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Caregiver help via chat Recently, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) introduced a new way for families affected by dementia to get free, immediate help. Now people can “chat” with licensed social workers on the foundation’s website. Callers can ask about signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, how to develop a care team and support network, how... READ MORE
Developing tech to spot risk of dementia
An effort to use voice-assistant devices like Amazon’s Alexa to detect signs of memory problems in people has gotten a boost with a grant from the federal government. Researchers from Dartmouth-Hitchcock and the University of Massachusetts, Boston will get a four-year $1.2 million grant from the National Institute on Aging. The team hopes to develop a system that would use... READ MORE
Surveillance products grow in popularity
From the face scanner that checked in some attendees to the cameras-everywhere array of digital products, this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was all-in on surveillance technology — whether it called it that or not. Nestled in the “smart home” and “smart city” showrooms at the sprawling consumer tech conference were devices that see, hear and track the... READ MORE
Cracked iPhone screen? Where to fix it
Apple is loosening its grip on how its products are repaired to give customers more options for fixing cracked screens and other defects on their older iPhones. Under the new policy announced last summer, Apple will begin selling its tools and parts to more independent phone repair shops in the U.S. Apple will expand that to other countries later. Repairs at these shops, though, will be... READ MORE
Congress acts to fight hated robocalls
The Senate approved a bill on December 19 to crack down on robocalls, sending to President Donald Trump a measure meant to combat a persistent and costly problem for Americans. The bill, which Trump is expected to sign, would stiffen enforcement and require that phone companies offer free consumer tools to identify and block scam calls. It also calls for tougher fines when individuals... READ MORE
Keep your cell number safe from hackers
If you’re not familiar with SIM swap fraud, prepare to be terrified. This scam, also known as port-out or SIM splitting fraud, allows criminals to hijack your cell phone number. Once they have your number, the bad guys can clean out your financial accounts, confiscate your email, delete your data and take over your social media profiles. Fraudsters can do all this because many... READ MORE
