If your kids are anything like mine, they realize kind of late that it's time to do their holiday shopping and they like to do that shopping online. So this is a great "teachable moment" for a family conversation about smart online shopping. Here are some talking points: Don't be socially engineered. Click carefully – phishers and other scammers like to trick people into clicking on bad links … [Read more...] about E-shopping security for gift-givers of all ages
holiday shopping
Holidays: Half of US parents giving kids tech
A national survey found that 49% of parents with kids 12 and under are giving their children electronic gifts – cellphones, computers, music players, gameplayers, etc. – this holiday season, PBSKids.org reports about its survey. "Once these gifts are unwrapped, most parents say they plan to have rules and restrictions to help children stay safe online." The survey found that 86% of parents "agree … [Read more...] about Holidays: Half of US parents giving kids tech
Families, be on high alert this ‘Cyber Monday’
You may've heard about how the Monday after Thanksgiving tends to be the biggest online shopping day of the year. Great bargains are to be had. Therefore by definition, it's also a big day for online fraud, so somewhere between now and then, you might have a family chat about being extra alert when shopping on "Cyber Monday." MacWorld suggests that you be extra cautious about deals that are too … [Read more...] about Families, be on high alert this ‘Cyber Monday’
‘Cyber Monday’ alert!
Apparently today is the biggest online shopping day of the year, but everybody needs to be extra alert for spam and phishing scams right through the holidays (not to mention every day). The Monday after the US's Thanksgiving "consumers are expected to spend $821 million this year, up 12% from 2007," USATODAY reports. "But a wobbly economy, combined with a consumer thirst for too-good-to-be-true … [Read more...] about ‘Cyber Monday’ alert!
‘Puters top holiday wish lists
I thought it was the iPod. Nope, cancel that. It was clothes that topped Americans' wish lists last year, "followed by peace and happiness, money and then computers," the Associated Press reports, citing the annual Consumer Electronics Association survey. This year it's computers. "The machines that feed us infinite and instant information, store our digital memories, give us hours of fun with … [Read more...] about ‘Puters top holiday wish lists