Safeguard your Credit
When I get bored, I start asking unusual questions, like "how do you get your identity stolen?" "How do you even protect yourself from something like that?" So, I decided to do what any rational person in my situation would do: I Google'd it.
The smallest piece of information can open you up to the possibility of identity theft. A common activity amongst identity thieves is 'dumpster diving.' Thieves search through your trash, and look through mail that could contain that bit of information they need, like a bank account or credit card statement, medical information, or any kind of bill.
Another method is called 'skimming,' where the theft takes your credit card, swipes it through a special storage device, and pulls all your information off of your card to store it. Then, they transfer that information into another card with a magnetic strip (like a hotel key card) and then they purchase items with that mock credit card.
Then there’s 'phishing,' where someone pretends to be from some sort of financial company and send spam, hoping to coax your personal information out from you. Most college students know this is a gimmick and delete the message, but this kind of identity theft is still rampant in the ranks of neophyte internet users.
It’s just as easy as stealing your stuff. Someone steals your wallet and uses your credit card. Keeping your social security card in your wallet gives them even more access to your personal accounts; they could even set up another account in your name using your social security number.
They might use false pretenses in order to get your information out of someone who would know it. This happened to me. My mom received a call, claiming to be from the school, requesting information that they should have already had. Naturally, she hung up. I’ve heard other stories like this claiming that they're from the person’s credit card company and they’re updating information. If this happens to you, ask that they repeat your information to you and you’ll tell them whether anything has changed.
So just be smart.
Shred any mail that could contain information identity thieves could steal and use, memorize your social security, and delete spam emails and questions asking for your personal information.
Occasionally check your credit if you have your own credit card and make sure nothing weird is going on. If anything seems unusual, check with your bank. Catch identity thieves before they can crash your credit.
Us students already have too many financial-related worries; let’s keep another one off of our plates.
Image source: http://blog.kikscore.com/2011/
Across the Web
Hello everyone! It’s been awhile…
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Console Rumors
With Nintendo already offering their supposed "next-gen" console, the Wii-U, rumors about Sony's and Microsoft's new systems were soon to follow. Sony's new machine is codenamed Orbis, while Microsoft has gone with Durango, and each machine has undergone some spec leaks just in time for E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), which will most likely house an official unveiling. So far, VGLeaks claims to have the world exclusive on Durango's specs, and plans on doing the same for Orbis in the coming weeks. In the meantime, they've put up an Orbis devkit roadmap showing that development started in the middle of 2012, if not sooner. If you're completely clueless about what to expect from the new gaming consoles, Edge magazine spoke with senior analyst, Piers Harding-Rolls, about launch times, pricing, indie support and more.
Illegal Unlocks
By the time you read this, it'll already be too late. That's right, unlocking your phone for use on another carrier is now officially illegal... unless you ask your service provider first. So if your contract is over, the DMCA essentially wants you to ask for permission to use your phone on another carrier's network. That being said, you can still legally purchase an unlocked phone for a premium price or, if you're feeling lucky, unlock the phone yourself and pray that a SWAT team doesn't tear your door down.
Sadie’s Letter
A young transgender girl, Sadie, decided to write the president a letter following his inauguration speech wherein he mentioned the need to embrace the homosexual community. Wondering why transgender individuals were not included, Sadie took it upon herself to write Obama and state her position.
“The world would be a better place if everyone had the right to be themselves, including people who have a creative gender identity and expression. Transgender people are not allowed the freedom to do things everyone else does, like go to the doctor, go to school, get a job, and even make friends.”
Apparently Sadie also likes to introduce herself as a transgender and as a vegan. I'm still not sure why vegans still feel the need to tell people their vegan, but I ain't even mad.
Quick Hits
Vidya
Image Source: http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/how-to/hacker-fundamentals-everymans-guide-network-packets-are-routed-across-web-0134491/
Across the Web - Click & Read Edition
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Hurricane Sandy Hits Home
Across the Web - Click & Read Edition
Click the Type For Each Story.
Across the Web
"It is going to be so hard to restrain myself when I knock her out, but I am aspiring to be a professional kidnapper and that's business. But I will really get off on knocking her out, tying up her hands and bare feet and gagging her..."
This dude’s been watching a little too much Dexter methinks.
Across the Web
3D Printjobs-
A new kind of printer showed up about one year ago that could create real, tangible objects from digital photographs. Back then, it was largely used to create simple tools like hammers and wrenches, but California artist Cosmo Wenman recently used the MakerBot Desktop 3D printer to recreate two works of art -- "Head of a horse of Selene from the east pediment of the Parthenon" and "Portrait of Alexander the Great". By using several free computer programs, Wenman scanned photographs of the sculptures at different angles and created 3D models for the printer to use. Most impressive.
Stay on Target-
As college students, many of us are faced with tons and tons of work each day from classes we may or may not care about. In order to get that dream job, or any job really, we are taught to push forward through the distractions. In an attempt to improve his own productivity, "Hack the System" blogger, Maneesh, decided to hire someone to slap him whenever he got off task. That's right -- in the face, with her hand. Before hiring his "assistant", Kara, Maneesh measured his productivity level using RescueTime and found he was productive only 38% throughout the week. But with Kara present, this rose to a whopping 98%. Maneesh largely attributes this to Kara's presence regardless of whether she slapped him or not. It was instead more so about the ideas, questions and conversation she brought to the table. Also watch this.
