Yahoo! web hosting discount: 50% off for 3 months

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April 29th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

Yahoo! has brought back its popular web hosting discount, offering 50% off for the first three months of service. Yahoo! web hosting excels in its stability and user-friendly interface. Plus, you get a free domain for as long as you host your site with Yahoo!

This discount is exclusive, and it's only valid until the end of May. It's a great deal on a great service. You can check out our review of Yahoo! web hosting, or go straight to Yahoo! to order.

Do identity theft protection services charge extra for setting fraud alerts?

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April 29th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Do identity theft protection services charge extra for setting fraud alerts?

A: Putting a fraud alert on your credit files means that the 3 credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) need to use "reasonable policies and procedures" to verify your identity before opening an account in your name.  You can learn more about fraud alerts and credit freezes by reading our Fraud Alert and Credit Freeze Guide.

ID Patrol by Equifax includes free automatic fraud alerts.  This feature lets you set a fraud alert with Equifax, who will then notify the other 2 credit bureaus to place fraud alerts on your credit files.  Your fraud request will then be automatically renewed every 90 days.  Trusted ID also include the ability for you to set fraud alerts at no cost as part of their service.  Once you're a member, Trusted ID will send you an email reminder to renew your fraud alerts via their interface every 90 days.

However, regardless of whether an identity theft protection service let you set fraud alerts, you can actually do it yourself.  It's free of charge to set your own fraud alerts online with Equifax and Experian.  These 2 bureaus will then notify TransUnion on your behalf and fraud alerts should be set there as well. The links to each site's fraud alert section are below.

Equifax Fraud Alert
Experian Fraud Alert
Transunion Fraud Alert (you need to call)

Does Walden have a good master's program in math education?

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April 29th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q. I am looking for a math education master's program. I was looking at Walden's program. Does anyone know anything about Walden or have any other suggestions?

A. Smart thinking! Walden is our top pick of the online colleges for advanced degrees, such as master's and PhDs. Walden offers a wide variety of student support tools, such as faculty mentors, librarians, and a student concierge service that supports you throughout your degree program. Assuming you're planning to teach grades K-12, Walden provides M.S. in Education degrees in K-5 and 6-8 mathematics with an emphasis on real-world, practical strategies. You'll have access to cutting-edge technology, including electronic portfolios, podcasts, and Virtual Field Experiences, in which you'll watch teachers and other educational professionals in action via DVD. This unique approach features firsthand explanations of how practitioners apply theory to actual classroom practice.

We think Walden is a great online education choice for you, but if you decide against it, here are some other options:

AIU Online: AIU is a good fit for most students. It has a wide variety of degree programs, and the cost of each one is all-inclusive. AIU offers many discounts and financial aid options as well as outstanding student resources: AIU’s Virtual Campus was recognized as "Best of the Best" in the Education and Academia category of the 2009 Computerworld Honors Program. However, it has a bit less specialization for M.Ed. degrees than Walden.

Western Governor's University: WGU is easily the best value of the schools we review: You pay a fixed fee per six-month term, during which you may take as many classes as you can fit into your schedule. WGU's Master of Math Education program combines degree coursework with preparation for licensure as a math teacher for middle school or high school. But you'll need to talk to an enrollment counselor to determine whether you possess a sufficient background in mathematics.

Kaplan University: Yes, this is the same Kaplan that helped you prepare for the SATs. You can choose one of ten emphasis areas—including Teaching Mathematics – Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12—in Kaplan's M.S. in Education degrees. Kaplan currently ranks the highest in alumni satisfaction (90%), but it's significantly more expensive than many of the other online colleges we review.

Best of luck in your online college search!

How do I know whether an online people-search service that I pay for will not put my information (that I have to give to process a search request) into their own database for others to find if someone wants to do a search on me?

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April 29th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: How do I know whether an online people-search service that I pay for will not put my information (that I have to give to process a search request) into their own database for others to find if someone wants to do a search on me?

