Choosing Secure Passwords Online

If you're anything like me, you get freaked out every time you hear stories of online security failures. Whether it's people getting their e-mail or Facebook accounts hacked, I just can't help but get a little more paranoid, wondering if all of my passwords could be compromised just as easily.

For the most part, I try to keep my passwords fairly complex while still easy to remember. I also don't use the same password for every single site I access. While these are fairly basic online security procedures, I'm sure there is much more that I'm unaware of.

That's why it's a good thing that Mozilla put out a recent video titled How to Choose Strong Passwords. It's got a handy guide to helping you choose passwords that are easy to remember, extremely secure and also different for all the sites you visit. It's definitely worth checking out if you're unsure about how secure your online accounts are.

Feel free to share your own thoughts about Internet security in the comments!

Make the Most of the Tax-Free Weekend

For millions of Americans, this weekend will be a tax-free weekend for items such as clothing and school supplies. Tax-free weekends are designed to help make back-to-school a little more affordable for parents, so if you have the chance, you should definitely take to the streets this weekend.

While they are great for savings, they do tend to be a little hectic. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of this tax-free weekend:

• Do some recon – As things are going to be busy, it's best to plan out your attack. Now, I'm not saying you should get your hands on blueprints of the store and plan an Ocean's 11 style heist, but I am saying that it's worth taking an afternoon to pick out items of clothing and make sure they fit your kids before the tax-free weekend. That way, when you get there on the big day you already know exactly what to get.

• Make a list – As any Boy Scout can tell you, it's best to be prepared. In the heat of shopping battle, it's easy to forget key items, so take a minute before you head out to compile all of your needs into a shopping list. Once at the store, make sure you stick to the list!

Is Your Home Ready for the School Year?

Believe it or not, we're already getting into the middle of August, which means the new school year is just around the corner. "Back-to-school" tends to be a stressful time for parents, but with a little planning, it can be a breeze.

Here are some tips to help get this school year off to a smooth start:

• Set up your calendars – Between class projects, sports, school events, music lessons, tutoring sessions and all of the other things that make up kid's schedules, there's going to be a lot to keep track of. Map out your calendars now and put them somewhere you'll always see them.

• Create a homework area – Without a dedicated area in your house for schoolwork, kids will can end up easily distracted. By setting up a special area in your house for them to study and work on homework, you can cut down on distractions.

Transitioning to a Digital Age

We speak quite a bit on this blog about the rapidly changing technology of the day, and how the world of communications is moving forward at a blinding pace. It is interesting to consider that just ten years ago, there was no such thing as iTunes or even YouTube, two of the things that people spend a great deal of their time doing online. In this digital age, things are almost transforming faster than people can keep a handle on.

If you're curious about the numbers associated with this digital revolution, Newsweek has put together a nice article with an infographic depicting these changes. Titled How the Digital Revolution Changed Our World, it's a fascinating look at some cold hard facts. It demonstrates just how far things have come in the last 10 years, some of which are in ways that surprised me.

For instance, did you know that the numbers of books published has quadrupled? I wonder how much of that has to do with e-readers. Likewise, time spent online has increased by almost 1000 percent. That's just the tip of the iceberg, so if you're curious about what the other numbers are, I would definitely recommend checking out the article. What are some things that surprise you about the list?

Source - Newsweek

High-Speed Internet Access Becomes a Legal Right in Finland

Earlier this month, Finland became the first country to guarantee broadband access to each citizen. Under the new law, the government does not pay for the actual cost of Internet service, it simply ensures that every Finnish citizen has the ability to purchase high-speed Internet. For now, the promise is access to a 1 Mbps connection, but the plan is to make the minimum a whopping 100 Mbps by 2015.

According to the BBC, the UK is working on a similar plan. However, unlike the Finnish law, the government there is actually committing to providing a 2 Mbps connection to everyone by 2012.

These movements really highlight how integral the Internet has become in today's society. No longer just a diversion filled with funny pictures of cats, the Internet is now becoming a requirement for modern living, like the electricity and home phone service before it.

Do you think broadband will ever be a legal right in America? If so, how long do you think it will take?

Should Cell Phones have Health Warnings?

Do you think cell phones should come with health warning? Well government officials in San Francisco seems to think so, as they passed the Cell Phone Right-to-Know ordinance last month.

The new city ordinance mandates that all stores post the level of radiation emitted from each phone they sell. This of course has cell phone distributors up in arms, but on the flip side health advocates view this city ordinance as a victory.

