Beacon Links & Apps – February 2018
How the world works Can alcohol cause anxiety? Is Seattle the rainiest U.S. city? Why are rodents such popular lab test animals? You’ve got questions, and the website HowStuffWorks has answers to thousands of them. The site got its start in 1998 at a college professor’s kitchen table. From there, it grew into a source of unbiased, reliable, easy-to-understand answers and... READ MORE
Pros and cons of buying products online
Have you ever thought about buying a pair of pants online without trying them in real life? Or a pair of glasses? Or even a mattress? While using Facebook or Instagram, listening to podcasts or just browsing the web, you may have come across ads from brands like Betabrand, Warby Parker, Casper or Harry’s. These companies represent a growing niche in the retail marketplace: direct to ... READ MORE
Constant phone access may not be so smart
Imagine you were asked to complete a series of math problems, ones just hard enough to require your attention and focus, but nothing you couldn't handle. Now, imagine you were intermittently interrupted from these math problems and asked to remember a random list of letters. This might be even tougher. It's reasonable to assume your performance on these tasks might be impaired by... READ MORE
Beacon Links & Apps – January 2018
Go take a hike You don’t need to scale Mount Everest to net the many benefits of hiking. Even a moderate one-hour hike can burn around 400 calories. Find a trail near you at www.hikingproject.com, which features GPS and elevation data, as well as user-generated tips for almost 14,000 trails, from beginner to advanced hikes. The website also offers a forum where hikers can compare... READ MORE
Restaurants use tech to increase spending
Restaurant chains are making it easier to order food with a few taps of the screen — so much so that you may lose sight of how much you’re spending. The convenience that technology offers may make us less vigilant about how much we’re buying. Digital ordering also lets companies better track our spending habits, and may lead to increasingly personalized offers that are more likely... READ MORE
Toys today can spy on kids. What to do
The toys your grandkids received over the holidays could invite hackers into your home. That Grinch-like warning comes from the FBI, which said earlier this year that toys connected to the Internet could be a target for crooks who may listen in on conversations or use them to steal a child’s personal information. The bureau did not name any specific toys or brands, but it said any... READ MORE
Lock your phone to prevent data breaches
Your phone is essentially a one-stop shop for your data and, if stolen or exposed to identity thieves, can compromise your identity and financial accounts. People are using smartphones for more of their digital needs, but even if you don’t use mobile banking or financial apps, your phone could store sensitive data from online shopping, social networking, games and more. An unsecured... READ MORE
Try before you buy from online retailers
Amazon is set to launch a service that lets customers order clothes, try them on at home, and pay only for what they keep. It sounds novel, but Amazon is actually late to the party. Several online startups have offered try-before-you-buy options for items including jewelry, clothing, glasses and more.It makes shoppers less nervous about buying online, the companies say, and also gives... READ MORE
How to reuse, recycle or sell old phones
It’s natural to get the phone-upgrade itch when the likes of Apple, Samsung and others keep coming out with newer models. And sometimes your old phone is just kaput.But what do you do with a serviceable but outdated gadget? Rather than relegate an old phone to a desk drawer, consider reusing, recycling or reselling it. Of course, there’s also the option to donate.Here’s a... READ MORE
How to leave your digital assets to heirs
My mom, who passed away a few years ago, was a very careful and meticulous person who kept a notebook with all of her online account passwords. Mom was also a Morse code operator in the Royal Air Force during WWII, so all of her passwords were in code.I was lucky: She told me about the book and her codes. If she hadn’t, finding and deciphering her notes would have taken a very long... READ MORE
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