| Volume 108 Number 4 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Overdraft protection is a great way to save money when you make a mistake and overdraw your account. But be careful, some overdraft plans can cost you as much as the bounced check fees. Talk with your bank about a plan with a low fee tied to another account or imposing reasonable interest on the balance until it is paid.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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New Cars Vulnerable to Hackers
Did you know that nearly 100% of new cars on the road today have some kind of wireless connection?
With the added technology, car makers have given hackers a new way to make your life miserable. Yet, when hackers started demonstrating the ability to take over vehicles' digital systems, the automakers remained silent. However, a United States Senator started demanding answers to questions about the vulnerabilities, and in a report released last month, the findings are startling.
The study focused on vehicles from BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
According to the report, "These findings reveal that there is a clear lack of appropriate security measures to protect drivers against hackers who may be able to take control of a vehicle or against those who may wish to collect and use personal driver information."
Hackers can slam on your brakes, cut the brakes entirely, and even take over steering.
The danger is evident, but automakers don't seem to have a solution in mind (at least not yet).
Can a hacker take control of your car? Is there anything you can do to protect yourself?
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How to Be a Savvy Consumer
What does it take to be a savvy consumer?
There is no one unique way to define a savvy consumer. However, generally speaking, savvy consumers know their rights, ask important questions before purchasing goods or services, and set and follow budgets.
Do you want to sharpen your status as a savvy consumer? USA.gov has compiled a checklist to use before you make a purchase.
Before you make your next big purchase, give it a look.
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Ten Ways to Protect Your Privacy
The Internet connects us all. However, our computers make us vulnerable, especially when it comes to sensitive personal information.
For all the computer breaches and and systems hacks, many could be prevented by taking some basic precautions.
Whether it's your computer, the websites you use, or the information you keep, there are steps you can take to protect your privacy.
To read 10 ways to protect your personal information online,
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Your Money
How much disability income insurance do you need?
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For the Lawyers
Board of Dental Examiners concerted action to exclude non-dentists from the market for teeth whitening services constituted an anticompetitive and unfair method of competition under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
The United States Supreme Court held the Board could not assert state-action immunity and upheld the FTC’s decision that the action as anti-competitive. The Court noted that because a controlling number of the Board’s decision-makers are active market participants in the occupation being regulated, the Board could invoke immunity only if the challenged restraint was clearly articulated and affirmatively expressed as state policy, actively supervised by the state. That requirement was not met.
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