A: People search services get all of their information from publicly available sources of information, such as court records, marketing research databases, and address directories. If you do a free search using one of the people search services we reviewed, chances are you'll find that you're already listed—most people are, though the depth and amount of information can vary from person to person, and service to service.

The only information collected during sign-up should be billing information, including a current address. We know that individuals we looked up had never used a background check service before, and we were able to find current and past addresses, as well as other information. Addresses are pretty easy to find for most individuals, unless you live truly off the grid.

So, the services are pretty safe (Intelius's privacy policy states how your information can be used, and the case you described is not part of their use policy). If you're curious, do a search on yourself, and see what comes up.

Do the diet plans you review have meals for stomach problems?

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April 28th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q. Do the diet plans you review have meals for stomach problems like irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, etc.?

A. Unfortunately, none of the diet plans we review have specific plans for these difficulties, but armed with a little knowledge, you can customize a diet plan to avoid triggers and include more beneficial foods. Some tips:

A primary factor in controlling IBS flare-ups is avoiding trigger foods, which aggravate your digestive system. Although these differ from person to person, there are quite a few similarities, so make sure at least to avoid the following: too much fruit, artificial sweeteners, fatty and fried foods,  cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, beans, cabbage), caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, gluten, spicy foods, and dairy products. If you notice symptoms after eating a food not included in this list, make note of it, and avoid it in the future. It's also important to increase your fiber and drink plenty of water.

Acid reflux's list of foods to avoid is similar. You want to stop or moderate intake of acidic foods, fatty and fried foods, alcohol, and caffeine in addition to personal trigger foods.

Some of these principles go hand in hand with a healthy diet, but others you're going to have to monitor more closely. You can still follow a diet plan; just make sure it offers plenty of room for customization. Our top picks:

eDiets: This is the most customizable diet plan we reviewed. It's based entirely on portion control and healthier food choices, so you can follow your preferences. If, for example, a given week's menu suggests broccoli but you have IBS, you can switch it out for, say, green beans.

Weight Watchers: Although Weight Watchers Online suggests meals and recipes, you're free to substitute your own. Search for the foods you eat often, input recipes you frequently cook, and keep track of your points.

So it takes a little effort, but you can follow an online DIY diet program if you suffer from digestive issues. Just remember to choose one that allows for personalization. Good luck!

Lady Gaga Twitter worm is a monster: video prohibido Lady Gaga

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April 28th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

Curious about a certain banned Lady Gaga video? Don't be. A Twitter worm is making its way around microblogging service Twitter, gobbling up passwords of unaware users with the message VIDEO PROHIBIDO LADY GAGA. The message is in just in Spanish currently, but there's no reason why it shouldn't, like Gaga herself, become an international hit. The worm starts as a message notifying users of a banned Gaga video. Users who click on the bit.ly link are taken to a fraudulent YouTube page which asks visitors for their their Twitter login credentials. Once those credentials are entered, the account is hacked, and then that account spreads the worm.

If you're confronted with a similar enticement, ask yourself this: Why would YouTube ask you for your Twitter credentials? Aren't they different sites? Still, it's Gaga we're talking about. Her world is topsy turvy. She wears a meat dress. Anything could happen, right? No, not even Gaga shouldn't trump your common sense. Use a short-url decoder like LongURL, which will give you warnings on shortened URLs. Also, always look at the URL (or address) of a website when you're asked to enter login information. The URL in the Gaga hoax looks nothing like YouTube's, even though the site itself does. It's from a domain that ends in cz.cc.

Of course installing well-rated Internet security software, and making sure it's updated, should also be a part of your Internet security practices. While common sense is the best way to keep yourself safe from social media worms, Internet security software can help with the trojans, spyware, and viruses that can really damage your computer.

Can you be online and talk on phone at the same time? What if you have problems?

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April 27th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: With VoIP, can you be online and talk on phone at the same time? What if you have problems?

