August News Briefs

(Synopses of articles from publications to keep you updated on technology.)

• This Genius Debit Card Lets Parents Control Their Teenagers’ Spending. If you feel like your teen views you as a walking ATM machine, startup company Current might be able to help. Their new app — also called Current — allows you to track and control your teen’s spending through the company’s debit card. Current offers a series of robust services designed to teach your child financial responsibility while still letting them have some say over how and when they spend their money. You can set up daily spending and withdrawal limits, but you can also set up contingencies — money that’s freed up, say, when chores or tasks are completed. Techcrunch.com - May 9, 2017
• You Won’t BELIEVE Where Hackers Are Hiding Malware Now. If you use Popcorn Time or VLC, listen up: Hackers are targeting your subtitles. Yes, that’s right — from bad kung fu movie dubs to the latest and greatest European cinema, this technique hides malware in the downloaded subtitle information for a movie. Once it’s in your computer it takes root and communicates with the attacker. By the intermission, your machine belongs to them! If you’re a Popcorn Time user, you can download the patch online. VLC and other media players should have the problem patched by the time of printing. Or, you know, you could just not download movies from the internet … but we all know how likely that is. Techcrunch.com - May 24, 2017
• How a University Campus Is Using This New Technology to Keep Its Students Safe. Remember when you got locked out of your dorm building back in college and had to wait for someone to go in or out? Those days may be gone, if new technology out of China has anything to say about it. Dorms at Beijing Normal University are being fitted with face recognition software, which will let residents in — and keep intruders and other unwanted people out. Mashable.com – May 23, 2017
• Get a Refund If Your Child Made Accidental In-App Purchases From Amazon. Some game apps allow you to buy stars, donuts, coins, or other tokens you can use to play the game. The tokens are imaginary, but the purchase is real. It’s easy for kids to buy stuff within these apps without realizing they’re spending money—your money. Last year, the FTC found Amazon liable for billing parents for these types of purchases, and the online retailer has now settled with the FTC, agreeing to refund these purchases. If your kid has purchased stuff without your permission via an app purchased on Kindle or the Amazon Android app store, you might be eligible for a refund. As Consumerist reports, you should get an email directly from Amazon, but you can also visit the Message Center in your Amazon account and find information under “Important Messages.” Lifehacker.com – June 1, 2017