By Tracey Dowdy

In today’s “news you think is an Onion article but really isn’t” comes a warning from the FBI that “Internet-connected toys could present privacy and contact concerns for children.

The statement begins with, “The FBI encourages consumers to consider cyber security prior to introducing smart, interactive, internet-connected toys into their homes or trusted environments.” If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The same things we depend on our smartphones for – microphones, cameras, GPS, data storage, Bluetooth capabilities and speech recognition – are the exact features present in many of the internet-connected smart toys children play with. Typical play with these devices means that children may reveal their name, where they go to school or other personal information that puts them at risk by hackers.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint last December saying the toys violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Earlier this year, Germany went so far as to ban the My Friend Cayla doll, labelling it a potential espionage device. The FTC’s complaint mentions the Cayla doll specifically and warns its manufacturer, Genesis Toys, fails to take ‘reasonable security measures’ to prevent an unauthorized individual from using Bluetooth to connect with the toy.

It’s not the first time the vulnerability of smart toys has been questioned. Back in 2015, Chicago-based security researcher Matt Jakubowski hacked Mattel’s Hello Barbie operating system to get access to network names and other data. Hello Barbie only records conversations when a button is pressed but Jakubowski warned hackers could easily bypass the button to gain information.

Intuitive smart toys are just as popular with children as smartphones and devices are with adults. The difference is that phones, laptops and tablets are less vulnerable to hackers because of their native security. Smart toys are newer but lack the appropriate level of security.

Norway’s Consumer Council created a video to demonstrate the risks involved with Cayla and i-Que, another smart-toy created by Genesis. When a child has a conversation with either of the toys, the data doesn’t stay on the doll’s hard drive. Instead, it’s sent to Nuance, a company in Burlington, Massachusetts that specializes in speech recognition technology and whose other clients include intelligence agencies. Nuance can use that information for any purpose they choose, including targeted advertising. For example, Cayla will tell you all about how much she loves Disney movies – Nuance has a commercial partnership with Disney. The recording can be shared with any third-party Nuance chooses and they can change the Terms and Conditions you initially agreed to without notice at any time.

One of the biggest concerns is that with just a few simple steps, anyone with a smartphone can take control of Cayla and iQue. Once they have access, it’s possible to talk and listen remotely without having physical access to the toy.

There’s no need to panic or lay awake nights wondering if the NSA is scouring your smart toy recordings but an informed consumer is a smart consumer. The FBI warning includes suggestions for consumers who are considering buying an internet-connected toy and, if you suspect your child’s toy has been compromised, you can file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

By Tracey Dowdy

It’s no secret that texting and driving is dangerous – last year alone almost half a million people were injured or killed in traffic accidents related to the deadly combination of texting and driving.

Google updated Android Auto last year so Android devices can recognize when you’re driving, block alerts, and send auto-replies on your behalf. Apple is finally catching up by including a similar feature in iOS 11, the latest update which is still in its beta phase.

Just like the iOS setting that prevents alerts, texts and calls when you hit Do Not Disturb, the new feature – Do Not Disturb While Driving – blocks notifications and sends an auto-reply when it detects motion.

To activate, you’ll need to add Do Not Disturb While Driving to your device’s Control Center. Go to Settings, scroll down to Control Center, then tap Customize Controls and select the green plus (+) sign beside Do Not Disturb While Driving. This enables you to toggle on and off simply by accessing Control Center from the Home screen.

Once activated, the feature allows you to choose one of three activation settings: Automatic, While Connected to Car Bluetooth, and Manual.

• Automatic: Similar to apps like Waze that recognize when you’re moving, the “smart” version senses motion, blocks notifications, and sends your Auto-Reply message. The not-so-smart element of this feature is that your device won’t distinguish between whether you’re a driver or a passenger, so remember to disable it if you’re on the train, bus, subway, or just stuck in the back seat.
• If your vehicle has Bluetooth capabilities, While Connected to Car Bluetooth is ideal, as it isn’t motion activated – it waits until you tether to the car to determine whether to toggle on or off.
• Manual is self-explanatory – just swipe up on the Home screen and toggle on and off as needed.

DND While Driving comes with this auto-reply: “I’m driving with Do Not Disturb While Driving turned on. I’ll see your message when I get where I’m going. I’m not receiving notifications. If this is urgent, reply ‘urgent’ to send a notification through with your original message.” You have the option to customize and you can choose who gets these responses: no one, recent contacts, favorites or all contacts by selecting “Auto Reply To.”

While some may never need to activate the feature, if you’re like my husband and genetically incapable of ignoring a ringing phone or are easily distracted by an alert, Do Not Disturb While Driving is a game changer. I’m looking forward to the bugs getting worked out and having it available for all of us.

To be an iOS 11 beta-tester, click on this link and CNET’s Matt Elliott  will walk you through the steps.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

By Tracey Dowdy

If you’re like many parents, managing how quickly your family burns through your monthly data allowance can be a chore. Cell phone companies are in constant competition to offer the best deals and data plans are getting better all the time, but facing overage charges or running out of data or is no fun.

These tips and tricks will translate to savings for both your data and your dollars.

Turn off auto play – everywhere. Many websites from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to CNET autopay videos while you’re active on their site.

• For sites like CNET, you can turn off autopay at the top of the video once it starts.
• Facebook: Select More > Settings > Account Settings > Videos and Photos > Video Settings > Auto-play and then select either “On Wi-Fi Connections Only” or “Never Auto-plays Videos”
• Twitter: On your profile, select the Gear icon > Settings > Data > Video Autopay and then choose “Never play videos automatically” or “Use Wi-Fi only”.
• Instagram: On your profile, tap the Gear icon on the top, select Mobile Data Use and toggle the “Use Less Data” option.

See which apps are eating up the most data. Go to Settings > Cellular and toggle off any apps that are data-hungry. I’m looking at you Facebook.

Do yourself a favor and stop streaming. Well, not completely, just take advantage of your favorite podcast’s or Netflix’ download option whenever you can. Not all titles are downloadable on Netflix, but with options like Breaking Bad and The Crown, odds are you can find something good.

Restrict App Store and iTunes Downloads. If you’re an iPhone user, go to Settings > iTunes and App Store > Toggle off Cellular Data.

Use Chrome’s Reduce Data Mode. Some sites like The Verge can eat up 5-13 MBs of data per page. Select the “Reduce Data” feature from the settings.

Be selective about what’s downloading in the background: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh, OR you can scroll through your list of apps and select individually.

Disable Wi-Fi assist. In theory, Wi-Fi assist is a great idea. It boosts your signal if the signal is weak. The problem is it gobbles up your data like mad. Go to Settings > Cellular > and toggle off Wi-Fi Assist.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.