For the Record Podcast

Yurbuds are earbuds for athletes (CES podcast)

Yurbuds was at the Showstoppers media event at CES to show off earbuds designed specifically for athletes. The products, which start at $49.99, have a twisting mechanism that keeps them in place. The company makes six different sizes according ot CEO Seth Burgettt (scroll down to listen to podcast interview) and if you buy a size doesn't fit, you can take a picture of the inside of your ear and the company will send you one that does fit for no extra cost, said Burgett.  Youbuds are available at Apple stores, Best Buy and other retailers. Models … Read more

Ford talks up connected cars at CES

LAS VEGAS--Today's automakers are embracing the Internet cloud by building connected cars, and Ford is no exeception.

To find out more about Ford's strategy, I sat down with the company CEO Alan Mulally and Chief Technology Officer Paul Mascarenas at Ford's massive booth at the Consumer Electronics Show here, ahead of Mulally's keynote address. (Scroll down to listen to the podcast.)

When I asked Mulally why a car company would be at CES, he said, "We're clearly a technology company and we're providing very important technical solutions through the mobile application devices we … Read more

OnLive to stream Windows desktop to iPad, Android devices

In 2010, OnLive introduced online-streaming games to PC and Mac users. Last year, it extended the platform to mobile devices. And this year, the company is focusing on productivity apps, starting by offering free basic Microsoft Office functionality to iPad users.

Beginning on Thursday, U.S. iPad users will be able to download an app from the iTunes App Store to use the free service. Users can sign up early, starting Tuesday.

The free service provides 2 gigabytes of storage. After an initial testing phase, OnLive will offer a $9.99-per-month OnLive Desktop Pro version with 50GB of storage and … Read more

CES chief muses on what to expect this year

Consumer Electronics Association CEO Gary Shapiro talks big numbers when he describes this year's Consumer Electronics Show, which takes over Las Vegas next week.

He is expecting more than 140,000 visitors who will collectively crisscross the more than 1.8 million net square feet of exhibit space and visit more than 2,700 exhibitors.

For one company, this CES will be its last. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will give the opening keynote at CES 2012. But the company announced last month that in 2013, it will no longer host a booth or lead a keynote there.

"They'… Read more

Facebook throws potentially suicidal users a Lifeline

Facebook announced today that it's working with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on a program designed to help save lives.

The new service will enable Facebook users to click on a link and be taken to a page where they can enter into a live chat with a suicide prevention specialist. There is also a reporting link where users can alert Facebook, if they see something on a person's profile that causes them to think that the person is in severe distress. Facebook will send a message to that person to encourage them to contact the Lifeline.

The … Read more

Man behind XXX domains says they'll help parents protect kids

After years of being debated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ( ICANN), .XXX was approved earlier this year and is now a reality. Approximately 100,000 XXX domains are going live on Tuesday.

The new top level domains (TLD) are not without controversy. Some free speech advocates worry that there will be governments that require the use of XXX for adult content, effectively forcing such sites into a virtual red-light district but others, including some religious groups, worry that it will legitimize or even sanction pornography.

Stuart Lawley, the founder and CEO of ICM Registry, the company … Read more

Sexting far less prevalent than previously reported

A study published in the January, 2012 issue of Pediatrics asked teens whether they had sent or received sexually suggestive, nude or nearly nude images of themselves--a practice commonly known as "sexting."

What they found is that 2.5 percent of the 10- to 17-year-olds in the survey said they had appeared in or created images that depicted themselves nude or nearly nude. But, when the researchers asked if the images "showed breasts, genitals or someone's bottom," only 1.3 percent said they had appeared in or created such images. The "nude or nearly … Read more

PriceGrabber exec: Do homework before gift-buying (podcast)

It seems as if everyone is looking for a holiday gift bargain this year, but the lowest price isn't always your best choice. To help consumers navigate their way through both online and brick and mortar stores, I spoke with PriceGrabber.com President Steve Krenzer.

"The best way to take advantage of the season is to prepare ahead," said Krenzer. "Have a good sense of what your objectives are, what your budget is, what types of items you're looking to buy and what are the must-have features versus nice to have features."

Krenzer said … Read more

Most kids who break 'Internet house rules' have bad experiences

A 24-country study conducted by Symantec found that 82 percent of kids who've broken "Internet house rules" have experienced something negative online." That compares to 52 percent of kids who "follow house rules."

More than six in 10 (62 percent) of kids reported that they have had a negative experience while online. Those negative experiences include being bullied, responding to an e-mail scam, downloading a virus, or being pressured online to do something that the child thought was wrong.

Cyberbaiting The study also found that a fifth of teachers (21 percent) have personally experienced … Read more