Digital Smarts Blog

Tango, a messaging app that also offers free voice and video calls worldwide, is now launching a shopping service that will allow Tango members to make purchases from certain retailers right through the app. Users will be able to shop on Walmart.com and AliExpress without having to exit Tango, making it the first messaging service to offer shopping. Tango will get a cut from every transaction made through the app. The New York Times questions if this type of commerce catches on whether it could signal the end of brands needing their own apps. A one-stop shopping service could mean that consumers would use this single source for everything they need.

Tango, a messaging app that also offers free voice and video calls worldwide, is now launching a shopping service that will allow Tango members to make purchases from certain retailers right through the app. Users will be able to shop on Walmart.com and AliExpress without having to exit Tango, making it the first messaging service to offer shopping. Tango will get a cut from every transaction made through the app. The New York Times questions if this type of commerce catches on whether it could signal the end of brands needing their own apps. A one-stop shopping service could mean that consumers would use this single source for everything they need.

Reddit, the entertainment, social networking and news website/app, has decided to try to become a more positive place after survey data was released showing users are unhappy with harassing behavior on the site. In a recent blog post the site announced it is launching an anti-harassment policy that will ban users who bully others. Users who believe they are being bullied will be able to email Reddit to report it. Some critics argue that the policy is vague and is not consistent with Reddit's promotion of free speech. Others say the site is just pandering to advertisers who want to see more positive content on the site.

Reddit, the entertainment, social networking and news website/app, has decided to try to become a more positive place after survey data was released showing users are unhappy with harassing behavior on the site. In a recent blog post the site announced it is launching an anti-harassment policy that will ban users who bully others. Users who believe they are being bullied will be able to email Reddit to report it. Some critics argue that the policy is vague and is not consistent with Reddit's promotion of free speech. Others say the site is just pandering to advertisers who want to see more positive content on the site.

By now you should be aware that creating strong passwords is vital for preventing hackers and snoops to getting into your online accounts, but most people still rely on one or two passwords for all of their log-ins. A recent article in USA Today entitled How to create a strong password suggests tweaking your passwords from site to site with a consistent theme so you can easily remember it. Think you already have a strong password? See if one of these weak password cracking tools can guess it.

In addition to being safety conscious about your password, it is also important to think about those answers you give to the security questions set up for account verification and password resets. If someone has personal information about you, they may be able to answer those questions successfully and get into your account. Instead of giving an “accurate” response, another idea is to answer something only you will know. For example, if they ask your hometown you can put in “otters” or “spaceships.” The site does not know if you have put in an actual geographic place. Misinformation, as long as you remember where and when you have used it, can be a way to keep hackers out of your accounts and log-ins.

By now you should be aware that creating strong passwords is vital for preventing hackers and snoops to getting into your online accounts, but most people still rely on one or two passwords for all of their log-ins. A recent article in USA Today entitled How to create a strong password suggests tweaking your passwords from site to site with a consistent theme so you can easily remember it. Think you already have a strong password? See if one of these weak password cracking tools can guess it.

In addition to being safety conscious about your password, it is also important to think about those answers you give to the security questions set up for account verification and password resets. If someone has personal information about you, they may be able to answer those questions successfully and get into your account. Instead of giving an “accurate” response, another idea is to answer something only you will know. For example, if they ask your hometown you can put in “otters” or “spaceships.” The site does not know if you have put in an actual geographic place. Misinformation, as long as you remember where and when you have used it, can be a way to keep hackers out of your accounts and log-ins.

Want to burn calories right in the comfort of your own home? USA Today recently published a list of the best apps that can help you do just that. The list includes reviews of apps like Sworkit, that offer workouts requiring no equipment, and Fitnet that uses the camera on your phone, tablet, or laptop to measure how well you're keeping up with the workout. Change Collective is a life coach app that offers courses from experts on everything from clean eating to tracking your exercise progress. Check out the list - there is sure to be something to fit your goals, life style and time constraints.

