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Anti-Theft Tools Coming To A Smartphone Near You In 2015

Last month we told you that a proposed anti-theft kill switch feature for smartphones could save the 1.6 million consumers who are victims of phone theft billions of dollars each year. Well, it looks like that technology is closer than we could have anticipated now that major U.S. wireless carriers and smartphone manufacturers have agreed to introduce similar tools to their products.

Ten device makers, including Apple, Samsung, Google and Verizon, signed a voluntary agreement promising to include tools that would enable smartphone users to lock their phones and wipe them clean of data if stolen, Reuters reports.

Starting in July 2015, all smartphones manufactured by the agreeing companies will come with either free anti-theft tools preloaded or readily available for download by users.

“This flexibility provides consumers with access to the best features and apps that fit their unique needs while protecting their smartphones and the valuable information they contain,” says Steve Largent, chief executive of the wireless association CTIA.

While the agreement is a step forward in the mission to save consumers the estimated $2.6 billion spent on insurance and replacements for stolen devices, it’s not quite enough for some kill-switch proponents.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon say in a joint statement that the protections are welcome but don’t effectively end the epidemic of smartphone theft.

“We strongly urge CTIA and its members to make their anti-theft features enabled by default on all devices, rather than relying on consumers to opt-in. The industry also has a responsibility to protect its consumers now and not wait until next year. Every week that passes means more people are victimized in street crimes that often turn violent, and more families will have to endure the needless loss of a loved one. The epidemic of smartphone theft is a global problem that requires a global solution, these protections should not be limited to consumers here in the United States. Today’s announcement is an important acknowledgment by the smartphone industry that technology to deter theft is not only feasible, but also practical. Accordingly, our work must continue until the standard is that these solutions are enabled by default.”

The agreement announcement is a far cry from CTIA’s past stance. The wireless industry trade group previously opposed anti-theft features saying that a hacker could exploit the feature to shut down the phones of consumers or law enforcement officials.

Some companies have already begun implementing anti-theft features. In September, Apple introduced Activation Lock, a program that allows consumers to render their devices useless once stolen.

Smartphone makers, carriers embrace anti-theft initiative [Reuters]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

You Can Buy The Vice President’s Old Cadillac, Signature Biden Jokes Not Included

(Craigslist)

Whenever I think of Vice President Joe Biden, I imagine him either on a train or telling a somewhat awkward joke in a totally inappropriate setting. But it turns out he also drives cars on occasion, along with his usual train riding and jokemaking duties (and also being VP, etc), one of which is now reportedly for sale by its most recent owner. No jokes are included in the deal though, so you’ll have to provide your own.

The 2005 Cadillac STS is listed on the Delaware Craigslist as of this writing for $15,000. And it sounds exactly like a car that could’ve been owned by anyone, much less the second guy in line for the Oval Office:

Joe Biden caddy sts v8 North Star engine 4×4. Total package everything included. Push start tweeter speakers, Bose, heated and cool seats front and black. Inside and out in good condition. Needs shocks and suspension and minor engine work. Air filter, fan belt… $15,000. Need to sell make an offer. Need to sell before end of the month.

He tells Delaware Online he bought the car after Biden’s lease ended when he became veep. He didn’t realize it was Biden’s until he noticed some very recognizable names programmed into the car’s system.

“At first I didn’t know,” he said, “until the Bluetooth in the car had Beau, Hunter and Jill’s Washington, Philadelphia and other important numbers in it.”

He abstained from dialing up the Biden folks, he says, which would’ve been difficult for many a prank loving American. Heck, Biden would probably think it’s funny too.

There’s no apparent confirmation from the White House whether or not it’s really Biden’s Caddy, however, so buyer beware.

VP Joe Biden’s former Cadillac can be yours [Delaware Online]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

15 Things Everyone Needs To Know About Disability Insurance

(DCvision2006)

This is the fifth and final post in a “How To Not Suck…” series on insurance. Previous posts looked at auto insurance, homeowner’s coverage, and life insurance, and long-term care policies.

Now that we’ve talked about insurance for your car, your home, your life and your long-term care, it’s time to consider how to protect your paycheck when something bad happens.

Most of us need our paychecks. And most of us, if we ever became ill or injured and couldn’t work, don’t have enough money in an emergency fund to cover our expenses for very long.

