Trending today on T3:

-Apps to prevent distracted driving
-Google TV
-Tips for Stronger Passwords

Apps to Prevent Distracted Driving

ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS, DRIVE SAFER!

Concerned parents now have several options to ensure kids aren’t driving distracted. In fact, there are several apps available that can lock your phone when a car is in motion, using GPS!

Here are some of the apps to look for:

- iZup
- tXtBlocker
- CellSafety
- ZoomSafer

So what does the phone do when it gets a call or a text message? The screen changes to “MESSAGES BLOCKED,” then incoming calls go to voicemail and text messages will not appear until the car is stopped! Only emergency and other pre-programed numbers are allowed.

In addition to these safety features, these apps can pinpoint the location of the phone on map and set a boundary area where the phone is not allowed to be used, such as around your kids’ school!

So how does it know if you’re driving or a passenger? Obviously if you’re a passenger the phone is going to lock because it detects that it’s in motion… Well, each of the apps handles this situation differently, tXtBlocker asks you to solve a timed puzzle, while CellSafety can be overridden with permission from a parent… via a text message.

Unfortunately, these apps are available for BlackBerry and Android phones only. iZup has begun preliminary development, or at least interest in developing their software for the iPhone, so  hopefully in time we’ll see it and others like it available for the iPhone too.

Google TV, easier than TiVo?

NEW ANDROID CABLE/SATELLITE BOXES

Google is expected to unveil new software to run on cable and satellite TV set-top boxes next month at their I/O developer conference. They’ve partnered with Sony, Intel and Logitech to bring us a Google Android-powered device that looks pretty impressive.

It will offer a user interface that can be customized based on who’s watching TV, possibly tied to an existing Google account. What’s pretty cool too is that developers can create their own apps to run on the set-top box and the interface will be super-easy to use, possibly even easier and more customizable than a TiVo!

Of course, Google is the king of relevant advertisements, so we may see some very targeted advertising on these devices in the future as well…

Google is currently running a limited beta with Dish Network, the beta software reportedly allows users to search across the provider’s programming and the Internet for content to watch.

But, if all goes according to plan, Google will be telling us what we want to watch!

P@$$w0rd$!!!

HOW TO MAKE STRONGER PASSWORDS

One of the problems we face as everything goes online is the number of user accounts and passwords.

Soooo many people simply use the same user ID and password for all the websites they register at, and don’t realize this can be a major security hazard! If one of these website accounts is compromised, then potentially all of them can be!

A big problem is that many people use simple dictionary words, their kid’s birthdays, or simple passwords such as the word ‘password’ or ‘abc123.’

A hacker can easily crack a password if it isn’t complex and some it takes little effort to extract lots of personal information once they have that password!

So what’s the solution? How do you make a better password. Well, here are some great tips that can get you started:

- Don’t use dictionary words (apple, balloon, crayon)

- Don’t use any personal information and no dates (043575, may2001)

- Make it complex!
- Use upper and lowercase letters
- Use numbers
- Use special characters like $ and #
- Replace characters with symbols and numbers
- Use “@” instead of “a”
- or “$” instead of “s”
- “l” becomes “1″ and “e” becomes “3″
- For example, apple becomes @pp13

- Create different passwords for all sites!

- Try using a “base” password you always remember and add something site specific for each website

For example, if your base password is @pp13 and you want to make a password for your Gmail account, then the password could become “@pp13Gmail”

Or, use a password manager! On a PC, check out RoboForm, on a Mac, check out 1Password. These apps will store your passwords (so you only have to remember one), automatically log you into the secure websites and even help you create long/complex passwords to give you increased security

So, now that we’ve got your mind on the topic of password safety… get to it!

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