Your car is watching

July 11, 2024

Automakers and insurance companies are teaming up to share data on your driving habits. Also, EV sales are struggling, and there are issues with Airbnb. I speak with a guy whose identity was stolen, and now the scammer is using his info to con others.

Tags: Airbnb, car, companies, data, download, driving, driving habits, habits, identity, insurance, insurance companies, issues, Now, open, sales, scammer, share

Using end-of-life tech? You’re at risk of attack

Not one of those “new phone every year” kind of folks? Hey, I don’t blame you! We’re all trying to save a buck or two.

But there’s a line. Using end-of-life (EOL) tech (aka hardware or software that’s no longer updated by the manufacturer) can leave you vulnerable to cyberattacks. Let’s run through what that includes.

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Which unusual internet-connected device was launched to help farmers monitor the well-being of their livestock? Is it a … A.) Cow fitness tracker, B.) Chicken mood ring, C.) Pig sleep monitor or D.) Goat GPS tracker?

Find the answer here! →

🔍 AirTag vs. Google’s Find My Device: Both devices were mailed to another state in an unofficial test. The AirTag continuously updated its location, while the Android tracker took 11 hours to ping its new whereabouts. At one point, the Find My Device tracker even lost track of its location. This is why I keep an AirTag in my cars.

Keep a tracker hidden in your car

I use an AirTag to always know where my car is. The key is to hide the tracker so a thief doesn’t know about it. The better hidden it is, the better off you’ll be.

31M email addresses

Exposed in a ~~Needless Markup~~ Neiman Marcus breach. The retailer’s original report said only 64,472 people were affected. See if yours is one of them at haveibeenpwned.com.

Scams are getting personal – Don't get fooled by fakes

Callie Smith from Virginia was excited to see an Olivia Rodrigo concert. The $700 price tag? Not so much. Luckily, she found an Instagram account selling two-for-one tickets to the show.

Callie did a quick Google search and even video-chatted with the seller. Feeling comfortable, she sent $700 through Apple Cash. Instead of sending tickets, the seller immediately blocked her. She lost out on the show, and, thanks to Apple Cash’s lack of fraud protections, Callie lost her money, too.

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🖨️ Printer alert: HP is discontinuing its LaserJet e-series printers that require a permanent internet connection and force you to use super-expensive HP-original ink and toners. It’ll continue to work if you still have one, but you’ll have to deal with HP+. Sell yours now while you can.

Ad detour: Google Maps is pushing pop-up ads to drivers that appear as notifications, covering the bottom half of the screen. Google says the ads only expand when tapped on and disappear quickly. Still, talk about a distraction.

⚠️ Airbnb’s known about its hidden-camera problem for at least a decade: In a court-ordered deposition, an employee revealed when a guest complains about a hidden cam, Airbnb doesn’t notify law enforcement, even if a child is involved. They contact the host, settle out of court and make folks sign NDAs to keep it hush-hush. Think about that the next time you want to book an Airbnb.

It took one bad click to hack the personal details of 7.6 million individuals, including full names, email addresses, telephone numbers and order details. The breached org? Evolve Bank & Trust, a vendor for Affirm, Wise, Bilt, Shopify, Plaid, Stripe and Mercury. There’s a good chance that hacked info includes yours. Solid, award-winning antivirus software is more important than ever, folks.