That’s where disability insurance comes in.

Before you say you don’t need disability insurance, consider this: A quarter of today’s 20-year-olds will become disabled at some point before they retire, according to the Social Security Administration.

And how about this, from the Council for Disability Awareness:

A 35-year-old woman — 5’4″, 125 pounds, a non-smoker who works an office job with some outdoor physical responsibilities — has a 24% chance of becoming disabled for three months or longer during her working career. There’s a 38% chance the disability would last five years or longer. If the same woman was a smoker and weighed 160 pounds, the risk of a disability that lasts three months or longer goes up to 41%.

And take a 35-year-old man — 5’10″, 170 pounds, a non-smoker who works an office job with some outdoor physical responsibilities. He has a 21% chance of becoming disabled for three months or longer during his working career, and there’s a 38% chance the disability would last five years or longer. As a smoker and at 210 pounds, the chance of a disability that lasts at least three months goes up to 45%.

Convinced yet? Even if you’re not, there are certain things everyone needs to know about disability insurance before choosing a policy:

1. You can’t count on worker’s compensation.

Even though it’s required in all states, worker’s comp is only helpful in certain situations. According to the National Safety Council, nearly 75% of long-term disabilities are not from a work-related cause. If you do qualify, you’d generally get about two-thirds of your income.

2. Some states have you covered… for a while.

If you live in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, California or Hawaii, the state will provide some short-term disability benefits, generally up to six months’ worth. You already pay for this through payroll deduction. If you live in one of the other 45 states, you’re out of luck.

3. There’s Social Security coverage, but it’s not for everyone.

Social Security has a disability insurance program, which on average paid $1,130 per month for beneficiaries in 2012. But the agency says 65% of those who apply are denied, at least upon the initial application.

4. You may already have disability insurance.

Take some time to visit your HR department to find out what coverage your company has. It might be a short-term policy that would cover a percentage of your income for up to three months, or it could be a long-term policy that generally pays between 40-60% of your pre-tax income for a longer time period. The bonus here is that because it’s a group plan, you won’t be denied coverage, and many employers foot the bill.

5. Your employer may also offer additional coverage that you’d pay for.

If your boss offers a policy, check it out because it’s probably less expensive than one you’d buy on your own. The negative is that if you leave or lose your job, you lose your coverage.

6. There are other, non-work sources for group policies.

If you belong to a professional organization or an alumni group, you may be eligible for coverage, and policies are probably cheaper than individual ones.

7. Your credit cards may offer disability insurance… but beware.

If your card issuer offers disability coverage, the initial premiums will seem super-cheap compared to individual policies. But you’ll also find the benefits are limited, and may only pay enough to pay off your credit card balance. Don’t bother.

8. Buying your own policy, while the most expensive option, is also the most flexible.

Unlike employer policies, the insurance will stay with you as long as you pay the premiums. Most plans will cover 40 to 65% of your income, and if you pay the premiums with after-tax dollars, the payouts when you’re disabled are tax-free.

9. There are two main types of disability coverage.

“Own occupation” pays if you’re unable to work at your own occupation, while “any occupation” will cover you if you’re unable to work at all. This is an important difference. Say you’re a waiter and you lose your leg in an accident. You can’t easily be a waiter — your own occupation — but you could take a desk job somewhere. If the waiter had “any occupation” coverage, the policy wouldn’t pay. If he had the “own occupation” policy, it would pay. Of course the “own occupation” coverage is more costly.

Items 10 through 15 are terms that anyone looking to buy disability coverage should become familiar with:

10. “Benefit level”/”Benefit period”

The benefit level is how much of your pre-disability income the policy will pay. Generally this will be from 40 to 65% of your income. The benefit period is how long the policy will pay out to you. Typically, you can choose between one and five years, or for a more expensive premium, until age 65.

11. “Elimination period”/”Waiting period”

This is how long you have to wait after a disability happens before the policy starts paying benefits, usually between 30 and 90 days. If you want a lower premium (and you have a healthy emergency fund to get you through), consider a 180-day elimination period.

