How Hackable Are Your Gadgets?

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By Ry Crist, Cnet.com, Oct 25, 2016)
Last Friday saw a massive internet outage after hackers flooded Dyn, a major internet gatekeeper for sites like Facebook, Spotify and Netflix, with false bandwidthfrom an ocean of unsecured internet-connected devices.
Many of these devices were reportedly smart home gadgets using standardized manufacturer default passwords. It's alarmingly easy for hackers to search the web for these devices and then, with the right malware, take control of them en masse. From there, the hackers can use their army of hacked devices, called a "botnet," to overwhelm whatever server they aim it at.
The episode raises some serious questions about the smart home. More and more people are filling their living spaces with an ever-increasing number of internet-connected devices. That means more potential fodder for the next big botnet, and fears of even bigger attacks in the future.
[Read Ry's report here.]

Missed the Snow Summit? Here's the Brief

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[Video of the latest Snow Summit is here]
Your Role:

• Off Street Parking
• Never Park on a Snow Emergency Route
• Clear Sidewalks in Front of Your Home 
• Clear Driveways and Mailboxes after Plowing is Completed
• Stay off Roadways, If Possible
• If not possible, stay as far behind trucks as possible

Tips:

• Reduce speeds to match road conditions during weather events
• Allow as much distance as possible between the car in front of you
• If you think it’s too bad to go out, it probably is
• If on street parking is required, park on the even side of the roadway
• Bridges, overpasses and cold spots freeze more quickly
• Wait twenty-four (24) hours after the snow stops before calling to request snow and ice removal services

Step Up for People with Hearing Loss

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Family Caregivers Support Groups

One Way to Choose the Right Technology Product for Yourself or as a Gift

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With all the brands and models of electronics to choose from, it's hard to decide which is best for you.
Use this site to start your decision process by limiting the price and performance that meet your needs. Then use sites like PC Magazine, Consumers Report, and The Wirecutter to refine your selection.

Choosing a Low Cost 529 Plan

(Click on the image for Tisha Thompson's report)

The News4 I-Team found fees tacked on to 529 plans -- government-run college savings programs -- can make a big difference in how much you can save.
“If you've got kids, you should have a 529 plan," according to Georgetown University’s personal finance expert Dr. James Angel. "The tax breaks are too good to pass up."
[Scroll to the bottom of Tisha's report for the 529 Plan Calculator]

Recognize and Avoid Phishing Attacks

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Don't let criminals trick you into handing over your login info to false websites that look legitimate!

Vote!

Early Voting begins on Thursday, October 27, 2016 and ends on Thursday, November 3, 2016. Early voting sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday November 8, 2016. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voter Registration Books Close - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 9 p.m.

Sample Ballot if you vote at Potomac Landing E.S. (05-05)

Sample Ballot if you vote at Breath of Life SDA Church (05-07)

Ballot Question 1 Summary - Chapter 511 of 2016

Certified Ballot Questions A-G 2016

Community policing can make us all safer

(Click on the image for Loretta Lynch's opinion)

Loretta E. Lynch is attorney general of the United States.
"Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation. At its core is the idea that everyone has a stake in the safety of the neighborhoods where we live and work, and that none of us, police or citizen, can make them safe on our own. Community policing uses our shared interest as the foundation for deeper understanding, mutual respect and closer partnership. In practice, community policing encourages officers and citizens to communicate regularly, to share concerns and collaborate on solutions, and, above all, to get to know one another as people rather than stereotypes.
And it works. I know, because I’ve seen the results."

Celebrating Prince George's County

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"How the county is working to alleviate traffic, how National Harbor and MGM are shaping the county's economy, and the significant role of the faith community plays in the lives of Prince George's residents."

• $7 billion in county development.
• National Harbor will be responsible for more than 10 thousand jobs.
• MD 210 is so bad that commuters say it can't get worse - except that it might: from 80 thousand vehicles/day to 125 thousand vehicles/day.
• Faith community provides critical services 7 days/week.