Want to burn calories right in the comfort of your own home? USA Today recently published a list of the best apps that can help you do just that. The list includes reviews of apps like Sworkit, that offer workouts requiring no equipment, and Fitnet that uses the camera on your phone, tablet, or laptop to measure how well you're keeping up with the workout. Change Collective is a life coach app that offers courses from experts on everything from clean eating to tracking your exercise progress. Check out the list - there is sure to be something to fit your goals, life style and time constraints.

Facebook's data scientists are pushing back against the notion that the social network is an echo chamber that reinforces people's political and social views by just serving up content that matches users’ existing beliefs. This notion comes based on the fact that Facebook uses algorithms to filter what you see based on what you have previously viewed or liked, isolating users from stories that may differ from their own beliefs. In a recent study, Facebook researchers found that although the stories users see reflect their ideological preferences, they are still exposed to different points of view. Of course, critics point out that Facebook is always tweaking the algorithms of the News Feed feature and could easily make changes that would create a more sealed echo chamber.

Facebook's data scientists are pushing back against the notion that the social network is an echo chamber that reinforces people's political and social views by just serving up content that matches users’ existing beliefs. This notion comes based on the fact that Facebook uses algorithms to filter what you see based on what you have previously viewed or liked, isolating users from stories that may differ from their own beliefs. In a recent study, Facebook researchers found that although the stories users see reflect their ideological preferences, they are still exposed to different points of view. Of course, critics point out that Facebook is always tweaking the algorithms of the News Feed feature and could easily make changes that would create a more sealed echo chamber.

With more and more cyberbullying cases leading to arrests and trials, students from one school district in Minnesota are learning more about cyberbullying and the legal system by participating in a mock trial program at the local courthouse. Sixth-graders were invited to act out the roles of court personnel, defendants, victim and witnesses as they highlight the dangers of cyberbullying for their classmates during an annual tour hosted by the Winona County District Court. In addition to learning more about the legal system, the students were able to imagine the consequences cyberbullying can have on all parties involved.

With more and more cyberbullying cases leading to arrests and trials, students from one school district in Minnesota are learning more about cyberbullying and the legal system by participating in a mock trial program at the local courthouse. Sixth-graders were invited to act out the roles of court personnel, defendants, victim and witnesses as they highlight the dangers of cyberbullying for their classmates during an annual tour hosted by the Winona County District Court. In addition to learning more about the legal system, the students were able to imagine the consequences cyberbullying can have on all parties involved.

Most everyone will agree that online harassment can be a big problem, but what to do about stopping it is not always clear. Reporting online abuse is not easy, as it has to be done message by message, comment by comment, post by post, day after day. In addition, if you are being bothered on multiple apps or networks, the harassment has to be reported separately to each site host or company with no easy way to show how all the parts come together to make the life of a cyberbullying target miserable.

Enter HeartMob, a project that is raising funds to capture cross platform harassment, so that targets of cyberbullying can bring a more comprehensive report to companies or law enforcement to show a pattern of abuse. They are also working to help targets find support from other people who know first-hand what they are going through. This is certainly a platform to keep an eye out for when it is rolled out in the near future.

Most everyone will agree that online harassment can be a big problem, but what to do about stopping it is not always clear. Reporting online abuse is not easy, as it has to be done message by message, comment by comment, post by post, day after day. In addition, if you are being bothered on multiple apps or networks, the harassment has to be reported separately to each site host or company with no easy way to show how all the parts come together to make the life of a cyberbullying target miserable.

Enter HeartMob, a project that is raising funds to capture cross platform harassment, so that targets of cyberbullying can bring a more comprehensive report to companies or law enforcement to show a pattern of abuse. They are also working to help targets find support from other people who know first-hand what they are going through. This is certainly a platform to keep an eye out for when it is rolled out in the near future.

While it may sound rather superficial, type font is an important thing to consider whether you are submitting a job resume or a school project. Bloomberg Business proposes Helvetica as the safest font to use and claims Times New Roman could allude to laziness. They even discuss using emojis as a logo for your resume, but of course that is discretionary.

