Safety Security & Privacy

Australia has become the first country to implement a total social media ban for children under 16, sparking a global debate about internet safety and parenting. Shelly Palmer, tech expert and Professor of Advanced Media at Syracuse University, breaks down how this law could be enforced, the risks of social media for young users, and what it means for other countries like the U.S. Continue Reading →

Shelly Palmer, tech expert and Professor of Advanced Media at Syracuse University, shares essential tips to avoid holiday shopping scams and highlights the best tech deals of the season. From avoiding AI-generated phishing sites to scoring big savings on Apple Watches, Meta Quest 3 headsets, Google Nest cameras, and even a high-quality pizza oven, this episode has you covered for safe and smart shopping during the busiest time of the year. Continue Reading →

In what may be the best use of AI voice cloning yet devised, O2, the UK’s largest mobile network operator, has introduced "Daisy," a generative AI tech stack designed to engage phone scammers in endless, realistic conversations with synthetic grannies. I just love this. Continue Reading →

Tech expert Shelly Palmer, Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University, exposes a disturbing new email scam that uses your personal information to demand $2,000 in Bitcoin. These emails contain your real name, address, and phone number in the subject line, aiming to terrify victims into paying up. Continue Reading →

As I'm sure you know, last week there was a massive leak of social security numbers. I covered it on TV, but I didn't think it was worth writing about in my blog. I was wrong. This is a very big data breach, and you need to check if it affects you. Here's how. Continue Reading →

Shelly Palmer discusses the alarming data breach at National Public Data, which potentially exposed the personal records of billions. Shelly provides actionable steps to protect yourself, including freezing your credit reports and enabling two-factor authentication. Continue Reading →

Microsoft's "Recall" is an upcoming Windows 11 feature that will create a searchable timeline of your activities, allowing you to easily retrieve and review ("recall") past work. It accomplishes this by capturing and storing screenshots of nearly everything you see or do on your PC. What could possibly go wrong? Continue Reading →

BSOD, the blue screen of death, has become the universal metaphor for an unscheduled operational collapse. When it happens to your Windows machine, you know you're in for a day that is only slightly more preferable than a root canal. When it happens systemically in the cloud… that's something else entirely. Continue Reading →

YouTube quietly updated its content removal policy to address AI-generated content. Users can now request takedowns of synthetic content that imitates their face or voice through the platform's privacy request process. Continue Reading →

OpenAI has appointed Paul M. Nakasone, a retired U.S. Army general and former head of the National Security Agency (NSA), to its board of directors. Nakasone, who led the NSA from 2018 to February 2024, will join OpenAI's Safety and Security Committee (led by CEO Sam Altman) and will contribute to the company's efforts to enhance cybersecurity using AI. Continue Reading →