Here Are a Few Things That Kids Born Today Will Never Use

Bob Dylan was right - the times they are a-changin.’ Here are a few things we’re very familiar with that kids born today will never use – or even know about. This comes from Money Talks News.

- First: Videotape. Movies are released on DVD, most news-cameras and home-use cameras are digital, and a majority of homes no longer even have videotape machines.

- Today’s kids will also never wear a watch. Most people under 55 don’t wear one except as a fashion statement, and they often have dead batteries, or aren’t even wound up. Most people don’t need a watch because they’ve got a phone with a clock in their hands all day long.

- Then there are paper maps. They used to be available free at every gas station. Today, with in-car GPS gadgets, and smart phones with turn-by-turn directions, paper maps – and the ability to read them – are becoming obsolete.

- Another thing today’s kids won’t use: Phone books and encyclopedias. Who needs huge, outdated books to look up addresses, phone numbers, or world facts when you can just Google it?

- Forget catalogs and newspaper classifieds. You can see everything that’s available in your area – or via delivery – by hopping on company websites or Craigslist.

- Also: Wired phones and long-distance phone bills. In 10 years, nobody will be paying for a phone that has to stay attached to the wall, and with live, FREE computer video chat, who’d bother to pay for long distance phone calls?

- Finally, today’s kids will never have unanswered questions. Whether it’s remembering which actor was in that movie you loved, or finding the source of the Nile – with smart phones and Wi-Fi Internet connections, every debate can already be settled in seconds no matter where you are.

There’s a New Internet Security Threat to Worry About

If you use public wi-fi at your local coffee shop or library know this: There’s a new and very serious threat to your online security. A new program – that anyone can download – allows people to see any and everything that’s going on on your computer. Things like passwords, emails, everything. The program is called “firesheep,” and it was created by a software developer named David Butler, who posted it for free on his website. Butler says he didn’t create firesheep so bad guys could steal your password and hack your accounts – he created it to point out just how vulnerable we all are on when we use public internet services.

Here’s the deal: big sites like Amazon and Facebook have a problem, and it’s one they all know about and haven’t bothered to fix. When you first log on to Facebook and enter your password, it’s encrypted. No one can see it. However, AFTER you log on, Facebook and your computer exchange a little piece of code, called a cookie, that allows them to recognize each other so you don’t have to keep logging on. That’s fine if you’re on a private network, but on public wi-fi it’s broadcast over the network for all to see. Firesheep grabs that piece of code and allows anyone with the program complete access to your computer. David Butler’s goal here was to force major companies to fix this issue. Only time will tell if his plan worked, but in the meantime here’s how to keep your information safe:

Don’t do anything that requires a password when you’re on public Wi-Fi. If you have no choice, only enter financial information on sites that have full end-to-end encryption. You can tell you’re on a secure site if the address starts with HTTPS. It’s got to have that S on the end; otherwise your data is flapping in the wind.

Negative Thoughts Are Literally Bad For Your Health

From LiveScience.com:

It’s official: The way you think has as much impact on your health as the food you eat, and the amount of exercise you get! Need proof? Here’s a list of negative thoughts that are literally bad for your health:

- Negative thought #1: Cynicism. Scientists often define cynicism as “hostility,” because cynical people tend to be suspicious and mistrustful of others. The problem is that when you’re always second-guessing other people’s actions, you’re always feeling stressed. A study found that people who showed the greatest levels of cynicism were 25% more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease.

- Negative thought #2: Predicting doom and gloom. People who constantly fear the worst are said to have a “Type D personality.” Type D people tend to have fewer friends, because they bottle emotions and feel depressed. Research has shown that depression raises stress levels, which increases deadly plaque buildup in arteries.

- Another negative thought: Feeling like your life is out of control. Like when you’re frequently late for appointments, or disorganized. In a study involving more than 9,000 people, researchers found that organized, self-disciplined people live at least three years longer than those who lead more unstable lives. Why? Experts say it’s because people who take control of their lives tend to feel less stressed – so they’re less likely to smoke or drink.

Are you noticing a theme here? Most negative thoughts tend to be linked to higher stress. Since prolonged stress both weakens your immune system and raises your blood pressure, experts say negative thinking raises your risk of being killed by anything from a heart-attack to a common cold.