While it may sound rather superficial, type font is an important thing to consider whether you are submitting a job resume or a school project. Bloomberg Business proposes Helvetica as the safest font to use and claims Times New Roman could allude to laziness. They even discuss using emojis as a logo for your resume, but of course that is discretionary.

A new nationwide survey from Pew Research Center reveals that 92 percent of teens ages 13-17 say they go online daily and 24 percent are online “almost constantly." This increase in time spent on the web coincides with a boost in smartphone ownership: 73 percent of teens surveyed have a smartphone, while only 12 percent have no cellphone of any kind. This represents "a major change" in teens' connectivity and phone habits, said lead researcher Amanda Lenhart.

The survey also revealed that Facebook remains the most used social media site among American teens ages 13 to 17, with 71 percent of all teens using the site.  Half the teens surveyed use Instagram and 40 percent use Snapchat. Findings also show that girls gravitate to social media while boys tend to be more interested in video games. As far as communicating goes, a typical teen sends and receives 30 texts per day, but not necessarily through their cellular plans. 33 percent of teens with smartphones use messaging apps like Kik or WhatsApp.

A new nationwide survey from Pew Research Center reveals that 92 percent of teens ages 13-17 say they go online daily and 24 percent are online “almost constantly." This increase in time spent on the web coincides with a boost in smartphone ownership: 73 percent of teens surveyed have a smartphone, while only 12 percent have no cellphone of any kind. This represents "a major change" in teens' connectivity and phone habits, said lead researcher Amanda Lenhart.

The survey also revealed that Facebook remains the most used social media site among American teens ages 13 to 17, with 71 percent of all teens using the site.  Half the teens surveyed use Instagram and 40 percent use Snapchat. Findings also show that girls gravitate to social media while boys tend to be more interested in video games. As far as communicating goes, a typical teen sends and receives 30 texts per day, but not necessarily through their cellular plans. 33 percent of teens with smartphones use messaging apps like Kik or WhatsApp.

There are lots of tracking devices available today, for everything from your keys to your suitcases, and even your kids, but the technology used for these devices is less than ideal. Most use either Bluetooth technology, which gives you limited range, or GPS plus cellular which is highly accurate but drains your battery and ups your data charges. Now, a new device called an iTraq is coming to the market that uses GSM cellular towers to triangulate locations and communicate those locations back to its owner.

iTraq looks like a credit card and comes with its own preinstalled SIM card, using cellular service, not GPS or Bluetooth, with no carrier accounts or nearby iTraq users required. Additionally, the battery lasts for about three years, or around 1,500 connections. An iTraq can be located anywhere in the world as long as it can detect a GSM signal. The free mobile app lets you locate the iTraq and tell it how often you want it to report its location. You can also set an alarm that will go off if the iTraq leaves a specified perimeter — for example, if your bike starts moving without you on it. The iTraq is available for the preorder price of $49 (or 10 devices for $370), with an expected delivery of late July or early August.

There are lots of tracking devices available today, for everything from your keys to your suitcases, and even your kids, but the technology used for these devices is less than ideal. Most use either Bluetooth technology, which gives you limited range, or GPS plus cellular which is highly accurate but drains your battery and ups your data charges. Now, a new device called an iTraq is coming to the market that uses GSM cellular towers to triangulate locations and communicate those locations back to its owner.

iTraq looks like a credit card and comes with its own preinstalled SIM card, using cellular service, not GPS or Bluetooth, with no carrier accounts or nearby iTraq users required. Additionally, the battery lasts for about three years, or around 1,500 connections. An iTraq can be located anywhere in the world as long as it can detect a GSM signal. The free mobile app lets you locate the iTraq and tell it how often you want it to report its location. You can also set an alarm that will go off if the iTraq leaves a specified perimeter — for example, if your bike starts moving without you on it. The iTraq is available for the preorder price of $49 (or 10 devices for $370), with an expected delivery of late July or early August.