“Security” collection
Safeguard your family’s digital and physical environment with expert advice on home monitoring, online privacy, and data protection. This category provides essential strategies and reviews of tools to help you maintain a secure, private, and protected connected life.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →December 21, 2012
Reacting To and Remembering the Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary – Cast of Dads Podcast #55
A week ago today, innocent children, students and educators were horrifically gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I don't believe that anyone will fully understand the "why" but all of us have been struggling to comprehend it as well as be able to talk about this event with other adults as well as our children. The Sunday after this…
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November 25, 2012
How Safe is Online Shopping? Tips to Get Ready for Cyber Monday and Beyond
Personally, I hate shopping. I do though, like the act of giving gifts. There is something always great about spreading joy to friends and family during the holiday seasons. My wife is a bargain hunter and loves the "sport" of the deal hunt. She went missing on Black Friday only to reappear a few hours later with lots of great…
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November 19, 2012
Silent but Effective – ESET Cybersecurity for Macintosh
I don't know how many different types of Anti-Virus or security software I have tested over the years. I would guess that it's in the 20's. There are a lot of great providers out there, some paid and some free. Those people who have computers but don't have ANY anti-virus software are destined to a severe, brutal and ugly day…
Read more →October 30, 2012
Zombies, Bots and Trojans are Trick or Treating in your Computer!
Did you know that it is basically Halloween each and every day in your computer? That digital doorbell is ringing every time you visit a website, get an email or download an application. How is your computer greeting those Zombies, Bots and Trojans? Are you giving them treats and sending them on their way? Or are they preparing to trick…
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September 19, 2012
Why It’s Important to Teach your Kids How to Cook and Use Social Media
A recent post of mine which focused on an informal and potentially dangerous marriage between Instagram and Kik Messenger seems to have gotten quite a bit of attention lately. I'm always excited when I can share my ideas, opinions, insights and personal recommendations when it comes to educating kids about the evolution of social media of many legs. And what…
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September 10, 2012
The Logitech Alert 700n Indoor Camera Gives You a Day or Night View into your Home or Business
I'm all about wiring my home up for security and peace of mind. Whether you are on vacation or just want to check in to see if your pets are on the furniture or your kids are doing their homework, it's simply convenient to be able to open the digital eyes of your home from wherever you are. A few…
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August 30, 2012
10 Tips on How to Avoid Losing your Digital Identity
Our society is made up of all types of information. And the amount of "stuff" that is known about us is growing as speeds never before seen. Think back 50 or 100 years. What identified a person? Their names, their ancestry, their address and their bank. Eventually phone numbers and a few other bits of personally identifiable information made it…
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July 28, 2012
Phishing for Your Olympic Spirit – Buyer Beware!
With the Olympics right around the corner, the last thing that you want to think about is security. Well, let me rephrase that, there is plenty of security at the Olympics itself and I'm one of many who sincerely hopes that the 2012 Olympics in London goes smoothly and safely. Go Team USA! But, if you are traveling or thinking…
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July 20, 2012
Dropcam HD is the Ultimate Home Monitoring Webcam Now with HD Video, Night Vision & 2-Way Audio
Almost two years ago, I reviewed a new wireless webcam that I felt was a clear winner, especially for families - the Dropcam. It was by far the easiest to set up and use, wireless web-connected video streaming camera that I had used. Over the past 2 years, I used it pretty much every day. It allowed me to have…
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July 2, 2012
Parents Beware: Instagram & Kik Messenger Are A Dangerous Combination & What Social Dangers to Check For
Over the past few years, I have written about security and safety for the family, especially when it comes to protecting your kids from online predators and social bullies. My wife and I really try to practice what we preach. But as social networks and sharing services evolve, sometimes it is hard to keep up with the latest and greatest…
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June 25, 2012
5 Tips on How To Make your Child Safer When Gaming Online
Just the other day, I was talking to someone about how playtime has changed since when we were children. The line that my parents used to say all of the time was "go out and play" and off we would go, getting into trouble outside, coming back with scrapes, bloody knees and bruises, covered in dirt and physically exhausted. However,…
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June 14, 2012
Burn Note Lets You Create Single-Use, Disposable, Mission Impossible-esque Messages…And It Works!
We all know how cool those self-destruct messages in Mission Impossible is - "this message will self-destruct in 5 seconds" - and then the device playing the message bursts into flames or explodes or melts or something neat like that. Well, you can get that same type of message destruction, but without all of the smoke and fire with Burn…
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