• Mike's NBC-TV stories

    Use a VPN for privacy and security

    Many are concerned about personal information and activities on our smartphones and tablets being accessed by others these days – and for good reason. But as PC Mike Wendland reports this week, using what is called a VPN – or virtual private network – app can help. Betternet allows for fast access to apps and websites, and all while helping users stay safe and protected. That’s because any data transmitted is encrypted and online activities remain completely anonymous, whether using Facebook, Youtube, or any other music or video platforms. Best of all, Betternet is free for iOS and Android. NordVPN offers users access to more than 3,000 servers around the…

  • Gadgets & Gear,  News

    What you need to know about Heartbleed

    Here we go. Another online security alert, reports of widespread personal information vulnerability, dire warnings, alleged security breaches at the biggest websites around and a general the-sky-is-warning panic by the Media. It’s all about something called the Heartbleed bug, a wide-reaching security vulnerability in the SSL (Secure Socket Library) computer code used to secure something like 20%  – or one in five – of the websites on the Internet. The sites with SSL start with https://, not the normal http://.  Not all https:// sites are or were vulnerable. But all sites that were do start with the https:// prefix. According to CNET, an attacker can exploit Heartbleed to essentially “get copies…