If you haven't done so already, it's a very good idea to disable Java from your computer's browser.  Bad guys can use exploits in the code to take control of your computer and do some pretty evil stuff.  Unfortunately, Oracle has not effectively fixed the problem even after issuing an emergency update.  Here are some basic instructions on how to disable Java for the most popular browsers:

To effectively disable Java:

• In Firefox, select "Tools" from the main menu, then "Add-ons," then click the "Disable" button next to any Java plug-ins.
• In Safari, click "Safari" in the main menu bar, then "Preferences," then select the "Security" tab and uncheck the button next to "Enable Java."
• In Chrome, type or copy "Chrome://Plugins" into your browser's address bar, then click the "Disable" button below any Java plug-ins.
• In Internet Explorer, follow these instructions for disabling Java in all browsers via the Control Panel. There is no way to completely disable Java specifically in IE.

instructions via Slate

A short five minute video from Kaspersky Labs with some easy ways to improve the security of your Facebook account.  Shows how to easily change your weak password, enable secure browsing, and link your FB account to your mobile phone for important security notifications.

There are some great ideas on this site: 99 Life Hacks To Make Your Life Easier. Everything from using Doritos as kindling to keeping your cat from unrolling your toilet paper. Check it out!

If you're a Verizon Wireless customer then you may have heard that the company started tracking your phone usage about a year ago.  This includes what web sites you frequent, what apps you install on your phone, and where you are located when you use your mobile device.  

I heard yesterday when listening to an Internet security podcast that Verizon has made the decision to begin selling all of this information to advertisers, giving their subscribers a 30 day window to opt out.  The company claims that this is a legal move because they are not revealing the actual identities of their customers since all of the collected data will be aggregated.  Yeah right.  

What is especially lame and sneaky about this plan is that Verizon has opted us "IN" by default and you need to log into your account and change your privacy settings to opt "OUT".  I am reprinting Lifehacker's instructions on how to do this below:

1. Log into your Verizon Wireless account and head to their privacy page.

2. You should see three sections: Customer Proprietary Network Settings, Business and Marketing Reports, and "Relevant Mobile Advertising." Head to the first section, opt out, and click Save.

3. Repeat this process for each section, making sure to press the Save button each time, for a total of three different opt-out actions.

Please spread the word about this story to anyone you know that is a Verizon customer.  Even better: give Verizon customer service a call and a piece of your mind.  Let them know that this whole deal is pretty shady and unacceptable. 

via Lifehacker and CNET

Many of the those who upgraded their iPhones and iPads to iOS 6 have been very unhappy with Apple's new Maps application.  While I don't think it's as bad as some people are making it out to be, it's definitely inferior to Google Maps and lacks much of the functionality that used to work great.  Whatever their quarrels with Google, I think Apple made a huge mistake by removing the software from their devices and ultimately it's the users of their products who are suffering from the decision.  It's also a huge blemish on Apple's reputation and highly touted "user experience", a big selling point for all of their software and products.  Tim Cook has issued a formal apology over the controversy which I guess in a way is a small victory for the Apple user but I think what we all really want is the Google Maps App back on our phones.  Arrgh!  

Google is supposedly working on a new dedicated Maps app for the iPhone and iPad (rumored to come this January) but until that becomes available it's still possible to restore Google Maps to your phone as something called a "web app" (it's really just an App that launches and runs from a web page).  Also good news is that as of today, Google has added the Street View feature to their web app, something that has been completely unavailable when using Apple's new software.  Street View allows you to zoom in and view actual images of locations.  It's something that I use all of the time when I'm looking for a specific building or landmark in New York City or Brooklyn.  

Fortunately, it's pretty easy to add Google Maps back to your iPhone or iPad and restore your iDevice to it's former glory (at least until Apple gets its act together).  

1. Open the Safari App.
2. Navigate to maps.google.com
3. Click OK to allow Google to enable location data.
4. Click the "Share Button" at the bottom of the screen.  It looks like a little box with an arrow pointing to the right.  
5. Click on "Add To Home Screen".
6. Change the name of the App as needed and then choose "Add".
7. An icon will now be added to your iDevices home screen and you will be able to launch Google Maps as an App.
8. Use liberally.  

I started playing around with Siri again recently after I upgraded my iPhone 4s to Apple's new iOS 6.  There are still some kinks to be worked out but Siri is working a lot better these days.  You can now ask her about the score of the Yankees game, to send a Tweet or to give you directions.  
It's definitely fun to throw out some random questions and see what she comes back with.  It's more amusing than useful...but I have been asking her to remind me about appointments with a high rate of success!

I didn't think it was possible to change Siri's voice since Apple doesn't offer any official "themes" to mess around with but you can play around with the language settings for a little bit of fun.  Just go to Settings/General/Siri/Language.  There are a few English options there to try out and if you select English (United Kingdom) she switches to a male voice with a British accent.  

A great (less than two minute) video on the scientific power of naps.  The power nap is the most effective way to rejuvenate your brain...just keep it to 30 minutes or less.  Science!  

A chilling story of how writer Matt Honan's digital world tumbled like a chain of dominoes when a hacker wanted to seize control of his Twitter account.  Matt is a writer for Wired Magazine who recently had his Google, Amazon, and Twitter accounts hijacked and all of the data on his iPad, iPhone, and Macbook erased. 

It exposes the weaknesses of current internet security protocols on major sites that we trust with our data and virtual lives and the fragility of these systems.  It also stresses how important it is to have MULTIPLE backups of our personal files: more than one backup, in different places and on different media.    

There's an article on Lifehacker today on how to enable and use the new Dictation feature in Mountain Lion on your Mac. I'm hoping the new capability will give the Dragon Naturally Speaking Software a run for it's money and will work well with Gmail when I'm using my iMac.  One negative is that any words you speak into it are sent to Apple's servers where they are translated into text (Siri works the same way if you use it on your iPhone).  If you're paranoid about Apple storing every word you utter into your Mac, you may not want to use Dictation.  I think it's worth checking out.  

I updated my iMac to the new Mountain Lion operating system yesterday without issue.  My machine seems to be functioning pretty smoothly but I have to say I don't see a great deal of difference between Lion and Mountain Lion.  There's a couple of new applications on my dock: Reminders and Notes and I noticed that there's also a couple of small changes to the Time Machine interface.  One of the things I'm a little aggravated about (and one function I was actually looking forward to with the upgrade to the new OS) is the Airplay Mirroring feature which is supposed to allow you to mirror your Mac's display to your Apple TV.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work with my iMac which is slightly more than two years old and unless your Mac was manufactured in 2011 you will also be equally frustrated.  Is it that my Mac's hardware is too out of date to be able to perform this functionality or is Apple simply trying to get me to purchase new hardware to get the latest and greatest features by rendering my current Mac obsolete?  I think $19.99 was a more than fair price for the upgrade to Mountain Lion but this issue leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Especially when there's 3rd party software called Airparrot available ($10 bucks for the app) that can accomplish what the revered Mountain Lion cannot.  Just to be fair and balanced, here's an article that explains why your current Mac is unable to take advantage of Airplay Mirroring.