want to save yourself the hassle of monthly bills for home security all while keeping tabs on every portion of your home, you should take a look at the Aura Home. Using your homes Wi-Fi connection and powered by a source outlet, the Aura Home’s sole purpose is to detection motion in your home. Not everyone wants an intrusive camera in their home, and as someone who does, I can say that it does look very mom & pop store-ish to have cameras strategically placed in your…



With Raven in Your Kid’s Car, You Can Helicopter Less Obviously

Did your 16-year-old just get their first car? Are you nervously biting your fingers every time they leave home? Raven gives you a way to know exactly what’s going on in your teen’s car — how they are driving, where they are driving, and who’s in the car with them — while disguising itself as a slick heads-up display.


Ring Floodlight Cam Delivers Serious DIY Protection

When we replaced our front door over a year ago, I purchased a Ring Doorbell; I love it. I love knowing who is there, being able to “answer” the door while away from the house, and the extra sense of security it gives me. When Ring offered a Ring Floodlight Cam for review I was, and continue to be, thrilled.


Is Facebook Spying on You? Probably. Maybe?

Recently, Reply All, a podcast from Gimlet Media about the Internet, published a podcast centered around Facebook and its notoriously shady data collection practices, titled “Is Facebook Spying on You?” Users noticing strange coincidences regarding Facebook’s targeted ads are left wondering whether Facebook has been listening to their conversations through their smartphone’s microphone without their knowledge.


Honeywell Lyric C2 Wi-Fi Security Camera Is DIY Security at Its Best

If you’re looking for a powerful security camera that is relatively inexpensive, simple to set up and easy to use, the Honeywell Lyric C2 Wi-Fi Security Camera is for you. I reviewed the Lyric thermostat and still use it. (Review) I also reviewed the Lyric C1 Security Camera. (Review) The Lyric C2 is a fantastic addition to our ever-smarter home.


Guardzilla 360 Won’t BBQ Intruders, but It Will Watch Your Home

Since the name Guardzilla seems like such an obvious riff on Godzilla, it only stands to reason that this life-size product would watch whatever you’ve aimed it at and incapacitate intruders and interlopers with a flamethrower blast when notified to do so. What? It’s “only” a compact 360º motion detection home security camera? Well, I guess that’s okay, too.



Get Rid of Separation Anxiety with the Orbit Card

If you have a problem misplacing your wallet and need to be reminded that it’s not in your pocket but on your nightstand, then you should really check out the ORBIT Card. Personal identification, receipts, cash, you name it is something that we all carry day in and day out in our wallets and purses, and the Orbit Card wants to make sure that you never forget any of those things. The premise of the Orbit Card is pretty simple: it’s a Bluetooth tracker about the size of a traditional credit card that stores in your wallet and allows you to…


4 Tech Gadgets You Need to Keep Your Home Secure

Your home is supposed to be your little sliver of privacy and comfort in an increasingly hostile world. It’s a place where you have the luxury of retreating and relaxing. Unfortunately, criminals don’t always respect this privacy and encroach on safety for their own personal benefit. How you defend your home will determine the safety and security of your property.


The iseeBell WiFi Video Doorbell and Security Cam Review

Do you ever wonder who might be showing up at your door when you’re away? Perhaps you work across town, and you’re expecting a package; maybe you’re with friends in the backyard, and you don’t want to interrupt your relaxation, or you’ve wondered who’s been stealing your front porch decorations. If you had an iseeBell Video Doorbell, you’d know.


The Ring Video Doorbell Pro Is the Doorbell Every Home Deserves

We all want to feel safe and secure in our homes, and the Ring Video Doorbell Pro is a great place to start. With Ring, you can always keep an eye on your front door, even when you’re out of the country. Featuring motion sensors, infrared night vision, and two-way talk capabilities, Ring is the perfect 24/7 security guard.


Lyric C1 Wi-Fi Security Camera Lets You See Clearly Now

Since renovating our home last year, we have maintained the temperature in the house using the smart Lyric Thermostat from Honeywell. It is a great way to remotely cool or heat our home. Now Honeywell has released the Lyric C1 Wi-Fi Security Camera, and I’m please to say we have one in use in our home. It’s great!




My Data Was Breached by Char-Broil

Last Saturday, I got up and my wife asked me about a $700 charge on our account.  I’m like uh-oh, so I go through the motions to fix it. It happens to lots of us, and sometimes we don’t even know how.  A week later I find out: my card was breached when I ordered parts from Char-Broil.


The WearSafe Will Alert Your Closest Contacts in an Emergency

A few weeks ago, I read an article about how a young man by the name of Casey Bennett’s life was saved, courtesy of his Apple Watch in the midst of a car crash. His iPhone slid to a part of the car he could not reach, and with quick thinking, his Apple Watch’s SOS Emergency feature saved the day.  


Are Digital Assistants a Gateway to a Hacker’s Paradise?

Digital assistants have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. Starting with Apple’s clunky early iteration of Siri in 2011, it’s only taken a few years to get here, with multiple competitors in common use (including Cortana and Google Now) and dozens of new versions to come.


Home8 is Serious D.I.Y. Home Security Done E.A.S.I.L.Y.

If you are looking for a security system that won’t cost an arm and a leg to install and maintain check out the Home8 Security System. It is a complete package in a box that offers your choice of free or inexpensive monitoring for far less than you might expect. It is truly DIY home security done right.


LastPass Warns About Extension Vulnerability

Popular password manager LastPass is warning about a security vulnerability in its browser extension. Based on the wording it appears the vulnerability exists when launching password protected sites via the extension (as opposed to looking up data). LastPass had a reported 7 million users when they were acquired by LogMeIn in 2015.


Protect Yourself and Opt Out of FamilyTreeNow.com Now

I am an amateur genealogist, and as such, I’m used to using sites to try to find missing relatives and other connections. With that said, there is one site out there that calls itself a genealogy site, but it is basically a stalker enabler of the highest order: FamilyTreeNow.com. Try searching your name on there, go on … I’ll wait.