Stimulus Check Spending Tips: Do Your Part

Tech Expert Segment for 16 May 2008

Sure you could pay down your credit card debt. Perhaps a great plan to toss it into a savings account. Likely good idea to pay bills or even high gas prices with your federal bonus. But who wants to do any of these sensible things?

Go ahead, blow it! Throw caution to the wind, spend your bucks on a new gadget...

First, some sites to check out:

• Buzzillions.com -- product reviews from folks that have bought the product they're talking about, all brought together by the folks that provide product review technology to some big-name websites.
• Woot.com -- a great site if you're looking for that gadget you didn't know you needed... The online retailer sells one gadget a day, when it's gone, it's gone!
• Slickdeals.net -- This site will help you stretch your stimulus check as far as possible... coupon codes, discounts, and a guide to the best online savings.

And beware of the scammers...
The IRS has set up this website to check progress on your stimulus check, and tools to determine if you're even eligible. The FBI is warning about a new scam targeting those patiently waiting for the extra money. The key message? Don't fall prey to scammers purporting to be the IRS scamming your personal information!

Tech Check for 13 Feb: Neutral Net, V-Day Viruses and Disney's House of Tech

The fight to keep the net neutral (and what that means), Valentine's Day virus causes FBI alert and Disneyland revisits the house of the future... details in Tech Check for Wednesday February 13, 2008.

If you're like many Internet surfers when I say "Net Neutrality" you say... Huh? Don't worry -- you're not alone. Net Neutrality is about keeping the Internet open for all types of traffic. This week the FCC heard from Comcast, arguing it has the right to shut off high-bandwidth users (as I first reported here last year) and two Republican lawmakers introduced legislation on the topic. Nothing's been decided yet, but it's a hot issue we'll be watching in the coming year. Educate yourself -- the ramifications are quite significant.

In the days leading up to the annual heart holiday, the FBI has warning of a malicious virus posing as an e-greeting. The warning is clear:

Be wary of any e-mail received from an unknown sender. Do not open any unsolicited e-mail and do not click on any links provided.

Finally, I confess -- I'm a Disneyland fan. Something about the 50-plus year old theme park, the attractions, people-watching and... the future! Disneyland has announced plans to open a "House of the Future" in May. CNN.com has a preview. and I'm going to see if I can check it out for you when I'm down there early April. If I can work it out, it'll be posted right here.

Thanks for checking out the latest and greatest news from the pages of tech, that's another Tech Check.