Did you know... if you have a bank account that has had no activity for as few as two years, it may be declared abandoned, and turned over to the government? Fortunately, there are ways to get that money back. Government experts estimate that $32 billion worth of lost, forgotten, or unclaimed money is waiting for consumers to find it. It could be a dormant bank account, stock dividends, a forgotten inheritance, or a class action lawsuit settlement. But it doesn’t wait forever. Here are more than a DOZEN places to look online to see if there's money waiting for you to claim...

Millions of people are cutting the cords of landline phone service and switching to cellular or VoIP (Internet calling) services. If you’re one of the holdouts, you may be forced to give up you copper-based phone line in the next few years. Here is why landlines are doomed, and a look at four alternatives you may be forced to consider...

The 8th annual list of The Worst Passwords is out, and I hope none of your passwords is on it. To make this list, security software firm SplashData examines millions of passwords that were leaked in data breaches throughout the year, ranking passwords on their frequency of occurrence and security weakness. In other words, the passwords on this list are both commonly used and easily hacked. Find out if your password is on the list, and learn how to beef up your password security...

An investigation in the British parliament has revealed that Facebook is logging the phone calls and text messages of some users. Facebook may also be tracking and recording your every move. Read on to find out what data Facebook is collecting about you, and how to stop it...

Are we on the brink of global cyber war? Is it legal to take a snooze in the back seat of a self-driving car? And is Microsoft finally admitting that their Windows 10 Edge browser is a miserable failure? Get answers in today's Geekly Update -- it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and, comment!

Modern libraries are marvels of information technology. Even in small towns, the local library often provides free WiFi and computer access to patrons. In larger cities, they offer free classes in everything from Internet safety to Web design. One popular library service competes with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and other streaming video services. If your library system is part of it, you’re in luck. Read on for the details...

Notifications are handy until they become frequent distractions. Even if you don’t succumb to the temptation to see what that buzz, ding, beep, or flash is about, you will still be wondering about it in the back of your mind while trying to work (or sleep). If you need to stay focused (or get a good night's sleep) you need to rein in those distracting notifications. Here's how...

DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine, is once again spewing FUD – Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt – about Google Search. According to DDG’s latest “study,” Google is manipulating search results in undetectable ways based on its effectively omniscient knowledge of each user’s likes and dislikes, surfing and shopping habits, demographics, etc. But is that really happening? Read on for my analysis...

What well-known company is the winner of the December Data Breach contest? Is the Microsoft tech support scam finally finished? Why are lawyers for Apple acting like a bunch of blockheads? And do you need proof that image recognition isn't ready for prime time? Get answers in today's Geekly Update -- it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and, comment!

Are you looking for a way to escape Facebook’s incessant notifications, creepy data mining, and its founder’s disdain for common decency, honesty, and ethics? Wouldn’t it be nice to just share photos, links, music, and news with family, real friends, and like-minded people without Zuckerberg’s surveillance and cajolery? There are some alternative social networking platforms that may suit your needs. Read on for the scoop...

What can you do to protect yourself from fraud when your walletful of credit cards is stolen or lost? There is a bulletin of advice that’s been floating around the Internet for at least 13 years. Purportedly written by an attorney, the copy I received recently is entitled, “ATTORNEY'S ADVICE - NO CHARGE.” Yes, it's free, but is it good advice? Here's the scoop on that, and my best advice for how to handle a lost or stolen credit card…

Some Chrome browser users are plagued by updates that fail to complete. They relaunch Chrome when prompted but then are prompted to relaunch again, in an endless loop. Others may not be getting important Chrome updates and not even know it. This article details how to fix the update bug, hopefully forever. Read on...

Your web browser is your first line of defense against all manner of cyber attacks. But some disturbing reports of malicious Chrome extensions that resist most manual removal efforts have led me to wonder just how good Google is at keeping malicious extensions out of the Play Store, and how committed Google is to doing so. Read on for the scoop…

The famous quote “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty” is often attributed to Thomas Jefferson, but there's no evidence that he ever spoke or penned those words. The story behind that quote is actually quite interesting. Read on for the details on that, oh, and some security tips you may not have learned about elsewhere...

Now that we all have those high-tech credit cards with embedded microchips, is fraud a thing of the past? Are nefarious unseen forces behind the recent dramatic drop in value of Bitcoin and other popular cryptocurrencies? Are Facebook users in Bolivia and Lithuania more likely to send tactless messages to their friends? And what would you do with Google-powered motorized sneakers? Get answers in today's Geekly Update -- it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and, comment!