ImOn Insider

While it's not quite Thanksgiving yet, it is time to start thinking about and planning for the holiday shopping season. But just like everything in 2020, it looks like holiday shopping will also be altered this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In fact, according to a Morning Consult study, at least 78% of Americans will be doing at least some of their gift shopping online this year. However, more and more purchases happening online has created more opportunities for cyber criminals to steal your personal information. Here are a few tips to make sure your personal information stays safe when you make an online purchase:

Who doesn’t love a good deal? You might even love deals so much that you look forward to venturing out to shop before the sun comes up on Black Friday. But Black Friday 2020, like many things this year, is going to look different. While retailers will still be offering the crazy deals you’ve come to expect, most will offer those deals in some digital form to avoid having hundreds of people packed in the store.

In this day and age, it is nearly impossible to cut out the use of all technology and social media, especially with your kids. According to the Pew Research Center, kids ages 8 to 12 spend about six hours online every day, while teens spend an average of 9 hours online each day. But, since tweens and teens often keep their lives to themselves, it can be tricky to get clear answers as to what exactly they are doing online. And because of the unpredictability of the Internet, it leads parents to constantly worry about what they are doing, who is contacting them, and are they safe.

Like almost everything in 2020, Halloween is going to be a little different this year. But that doesn’t mean it can’t still be fun. We’re here to help you get into the spooky spirit from home—whether you’re trying to entertain the kids or just yourself. Keep reading to learn how to create a ghoulish Halloween experience without having to leave the house.

It’s been an abnormal year to say the least, but with school starting, (some) football being played, and your favorite TV shows returning for fall, we might be able to get back to a regular routine. Take a look at our list of fall TV shows that are premiering in the next month and click the links for previews of each show.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has put a halt to many sports seasons since early March. And while most college and NFL football teams are about to kick off their seasons, some will still have to wait to cheer on their favorite teams. So, whether you have been going through sports withdrawal, or your favorite teams had to postpone their season, ImOn’s here to help. We have compiled a list of our employees’ favorite sports themed movies and TV shows that are guaranteed to score points with every sports fan in the family.

Let’s start simple. What are browser cookies? Internet browser cookies (the less delicious type of cookies) are small files that sites send to and save on your computer/phone/tablet. Most sites use these cookies to remember your device and other information — like what’s in your shopping cart or your login information. Cookies can also be used to track your device across websites, which is how you keep seeing ads for that pair of shoes you looked at online a couple of months ago. Cookies aren’t technically tracking you, instead, when a cookie is created it assigns your device a unique tracking number. This number can be matched up across websites or sessions and piece together your travels across the web.

The Age of Information created the Age of Cyber Crime

Trying to remember a time before the World Wide Web, personal computers, iPads, and smart phones is comparable to trying to imagine a time before there were cars and highways. The advantages of the information age has allowed us to access and share massive amounts of information, perform commerce, and interact across diverse populaces on a grander scale than imagined when that first Apple PC was introduced in the late 1970s. However, as with all great technological advances, new dangers and threats emerge that we must defend against.

Warm weather is finally here and it’s time to get outside and enjoy it. From trail guides and navigation aids to hike logs and social networks for outdoor adventurers, we put together a list of apps, maps and resources to encourage you to get outside and enjoy the many trails in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area. Download the apps and bookmark this blog for quick access to maps and other resources.