The ordinance stems from the claim that cell phone cause brain tumors. Some experts say that is true while others claim the data gathered from research is inconclusive so the statement would be false. 

To read more about the Cell Phone Right-to-Know ordinance, read the article San Francisco cellphone radiation law raises health issue by USA Today.

Your Opinion Matters to the FCC

Have you ever been hit hard by your cell phone bill? Did it leave you thinking "how in the world did I rack up all those charges"? Well the FCC is trying to help stop the cell phone bill shock syndrome and they need your help.

The FCC says that most people get hit hard when they fail to realize they have gone over their minutes or are in an area that is considered roaming. This typically leads to a bill that can be over $300 easily.

Well wouldn't it be nice if you could get a text message that told you that you were close to going over the limit on your minutes? Well get this, the European Union already does this kind of thing and the FCC would like to implement that here in the US. Right now they are getting slack from mobile companies saying that customers can access their accounts online anytime to read up on their cell phone accounts.

So to get both sides of the issue, the FCC wants to hear what you have to say. If you're experiencing cell phone bill shock or you have an opinion on the matter, visit www.fcc.gov to learn more on the topic and how you can leave your comment.

Qwest Merges with CenturyLink

If you're familiar with the Telco space at all, then you know that some big things happened last week in the industry. CenturyLink, formerly CenturyTel and Embarq, has agreed to buy Qwest, a fellow telephone, DSL and TV service provider based out of Denver, Colorado.

According to BusinessWeek, this "purchase allows CenturyTel, which serves customers in less populated areas of the U.S., to move into four new U.S. states and add customers in 10 more". In addition, Qwest provides service to many commercial properties, so there will be expansion on that side as well. The move also gives the companies an enlarged fiber network to better serve customers in many territories.

Naturally, the splash created by this merger will be a big one for the telecommunications business, which will have some ripples and side effects. Qwest comes with millions of broadband, wireless and phone customers, so there will no doubt be questions about what happens next, and what the timeline will look like for any kind of switch in service. Big changes like this affect WhiteFence as well, so we'll be posting details as soon as they are available to help answer any questions you might have. In the meantime, you can search for home phone service deals in your area.

Source- Businessweek and Qwest

Remember, Taxes Are Due Tomorrow

I just wanted to take a second to remind everyone that federal taxes are due tomorrow. If you’re one of the millions of procrastinators this year (like me) you have only a precious few hours left to get everything squared away and sent off, so get to work!

Usually I’m one of those Ned Flanders-style nerds that file their taxes the day they get their last W2 in the mail, but this year a combination of added complications and an ever busier schedule had me dropping my return in the mailbox just last night. Wait a minute. Did a blogger just say they mailed in their tax return?

You see, one of the main reasons I waited so long was that this year I had to actually send in a physical return. Printing and signing your return and sending it in with actual W2s? How Quaint! It actually ended up with a mad dash last night to find an envelope (finally found a single envelope hiding in an unlikely closet) and stamps. Nothing really drives home how much the Internet has changed our lives than turning your kitchen upside down hunting for stamps.

So why did I have to go old-school with my return this year? Last year my wife and I bought our first home (also known as a time vampire) and we’re eligible for the First-Time Homebuyer Credit. To claim our credit we had to send in a printed copy of our return along with a copy of our final settlement statement, something I was not expecting. Fair warning fellow procrastinating first time homebuyers: you’re going to have to print out your return this year and find some proof to send along. No e-filing for you this year!

Are you stressed about tax time, or are you one of those overachievers like Eddy, kicking back and already enjoying the fruits of your return? Let us know in the comments!

Super Bowl Watchers In It For the Ads?

Do you tune into the Super Bowl for the action on the field or the ads between plays? According to the results of a survey recently released by The Nielsen Company, if you watch for the game, you are in the minority. The media company found that the majority of Super Bowl viewers enjoy the game’s ads more than the action on the field.

Fifty-one percent of those questioned said they most enjoy the commercials that air throughout the game when compared to the Super Bowl game itself. Forty-nine percent said that they enjoy the game more than the ads. Results were based on a sample of over 25,000 households in Nielsen’s Homescan panel.

The poll was just a small portion of what Nielsen released as part of their comprehensive study of the trends and effectiveness of paid Super Bowl advertising. Read about all their findings here.

If you do plan to actually watch the Super Bowl this Sunday, which team will you be rooting for? (Go SAINTS!)