Intruder Alert-
Have you ever wondered what your little brother/sister or child would do if a creeper stopped by your house while you were away? A 12-year-old Oklahoma girl may provide the perfect framework. After a stranger rang the doorbell and then proceeded to kick in the back door, the girl called her mom, Debra St. Clair, who instructed her to grab the family gun, hide in the closet and call 911. The intruder eventually found where the little girl was hiding, but was shot while turning the closet's doorknob. Police found 32-year-old Stacey Jones sitting at the end of the block with blood running down his back. He was hospitalized and promptly taken to Bryan County Jail. Little girls with guns ain't nothin' to mess with.
Damn I Hate Politics. Let's Begin.
#OccupySesameStreet-
As I'm sure you've watched or read by now, Mitt Romney plans to eliminate funding for PBS should he be elected. "I like PBS, I love Big Bird, I actually like you too, but I'm going to stop borrowing money from China to pay for things we don't need," he said at the recent presidential debate. Wait… what? PBS CEO, Paula Kerger responded to Romney's remarks with the following statement:
Fudging Numbers-
The newly released job report claims that the unemployment rate is now at 7.8% and that about 873,000 previously unemployed people have found work. Is it a little strange for this news to pop up during election season? Perhaps. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis had this to say regarding the suspicions: "I'm insulted when I hear that because we have a very professional civil service. I have the highest regard for our professionals that do the calculations at the (Bureau of Labor Statistics). They are trained economists." Romney jumped in to point out the sizable loss of manufacturing jobs and lack of any real unemployment decrease. "If not for all the people who have simply dropped out of the labor force, the real unemployment rate would be closer to 11%," he said in a statement following the reports release. Another job report is set to be released 4 days before elections. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/05/jobs-report-unemployment-rate_n_1942067.html
Quick Hits:
Apple Sans Steve -
Snoop Dogg on Romney -
http://web.stagram.com/p/295013702162174941_1574083
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIA2F_lH4_E&feature=g-all-u007
Image Source: http://www.tauntr.com/blog/occupy-sesame-street-gets-violent
Across the Web
Maps… How do they work?
I wasn't going to mention iOS 6 because, well, it's iOS 6. But apparently the loss of Google Maps and the inaccuracies of Apple's own mapping system are a much bigger deal than I thought. So much so that Ireland Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, has personally made arrangements to inform Apple of these errors. “The Verge” wrote an article overviewing the issue and also point out “iMore” editor Rene Ritchie's observation -- iOS 6 was made more for the company instead of the customers.
LMFAO Disband-
There may not be as many parties rocking in the near future as Redfoo and Sky Blue are moving on to work on different projects. Redfoo has been coaching junior tennis player Ayaka Okuno in Las Vegas and wants to create a tennis clothing line. He's also been writing a song specifically for the New England Patriots. For now, Sky Blue will embark on solo career where he will continue making LMFAO inspired tracks. Well shucks.
Cruel Summer-
In the new G.O.O.D music compilation album Kanye West says "Mitt Romney don't pay no tax." Well, actually, he does. Or did. Anyway, Romney paid $1.95 million on his 2011 taxes and, according his advisors, did not receive full deductions for his $4 million contribution to charity. But for someone who thinks $200,000 - $250,000 is the middle American income, giving the government a cool $2 million is probably chump change.
For more insight:
iPhone 5 launch shenanigans-http://venturebeat.com/2012/09/21/iphone-5-launch-day-marketing/#s:iphone-5-police
DMX vs. Google-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOiiHfxHnTk
Alan Shatter to Apple-http://www.thejournal.ie/alan-shatter-apple-maps-airport-dundrum-602115-Sep2012/
The Verge-http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/20/3363914/wrong-turn-apple-ios-6-maps-phone-5-buggy-complaints
iOS 6-http://www.imore.com/yes-ios-6-more-about-apple-new-user-features-thats-okay
LMFAO & Redfoo-http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/redfoo-calls-time-out-on-lmfao/story-e6frfn09-1226478504612
Romney's Middle Income Math-http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/09/14/romneys-middle-income-math/
Image Source: http://cultofmac.cultofmaccom.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/iOS6.jpg
Web Update: Mac and Marijuana
Leopards and Lions and... Lions?
]The Verge has a very nice video overview of Apple's newly announced Mac OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion. Many of the changes seem to be putting the iOS experience on your computer.
Notification Center: A new, blue icon will appear when new notifications have been received. Clicking the icon will open the center itself, which can pull notifications from "Calendar", "Messages" and even third-party developers.
Messages: iChat with a brand new look and better FaceTime integration.
Airplay Mirroring: View your computer screen on your Apple TV by clicking an AirPlay icon. Streaming music, watching video, etc. are all available options.
Game Kit: Multiplayer gaming between Mac, Iphone, iPad and iPod Touch will be available. With AirPlay you can use your TV to compete against a friend who’s on their iPad, while you use your computer.
Apple also has their own overview available.
Weed on a Plane
40lbs. of marijuana were found on a plane while flying through Barack Obama's airspace over Los Angeles. The president was flying from Los Angeles to a fund raiser in Corona Del Mar when a Cessna 182 aircraft began to fly closer to the White House helicopter, Marine One. The “Mary Jane” was found after the Cessna 182 was asked to land. One of the more interesting tidbits, whether the Cessna 182's pilot was high while flying, has yet to be revealed. How fun/scary would that be?
Be My Date?
Image Source: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01214/plane-cargo_1214188i.jpg
