| Volume 144 Number 38 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Scammers often disguise themselves as people working for the government and might pretend to offer help. But, really, they’re after your money or personal information. Click here for more.
Amazon turns on internet-sharing feature on users’ devices
Amazon has activated Sidewalk, a new opt-in service that lets users share internet between Amazon devices that are always on. Sidewalk enables compatible Amazon devices, like Echo smart speakers and Ring cameras, to create a larger web of connectivity.
Amazon said Sidewalk should make the process of setting up new devices faster and easier and allow for more expansive location tracking and notifications from devices. The company also noted that the service should help certain devices stay connected to the internet if they’re prone to being knocked offline because of wireless range issues. Click here for more.
Your Money
FICO scores range from 300 to 850, and the average score in the U.S. is 711. If you have fair credit, your FICO score is between 580 and 669, which is below the average credit score. Those who have a fair credit score often feel one of two ways: You might feel optimistic because your next step up the credit ladder is "good" credit. Or you might take a more pessimistic viewpoint and feel just a bit too close to the "poor" credit range. Look up the ladder, not down. A fair credit score is considered subprime by most standards, so you won't get rewarded with the best interest rates. But when you're in the fair credit range, think of it as a necessary pit stop on your way to good credit. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Supreme Court of Texas discusses the burden of proof for enforcing a disputed electronic signature and the importance of the authentication process. Plaintiffs, employees of Aerotek, sued for wrongful termination. Based upon an electronically executed arbitration agreement, Aerotek moved to compel arbitration. The trial court denied the motion to compel, and an appellate court affirmed. The Texas Supreme Court reversed, finding: Aerotek's evidence showing the security procedures its hiring application used to verify that a candidate electronically signed his MAA was uncontroverted. To enter the application, a candidate was required to create for himself a unique identifier, a user ID, a password, and security questions, all unknown to Aerotek. The candidate was required to enter personal information and sign documents by clicking on them. The application recorded and timestamped the candidate's every action. The application's business rules made it so that the application could not be submitted until all steps were completed and all required signatures provided, including on the MAA. Once a candidate submitted his application, Aerotek could not modify its contents. Aerotek provided the signed MAAs marked with timestamps identical to those in its database records showing each Employee's progress through the application. Aerotek,, Inc. v. Boyd, 2021 WL 2172538 (Tx. S. Ct. May 28, 2021) Click here for more.