A: Yes, you can. The adapter provided by your VoIP company allows you to be on the phone and online at the same time. The adapter prioritizes voice, meaning that if there is a bandwidth problem, it's not the phone call that will be affected. In our testing, we've never had an issue. In a recent test, for instance, we tried calling while streaming a movie on Netflix, and had no problems. Of course, this all depends on your Internet connection. If you have problems, call your VoIP provider as they may be able to help you optimize your connection.

If you are concerned about how well your Internet connection may handle traffic, choose a provider such as VOIPo that offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. That way you'll be able to fully test how well it works for your setup.

My wife and I have all accounts and credit cards in combined accounts. Can we enroll as a family for your service or do we need seperate memberships with you ?

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April 27th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  My wife and I have all accounts and credit cards etc in combined accounts. Can we enroll as a family for your service or do we need seperate memberships with you ?

A: Although you and your wife share credit cards and other accounts, you need your identity protected separately.  Identity theft in its purest definition is the theft of a person's identity for personal gain, and not just the theft of your credit cards or money from your bank account.   Because you are 2 separate people with 2 different Social Security numbers and other unique personal information, it is possible for thieves to use each of your identities for fraudulent activity.  The most common type of identity theft is using a person's information to open new lines of credit or take out a loan in your name, but your identity can also be used for Social Security fraud and many other types of theft.

One of the easiest ways to help protect your identity is to sign up for an identity theft protection service.  Trusted ID has a family plan which covers everyone living at the same address, so both you and your wife would be protected.  The Trusted ID IDEssentials family plan is just $20/month and even features a free 14-day trial.  Trusted ID includes 3-bureau credit monitoring, credit scores at signup, scanning for your personal information on the Internet and public records, anti-virus software and a bunch of other features.

Sony Playstation security breach could play havoc with user accounts

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April 26th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

Users of the Sony Playstation Qryocity service now have a new way to occupy their time during the outage of the popular gaming platform: changing their passwords and security questions across the web. Sony has released a statement warning users of the Playstation Qryocity service that the week-long outage is actually related to a security breach. Hackers seem to have been able to access the Qryocity user database, exposing such data as: "name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID…"

Since many people use the same password and login information across many web services, this could lead to widespread hacking of user accounts across the web. If that's not bad enough, the company is also saying that other information may have also been accessed including purchase histories, billing addresses, and answers to security questions.

This is worrisome, given that many web sites use the same security questions to help users recover forgotten passwords. In addition, Sony is saying that while they can't confirm that credit card information was accessed, "out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained."

Sony is warning its users about targeted phishing attacks (cybercriminals may impersonate Sony in emails asking users to "confirm" credit card, password, or other sensitive pieces of information) and the other account security issues mentioned above. Sony is suggesting that users change their passwords on other sites where the same password was used. Security questions and answers should also be changed. Sony is further informing consumers that they can receive one free credit report per year from the US Government to help monitor fraud.

That may be useful down the road after damage has been done, but a better step would be signing its users up for an identity theft protection service. The best services actually monitor the web's black markets for unauthorized uses of user personal information, as well as monitoring your credit report daily for unusual activity, and providing assistance in case of fraud. We hope Sony will step up, but users of Qryocity, and anyone else concerned about their identity, might want to start thinking about it now.

Which dating sites have the most users over age 60?

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April 26th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q. Which dating sites have the most users over age 60, especially males?

A. We checked the information on all of the dating websites we've reviewed. The top three we recommend for you—and anyone else looking for a man over 60—are listed below. Here's what we found:

Match.com: This online dating site has the largest proportion of singles over age 50, and even larger over 65. However, only 49% of its users are men.

eHarmony: Surprisingly, eHarmony does a bit worse on the male user percentage: 43%. It boasts more users over 50 than Chemistry.com but fewer than Match.com.

FriendFinder: If you're looking for a man around 60, FriendFinder is the place to be. While representation drops off slightly after 65, the population here is overwhelmingly male (53%).

So if you're dating online and looking for a male match over age 60, you should start with Match.com. If that doesn't work out for you, your next steps ought to be eHarmony and FriendFinder. Good luck!