12. “Guaranteed renewable”/”Non-cancelable”

It may cost more, but you want a policy that’s both guaranteed renewable and non-cancelable. That means they can’t cancel your policy as long as you pay the premiums, and the premiums will not change. If your policy is only guaranteed renewable, the policy can’t be cancelled, but premiums can be raised if your state approves a rate hike for all policies of your type.

13. “Inflation protection”

This will also cost more, but it’s a very important addition to any disability policy, which you’re likely to have as long as you’re working. The inflation clause, or rider, is basically a cost-of-living adjustment so you if you collect, your benefits will rise as costs rise.

14. “Presumptive disability”

This means you are presumed completely disabled — even if you can perform certain tasks, and even if you can do your regular job — if you suffer certain conditions, such as the loss of a limb, hearing, eyesight or speech.

15. “Exclusions”

Make sure you understand any exclusions or limits. You might find disabilities caused by pre-existing conditions could be excluded, as could mental illness or stress-related disabilities, and chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia. Also look for exclusions related to disabilities caused by so-called dangerous hobbies.

Have a topic you’d like to see covered in How To Not Suck? Or maybe you’re an expert who would like to share your insight with Consumerist readers? Send us a note at notsuck@consumerist.com.

You can read Karin Price Mueller’s stories for The Star-Ledger at NJ.com, follow her on Facebook, and on Twitter @kpmueller.

DISCLAIMER: Any websites, services, retailers, or brands mentioned in the story above are only intended as some of many options available to consumers, and do not constitute an endorsement by Consumerist, Consumerist Media LLC (CML) or its staff. Per Consumerist’s No Commercial Use Policy, such information may not be used by others in advertising or to promote a company’s product or service. In addition, this policy precludes any commercial use of any of CML’s published information in any form, or of the names of Consumers Union®, Consumer Media, Consumer Reports®, The Consumerist, consumerist.com or any other of CU or CML’s publications or services without CU or CML’s express written permission.

by Karin Price Mueller via Consumerist

Michigan Town Foots The Bill To Send Students To State Universities, Community Colleges

(HerArtSheLoves)

Community is defined as a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. For one Michigan city that characteristic would be generosity, as in the $50 million anonymous donors have spent to send the town’s high school graduates to college.

Finding the funds to pay for increasing tuition costs, wading through financial aid paperwork and being stuck with mountains of school loan debt aren’t things recent graduates in Kalamazoo, MI, have to worry about thanks to a program that takes aims to give each student the shot at getting a college education, NPR reports.

Since being launched by anonymous donors in 2005, the Kalamazoo Promise has spent about $50 million assisting more than 3,000 student pay for college.

The program aims to pay the tuition for most students who graduate from the district’s high schools who wish to attend any of Michigan’s public universities or community colleges.

One benefactor of the program, who recently graduated from Michigan State University, says that Promise lets students know they’re worthy of having an education.

“The stipulations for the Promise are not, you have to have a 3.5 GPA and all these extracurricular activities,” she tells NPR. “You have to just have the willpower to do it, and that’s pretty much it. And I just think that that’s an amazing blessing, that somebody or a group of people put that much faith in this community.”

The program has also done a lot to change the mindset for students and educators alike.

Before the program was announced there was little emphasis put on exploring specific higher education plans in the future, the graduate says. Now, students as young as elementary school have college-going expectations.

Michelle Miller-Adams, who wrote a book about the program, says Kalamazoo Promise has given students an outlet, and opportunity, to follow their passions.

“We see a great deal of freedom that students are experiencing in being able to follow their passion and, most importantly, graduating with either no or very low levels of debt,” she says. “And that opens up a huge range of possibilities. That opens up the possibility of graduate school for a lot of students. So the impacts are really pretty subtle and nuanced.”

Even with a future void of college debt, the program has seen students drop out at the same rate they would if they were paying for college themselves. But proponents of the program say that statistic is likely to change since the program is only in its eighth year of eligible classes.

“The reality is that if you have things going on in your life, either academically or more importantly in your home life, that are keeping you from being successful in school … the Kalamazoo Promise does not change those things,” Miller-Adams says. “The reality is that we are still a very high-poverty district in a high-poverty city.”

How One Michigan City Is Sending Kids To College Tuition-Free [NPR]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Victoria’s Secret Worker Accused Of Stealing, Selling Customers’ Credit Card Information

(Mary T.)

