A news note from the last couple of days reports that Symantec now has a "Free AV App for Android," and the article links to a list of others offering similar (free and "enhanced") Apps for Android and most others.

Those using "Smart" phones (or stupid ones clever enough to get in trouble) might want to think about whether what's offered would help you feel more secure.

With the frequency of reports of "hacks" rapidly increasing, it's likely that quite a few such "protections" should be coming out, so a decent one shouldn't be hard to find if you watch for them.

And additional (local) reports of ID Thefts via the trash bins support the recomendation that every household really should have, and USE, a paper shredder (since incinerators are banned for almost all of us). For most home use, the $40 (US) ones at Walmart, Walgreens, etc should be just fine, although I've worn the guts out of two of those in the past year or so. (I've been clearing old records so I've been a "heavy user" recently.)

IMO the "strip cut" shredders are probably adequately secure, but the paper "fluffs up" somewhat more than with a cross-cut, so you handle more bulk for the same weight. Ones that will eat CDs/DVDs are generally available, and while the feature probably isn't critical (you can slice a CD lots of ways) it may indicate a little sturdier construction that suggests somewhat longer life. I've graduated to one of the "big boys" rated at 18 sheets per pass that so far has produced >30 barrels (36 gal each) of cross-cut fluff since I got it about 6 months back; but that's probably several years worth of throughput for most.

The recycler in my area refuses to accept shredded stuff, apparently because it "blows in the wind" and is a mess to handle the way they do it. If you can recycle, most prefer that you avoid including "self-carbon" forms, since it doesn't go throught the pulping and bleaching well, but shreds are otherwise a prime candidate the recyling so you can "feel a little greener" where you can do it. They likely will ask that you "bag it" even if they do accept it in the bin, because it is like loose confetti until they can get it to a baler.

John