Reader question: 'I want cameras to watch my house when I'm gone, but not when I am home'
In times of crisis, it’s hard to get a clear view of the situation. That’s why irrefutable evidence is so valuable. Say a friend visits for a party, and your favorite vase is missing the next day.
Or maybe two family members get into a fight, and their stories contradict each other. You’ll have a hard time hammering down the facts. Security cameras can tell you what really happened when you have doubts. Tap or click here for five uses for security cameras you never thought of before now.
Financial safety: Protect yourself from these emerging tax scams
It happens every year. We need to file our taxes, and scammers come out to steal from us. Here’s what you need to know right now.
Every year, the IRS releases a list of scams to watch out for. These are the biggest ones for this year:
A safe phone is a locked phone
If your phone locks after 10 seconds (too fast) or 2 minutes (too long), change that. I recommend 30 seconds — it’s ju-u-u-st right.
- On iPhone: Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and choose a length of time.
- On Android: Go to Settings > Display and look for a Timeout, Screen Timeout or Sleep option.
94% of hospitals disrupted by a cyberattack
It was on a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary. The company said it’s paid out $2 billion in advances to providers while it rebuilds its payment claims systems. I’m not saying this wouldn’t have happened if they read this newsletter … but it probably wouldn’t have.
32% drop in used EV prices thanks to Tesla’s big price cuts
Used gas car values are down just 3.6%. Cue the party horn if you’re shopping for a used EV … and the sad trombone if you’re selling.
$12 off your DirecTV bill
That’s per month when you drop local stations. The “No Local” package is expected to be popular during the summer (reruns!), with people resubscribing to local channels for the NFL season.
It’s covered in gross
Did you take off your smartwatch the last time you were sweaty or when you took a potty break? Yeah, didn’t think so. Wearable gadgets host 30 times more bacteria than your toilet. Do this, like, now:
- Turn it off and remove any straps attached to it.Â
- Take a small amount of rubbing alcohol to a cloth or cotton swab. Use it to wipe the screen and exterior of the watch. Avoid the straps!
- Let the watch air dry completely before reattaching the straps and turning it back on.
✂️ Better way: Use a UV sanitizing box to kill bacteria on your smartwatch. While you’re at it, toss in your phone and keys, too.
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