While you might be on the lookout for credit card skimmers installed at the ATM, a gas station pump or even a public transit kiosk, you likely wouldn’t expect a retail associate to wield such a weapon against customers. But police say one Victoria’s Secret store clerk did just that, skimming information from unsuspecting patrons and selling it to an alleged cohort.

Federal prosecutors are on the case down in Orlando, where authorities say a clerk would hide a credit card skimmer underneath her clothing and swipe customers’ cards on that device before she ran them through for the actual purchase, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Officials say the worker was paid $500 whenever another man, a felon, would allegedly pick up the skimmer once a week for several months and download the card numbers from it.

He allegedly wanted his accused accomplice to focus on a certain type of customer, likely to avoid detection.

“I forgot to tell u i really only want foreigners and tourists,” he texted the woman, according to court documents.

Yet another reason the point-of-sale systems that don’t require you to hand over your card and instead allow customers to do their own swiping are so handy.

Victoria’s Secret clerk stole tourists’ credit-card information, cops say [Orlando Sentinel]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

DiGiorno Thinks We Want To Design Our Own Frozen Pizzas

designapizza

I always thought that the point of frozen pizzas was that you could shove them in the oven and chomp on pizza with a minimum of effort and spending, without having to leave the house. Yet DiGiorno thinks that Americans are up for expending more effort in our frozen pizza consumption, not less. Their new product has modular toppings.

This could be fun for kids, or for people who want to arrange their toppings in a special pattern, or who generally complain about there not being enough toppings on their pizzas.

The Impulsive Buy

There are three varieties: these photos show the pepperoni and sausage with peppers and onions variety and the Spinach, Tomato & Red Onion with Pepperoni variety. There’s also a Chicken, Green Peppers & Red Onions with Pepperoni version. The lesson that we take home from this is that people really like putting pepperoni on things themselves.

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Health Advocates Say Joe’s Crab Shack Is Breaking Its “No Trans Fat” Promise

The Joe’s Crab Shack menu states that no trans fats are used, but the CSPI claims that some locations are using margarine that contains high amounts of the controversial ingredient.

Seven years ago, the new owners of the 130-location Joe’s Crab Shack restaurant chain promised to completely stop using controversial artificial trans fats in the cooking of its menu items. But the folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest say Joe’s is breaking this promise by serving up heaps of trans fat-heavy margarine on some dishes.

According to CSPI, the “Joe’s Pasta-laya,” which contains shrimp and andouille sausage “cooked in a garlic butter sauce full of mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions,” contains 14 grams of trans fat, which is around the weekly limit for trans fat consumption recommended by the American Heart Association.

Similarly, the Joe’s Crab Cake Dinner turned up 14g of trans fat while the Redfish Pontchartrain contained 16g of the ingredient that has already been banned in California, New York City and elsewhere.

Even worse are the chain’s Steampots, which serve up sides of dipping “butter” containing upwards of 25g of trans fats.

As you can see by the above scan of a Joe’s menu, the company makes a “zero trans fat oil” claim to the public. To the CSPI, this puts the chain in a legal corner.

“Joe’s Crab Shack is serving up a ready-made class action lawsuit on a silver platter to America’s trial lawyers,” claims CSPI litigation director Stephen Gardner.

The chain does appear to be abiding by its promise in areas where the use of trans fats are restricted. When a CSPI nutritionist went to a Joe’s Crab Shack in Montgomery County, MD, where restaurants’ use of trans fats is limited by local laws, she found that the restaurant was indeed using real butter.

But at other locations without such restrictions, the kitchens are allegedly using a margarine with a high level of trans fats.

“Joe’s Crab Shack knows it has safer alternatives, and uses them where required — but only where required,” said CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson. “The behavior of Joe’s and other irresponsible companies shows why the FDA needs to finish its work to eliminate partially hydrogenated oil from the food supply once and for all.”

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Dish To Refund $2 Million To Washington State Customers Over Sketchy Surcharge

(Jim Ellwanger)

In May 2012, Dish customers in Washington state began seeing an additional item on their bills — a mysterious “Washington Surcharge” of between $1.00 and $1.09 a month. The satellite provider stopped this surcharge later that year after the state’s attorney general’s office began investigating, and yesterday it agreed to issue a full refund to customers who’d been hit with the questionable fee.

Dish’s intent in adding this surcharge was to recoup money lost by a recent increase in the state’s business and occupation tax. Listing it as a surcharge allowed the satellite company to effectively raise rates without actually raising the advertised rates.

So a $59.99/month package would still be listed as such, even though no one in Washington would actually see that rate because of the surcharge.

This didn’t sit well with consumers or with the attorney general’s office, which believed that the surcharge was not only misleading but that it also gave Dish an unfair advantage over competitors that raised their rates in response to the tax increase.

Yesterday, AG Bob Ferguson and Dish announced that a deal had been reached. Dish will issue a full refund of $2 million to affected customers and pay an additional penalty of around $570,000 to the state.

Current Dish customers who were hit with the surcharge back in 2012 will see their refunds in the form of bill credits. Those who are no longer Dish customers will receive a check in the mail from the company.

There is an additional possible benefit for Washington residents who are still Dish subscribers. These consumers have the option of a $10 credit, two free pay-per-view movies, or two months of free access to the Epix movie channel.

To get the additional benefits, affected customers will need to go to a site, WaDishSettlement.com (it’s not active yet, but will be later this month) and file a claim.

As is to be expected in these sorts of settlements, Dish still maintains that it did nothing wrong and only settled to avoid a costly legal battle.

“When the state burdens businesses operating in Washington — and indirectly, Washington consumers — with a tax hike, we believe that the state should allow businesses to truthfully communicate with their customers about the burdens imposed by the state,” the company’s general counsel explains to the Seattle Times.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Sprint Store Manager Accused Of Mailing $327,000 In Refund Checks To Himself

(Consumerist)

A former manager of a Sprint store in Queens, NY, has been arrested for allegedly helping himself to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rebate checks that should have gone to customers.

The NY Daily News reports that between 2007 and 2010, the manager copied customer information from receipts and then used it to fill in rebate claim forms. He would then have these checks, ranging in value from $50 to $100 each, sent to rented post office boxes he’d set up locally and as far away as Richmond, VA.

It wasn’t until a customer complained to Sprint HQ in 2010 that she’d never received a rebate check. When Sprint investigated, it found that the check had been cashed and that it had been mailed to a P.O. box in Queens. That’s when they noticed that more than 600 checks had been sent to this same address without setting off any red flags at Sprint.

In total, the man is accused of stealing $326,944 worth of rebate checks. He has been charged with mail fraud and released on $75,000 bond.

The big question is: What the heck did he do with the money?

He’s no longer working at Sprint, and it’s not like he took the cash and fled to Costa Rica or anything. Instead, he’s been working at a Chinese food restaurant in Virginia.

“If there was a spending spree, I don’t know when that took place because my understanding is he works seven days a week in the restaurant,” says his lawyer.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Game Of Thrones Episode Breaks Record, With 193K BitTorrent Users Share Single File At Same Time

Apparently people couldn’t wait to see the blessed nuptials of Joffrey and Margaery… May their love and reign be fruitful and long.

The new season of HBO’s Game of Thrones is doing well in the TV ratings for the premium network, but it’s also gaining popularity with pirates who don’t feel like subscribing to the channel (or whichever premium stations air the show in other parts of the world) or waiting until it’s available to buy or rent legally. In fact, the most recent episode of the series has shattered a record for the number of people simultaneously sharing a single file via BitTorrent.

According to TorrentFreak, some 1.5 million people had already shared pirated files of this past Sunday’s GoT episode within the first day after it aired. One particular file had more than 193,000 users actively sharing at once.

This is a record for a single torrent swarm, claims the site. The previous record had also been held by a Thrones episode, when one pirated version of last season’s finale drew more than 171,000 people to a single swarm.

Interestingly, the largest swarm for season premiere of the fantasy series based on the bestselling Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin only reached 144,000 users at its peak. This may be due to the fact that the premiere episode aired during a weekend on which many cable providers offered HBO access for free.

The rush to share the second episode might also have something to do with a huge plot development. It’s hardly a spoiler to anyone even vaguely familiar with the series, but surprise surprise, someone dies. This news immediately hit Twitter, Facebook, and other outlets on Sunday night, perhaps pushing curious folks to jump onto the best available torrent.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist