How to Use Your Phone as a Webcam

How to Use Your Phone as a Webcam

"Why would anyone want to use their phone as a webcam?" This was the most common reaction people had when we told them what we were trying to do, but there are actually some pretty good reasons to do this.

For one, you can turn an old handset into a security camera or baby monitor which you can use without buying a brand new standalone camera. And if your handset doesn't have a front facing camera, or if your PC doesn't have a webcam built in, then you can use the rear camera on the phone for video calls.

It is obviously easier to buy a dedicated camera, but if you don't want to buy a brand new webcam, or want to find a good use for your old phone instead of selling it, then setting it up like this is a nice idea. Here's how to set it up.

Security camera

One of the ways in which you can use an old phone is by setting it up as a security camera or a baby monitor. This is pretty easy to do with the right apps for both Android phones and iPhones. This is how you set it up:

Android

A quick search on Google Play throws up several webcam applications. We tried 5 of the top 10 results, but most didn't work properly. From the ones that didn't crash repeatedly, SmartCam failed to show the video, and DroidCam needs you to install an app on Windows to work.

IP Webcam is easily the best of the lot because it works through your browser, which gives it the cross-platform compatibility.

To set up a security camera on Android, follow these steps.

1. Connect your computer and the phone to the same Wi-Fi network.

2. Install the IP Webcam app on your smartphone.

3. Close all other camera apps. Force close them from the app switcher before you proceed.

4. Launch the IP Webcam app. Scroll to the bottom and tap Start server.

5. The app will now fire up your phone's camera and display a URL. Our URL was http://172.32.15.110:8080.

6. Enter this URL in any browser on your computer and hit Enter.

7. In the browser, you'll see a drop down menu next to Video renderer. Select Browser.

8. Below that, you'll see Audio renderer. Select HTML wav.

Now you'll see a live video feed in your browser. You can also record this footage via the browser. To do this, just press the red Record button under the video. This saves the footage as an MP4.There will be a slight lag if you enable HTML wav audio in the browser. You can select the Flash option (doesn't work on all computers) or open the same URL in VLC Media Player.

9. To do this, first download and install VLC from this website. Then in VLC, go to Media > Network Stream and enter the URL from the app as seen in step 5.

Once the app is running, you don't need to keep your phone's screen on. It works even when the phone is locked, but the video feed is slightly smoother when the screen is on.

iOS

Two of the most popular webcam apps on the App Store are EpocCam and PocketCam. We tried setting up PocketCam, but the process was too complicated and even when we did manage to set it up, we found that the free version limits you to black-and-white video and no audio. There's a paid version that gives you access to all of PocketCam's features.

On the other hand, EpocCam is free (with ads) and it is very easy to set up. That's why we would recommend using EpocCam. This is how:

1. Make sure your phone and computer are on the same Wi-Fi network.

2. Download the EpocCam app on your iOS device and Windows or Mac machine.

3. When you install EpocCam it will prompt you to install some drivers. Click Install anyway in both cases. These are audio and video drivers that let the app act as a webcam.

4. Start EpocCam on your iPhone and your computer.

5. The app automatically searches for other devices running EpocCam on the same Wi-Fi network. Soon, the video from the iPhone will automatically show up on your computer. EpocCam lets you use only one device as a camera at a time.

While this app generally works well, we found that at times the phone and the computer couldn't connect to each other. Restarting the app on both devices quickly fixed the issue for us. There's no recording feature in this app, but you can easily setup a screen recorder app such as Camstudio on your computer to record the feed from your iPhone, if you want to use the phone as a security camera and not a CCTV feed.

Video calls

You can also use your phone as a webcam to make video calls from a computer. You can use your phone as a camera to chat using Skype. There are two stages to this - setting up the camera on your phone, and setting up Skype to use the phone as a camera. We'll walk you through each stage of the process.

First, you need to set up the camera using an app on either your Android phone or iPhone. This is how:

Android

Here's how to set up your Android smartphone as a webcam. IP Webcam does not work with Skype, so you'll need to install DroidCam and its PC client for this to work:

1. Install DroidCam Wireless Webcam on your phone.

2. Download and install the DroidCam client on your computer. Both the phone and the computer should be on the same Wi-Fi network.

3. Open the Android app and note down the Wifi IP listed on the main screen.

4. Open the Windows client and paste the IP on the computer.

5. If you have a slow Internet connection, pick Low from the Video Quality drop-down menu.

6. Click Start.

7. Now you'll see video from the phone on the DroidCam Windows app. This works even if your phone is locked, but the video stutters. For optimal performance, we recommend that you keep the Android app open and turn off auto-lock on the phone.

8. Restart Skype (if it is open) and select DroidCam Source 1 as the webcam (explained after the iPhone section).

9. Now you can use your Android phone as the webcam.

iPhone

If you're using an iPhone then you can use EpocCam. Download it and then install and run the app on your computer and phone, as described above. Once again, both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network - if they are, then they will connect to each other automatically. Note that the app stops working if you hit the home button or lock your phone. EpocCam has an Android app too, but it crashed repeatedly in our tests, so we suggest you stay away from it.

1. Install and run EpocCam on your computer and iPhone, as mentioned earlier.

2. Open Skype and select EpocCam as the webcam (explained below).

3. Now make a video call to any of your contacts. You'll be using the iPhone as a webcam for the call.

Changing the default camera on Skype

After you've gotten your phone to work as a webcam (using DroidCam or EpocCam), you need to change the settings in Skype before you can use your phone as a webcam. This is what you need to do:

1. Download and install Skype if you haven't already. Third-party cameras don't always work well with the Windows 8 style Skype app, so you will need the desktop version.

2. Once Skype is running and you have signed in, you'll need to go to Tools > Options.

3. Click Video settings under the General tab.

4. Select the correct camera from the drop-down menu next to Select webcam:. The name of the camera varies depending on the app you are using to connect. Android users will have to select DroidCam Source 1, while iPhone users will select EpocCam.

6. Click Save.

link:http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/features/how-to-use-your-phone-as-a-webcam-617643

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How to Record Calls on Your Smartphone

How to Record Calls on Your Smartphone

A lot of our old feature phones had call recorders built right in, and this was extremely convenient if you needed to record a conversation for your job or just because you wanted to remember something important. While smartphones have made life simpler in most areas, this is one aspect in which they've gone backwards, since none of the leading mobile operating systems include a built-in call recorder. Perhaps one reason for this because recording calls treads murky legal waters - some countries (or states within countries) have laws against recording calls without the consent of all parties in the conversation.

We're going to tell you how to record phone calls on your smartphone, but we strongly advise that you check whether this is legal in your region before you follow these steps. Needless to say, don't record calls if it is illegal. If you record calls, make sure that you tell the other person that the call is being recorded.

Recording phone calls can be a privacy violation, but there are several positive use cases for it. It can be very useful when conducting phone interviews, when you're receiving complicated instructions that you can't note down, or when you'd like to store an intimate moment such as the first time parents speak to their child on the phone.

Unfortunately for iPhone users, there's no straightforward way to record phone calls, but you can try apps like TapeACall that essentially work by creating a conference call between you, the person you are speaking to, and a third line that is used to record the call. Privacy aspects and the hassle of this aside, since it involves getting another call looped in, the service is available only in a few countries. Unfortunately, it's not available in India, so we could not use this service.

We also tried a bunch of other apps on the iPhone, but none worked effectively. If you know any iPhone apps capable of recording calls that are worth checking out, please let us know via the comments.

Windows Phone 8 doesn't allow apps to use the phone's microphone during a call, which effectively stops call recording apps from doing their job. If you are running the older Windows Phone 7, you may have better luck with the Call Recorder app.

For both BlackBerry and Android however, it is relatively simple to record calls using apps. We tested these apps using a BlackBerry Q10 and a Google Nexus 5 respectively.

Here's how to go about recording calls on your smartphone:

Android

1. Download and install Automatic Call Recorder.
2. Whenever you make or receive phone calls, the app will automatically start recording calls. You can turn this off by tapping the three dots icon on the top-right > Settings > Record calls > Off.
3. You can select the format of recordings. You can choose from AMR, 3GP and WAV. This is accessible in the app via Settings > File type.

In the app, you will see two tabs - Inbox and Saved. All recordings will appear in the Inbox tab. Old recordings get overwritten. This is how you permanently save a recording:

1. To save these recordings to your SD card, tap any recording and tap Save. These recordings show up in the Saved tab.
2. You can choose where these recordings are saved by going to Settings > Recording path. The default folder didn't show up when we connected our phone to a computer, but changing the saved folder to the Downloads folder solved this problem. You can also share the files directly from the app, via WhatsApp or any other app, by simply tapping the recording and then tapping the Share icon.

Automatic Call Recorder lets you save 200 recordings for free, but if you want to save more on your phone, you need to buy Automatic Call Recorder Pro for around Rs. 450.

BlackBerry 10

1. Download and install Call Recorder For BlackBerry 10 FREE and launch the app once. Now, when you make or receive a call, it is automatically recorded by the app even if it is not active in the background. There are some settings in the app you can change what calls are recorded. 
2. Launch the app, then swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the menu. Tap Settings in the top right to change the app's settings.
3. In settings, you can tap Recording Mode to change the recording fromAutomatic (the default) to Manual. If you do this, a pop-up comes at the start of a call asking if you want to record calls. You can also set it to Contacts, and then select contacts from your phonebook whose calls are recorded automatically.

You'll see a list of saved conversations. The app keeps running in the background and you don't need to do anything to start the recording. To listen to a call, tap on the conversations.

You can then give a file name and tap Save to save the call, or tap Play to listen to it. Tap Cancel to return to the list. Long press on a recording and tap the share icon to share it via email or other apps.

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Ticks Have Really Ticked Us Off to Why WhatsApp Blue

Why WhatsApp Blue Ticks Have Really Ticked Us Off

On Thursday, WhatsApp users across the world started noticing blue tick marks next to their messages. That of course was the roll out of read receipts for messages, so you can now see when a message has been sent (single tick), delivered (double grey tick), and once it's read, those tick marks turn blue.

Look. We like WhatsApp as much as the next guy, probably a little more than that actually. That's why you can find a guide on how to use WhatsApp on your PC here. We've told you how to back up your WhatsApp messages, how to share your location with others using WhatsApp, and how to block people and hide your "Last Seen" setting.

So yes, we like WhatsApp and use it a lot. Maybe even a little too much. And it is from this perspective that we've going to go out on a limb and say, thanks but no thanks. The receipt feature sounds useful at first. Chatting with a friend and want to ask them something? Well, if those tick marks never turn blue then you know they haven't seen it, and you need to try giving them a call instead.

And how many times have you responded to messages with a curt "Got it", just to acknowledge that yes, the message has been delivered. People send you a phone number to call, or share a single point of data and you waste time letting them know that it's gotten through. Sure, that's just a second or two, but it adds up through the day and WhatsApp's blue ticks just saved you a bunch of time.

Of course this isn't really a new feature - BlackBerry users were getting these receipts for longer than most people will be able to remember, and a little while ago, we showed you how you can even add these receipts to your Gmail inbox, in your browser.

Other messaging services like Viber and WeChat have had read receipts for over a year now, and the same is true for things like Facebook Messenger as well. So really, not having read receipts was a unique WhatsApp feature at this point, and not a shortcoming to address.

But WhatsApp CEO and co-founder Jan Koum approves of borrowing features for innovation, as seen in this tweet from June.

That's why WhatsApp has 'innovated' to add the one feature that almost every other popular messaging service has been offering for months or years, and because Koum knows that no one would ever want to turn such a feature off, there's no option available to do so either.

It's very thoughtful of the company to save us from accidentally turning off read receipts, but for the few misanthropes out there - no more than a handful, certainly - there's no way of claiming that you didn't get the message anymore.

When you get those tangentially work related WhatsApp messages that you had been hiding from by turning off your Last Seen setting in the privacy options and decide not to respond anyway because it's not really relevant to your work, people will start to post follow up messages, or worse yet, start calling to find out why you haven't replied.

"You read the message half an hour ago and it is perfect for your business or line of work that I don't know anything about but have a strong opinion on, so please waste your time and reply to me," will be the general spirit of one in every two conversations you have, every day.

So it's great that WhatsApp is saving a few seconds by telling us that a message has been delivered. It's going to cost you a few hours in apologies every day, but that's not our problem, because we're going to dust off iMessage, since it lets us turn off read receipts. And since most people we know don't have an iPhone, this switch automatically deals with the overwhelming number of messages we normally get daily as well. Something tells us we won't miss the forwarded jokes and real estate spam too much.

And in case anyone from WhatsApp is reading this? While you're "borrowing" #innovation, please think of a great way of turning off read receipts. We'd suggest adding a button in the privacy settings - you know, so we can do a story on How to turn off read receipts in WhatsApp and get rid of those blue ticks.

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Facebook Records Your Search History

Did You Know That Facebook Records Your Search History? Here's How to Delete It

Every time you search for anything on Facebook - from looking up an ex (we've all been there), to searching for bands or searching for the Facebook page of your favourite celebrity - it is stored as a part of your Activity Log. All this activity is stored as private, visible only to you (and presumably Facebook) so it's not necessarily a violation of privacy, but we're a little uncomfortable with the idea of all our searches being stored as a long term record.

Facebook says it stores these searches in order to show you relevant search results. But if you would rather not have this, erasing them is pretty simple. Just follow these steps:

1. Open this page on Facebook. Once you sign in, you'll be shown your entire search history on Facebook. To find it yourself, you can go to your Profile, then click onViewActivity Log. On the left-hand side, find the section where it says Photos, Likes and Comments and click on MORE.
   
   
   Next, select Search from the list on the left.
   
2. To remove individual entries from this record, click the "Hidden from Timeline" button on the right side of each entry (it looks like a no-entry traffic sign), to the right of the lock icon. Click Delete and then Remove search in the pop-up, to remove the entry permanently.
3. To remove your entire search history, just click the Clear Searches link on the top-right, to the left of the magnifying glass icon. Then click Clear Searches in the pop-up to remove these search items.

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What's New and Updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop

What's New and Updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop

Google previewed 'Android L' at its Google I/O developer event in June, and since then, developers and consumers have awaited the final version, which was finally announced on Wednesday as Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company also launched the platform lead devices for Android 5.0 Lollipop, namely the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, andNexus Player.

Since the Android L preview earlier this year, Google has added several new features to the final release of Android 5.0 Lollipop. While some changes are extensions of the themes introduced in Android L, some are relatively new, and other previously known features have now been detailed by the search giant.

(Also see: Android 5.0 Lollipop Coming Soon to Nexus 5, Nexus 4, Moto E, Moto G, Moto X, and Others)

Here are some of the biggest changes that Google brought to its widely-popular mobile and tablet platform with Android 5.0 Lollipop:

Material DesignFirst up is the ambitious Material Design. Remember when Google had introduced Android L saying that this next version will receive a complete visual overhaul for a consistent experience across devices? Well, here it is. Android 5.0 Lollipop features a cleaner, flatter design with a more fluid interface and animations.

We saw the revamped navigation and status bar in the Android L preview, and Google has stuck to the design but now the status bar can be coloured or kept transparent (depending on the app) and features refreshed status icons. The 'Quick settings' menu has also been revamped, and includes new controls like flashlight, hotspot, cast screen controls and more. Also new is the toggle for location services. The recent apps menu or task switcher now appears like a stack of cards instead of a list of screenshots of recently open apps.

Google explains the new Material Design for Android 5.0 Lollipop as "A bold, colorful, and responsive UI design for consistent, intuitive experiences across all your devices. Responsive, natural motion, realistic lighting and shadows, and familiar visual elements make it easier to navigate your device. Vivid new colors, typography, and edge-to-edge imagery help to focus your attention."

(Also see: Google Nexus 6 Price and Availability Details Confirmed)

Improved Notifications/ Do Not DisturbAndroid 5.0 Lollipop's lock screen displays richer notifications, and users can view and respond to messages directly from the lock screen. In fact, Google has further gone ahead with notifications and included rich floating descriptive notifications on top of your activity. Users will be able to view or dismiss any notifications without moving away from an activity.

Essentially, Google has provided better overall control for Notifications.

Users will be able to control notifications triggered by their apps, and choose to hide sensitive content, apart from prioritising or turning off an app's notifications completely. Android 5.0 Lollipop users can also turn on 'Priority mode' via the device's volume button and allow notifications from only certain people or apps to be shown - users can schedule when Priority mode turns on as well. The feature also works as a Do Not Disturb mode as seen in Apple's iOS, and allows users to also selectively silence notifications and calls on the Android device.

Importantly, Google has also now downgraded the priority that incoming phone calls are given, and users can now choose to answer the call, cancel it, or just continue to do what they were doing without waiting for the call to end.

(Also see: Google Nexus 9 With Android 5.0 Lollipop, 64-Bit Tegra K1 Coming This November Starting $399)

Kill Switch and Improved SecurityAndroid 5.0 Lollipop will come with an opt-in kill switch dubbed 'Factory Reset Protection', which will allow users to wipe out the device's data on will. If a user activates this feature, they will be required to enter their Google login to factory reset the device and it will only work when the phone passcode is enabled. Google also says that new devices come with encryption automatically turned on to help protect data on lost or stolen devices. Google had announced the feature last month, after Apple revealed its own version. Not much is known about this feature as yet, but we will soon find out the details.

Other security options in Android Lollipop includes SELinux enforcing for all applications claimed for even better protection against vulnerabilities and malware. Users will also get an Android Smart Lock feature to secure their device by pairing it with a trusted device like a wearable or even their car, says Google.

New Messenger App

There is a new Messenger app that will be shipping with the Nexus 6 as part of Android 5.0 Lollipop It is said to be a more simplified of Hangouts, and is not a replacement for it, says a Google spokesperson, "Messenger and Hangouts offer users choice, each have their own benefits. Hangouts work great for cross platform (web, iOS, Android) and cross medium communications (video, voice,messaging, SMS). Messenger will be specially designed to be a quick and easy way to send and receive SMS and MMS messages on Android; more to come (Nexus 6 will come with both apps)."

Device SharingGoogle has finally brought device sharing features that will help users share their Android 5.0 Lollipop device with members of their family and friends without worrying about access to sensitive content. Android 5.0 Lollipop features a guest user mode with custom options for access, as well as screen pinning that lets users fix in place the screen that's displayed without allowing guests to go further. Interestingly, it has also introduced a new feature in Lollipop that lets users log in to another Android phone to access synced messages and content in case they forget their phone at home.

Battery SaverGoogle has also added a new battery saver feature to Android 5.0 Lollipop, claiming to extend device battery life by up to 90 minutes. Android 5.0 Lollipop will also display the estimated time left to fully charge the device when plugged in, as well as the estimated time left on the device before the user needs to charge again.

(Also see: Google Nexus Player Is the First Android TV Device)

Quick Device Set UpGoogle has introduced new ways for users to set up their devices with Android 5.0 Lollipop. Users can instantly set up their new Android phone or tablet by simply tapping it on their old device - though this requires NFC support. All apps from Google Play are also carried over on the new device, as long as the same Google account is being used.

Other new features in Android 5.0 Lollipop include the new ART Android runtime for improved application performance and responsiveness; support for 64-bit devices and SoCs; native 64-bit apps; improved hardware keyboard accessory support (including support for multilingual, emoji input, search key, and improved app and system key chords), support for 15 new languages (including Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu); improved accessibility features (such as text contrast boost, colour inversion, and enhanced colour differentiation); improved audio, video, and camera capabilities, and improved Internet connectivity everywhere and with more powerful Bluetooth low energy capabilities.

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twitter stock earnings

twitter stock earnings

Surprise! Twitter is not Facebook

 

Twitter stock tumbles on weak user growth

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Remember how much fun the World Cup was this summer?

Unfortunately for Twitter, there isn't a global soccer football tournament every quarter.

Shares of Twitter (TWTR, Tech30) plunged 10% Tuesday after the company reported sluggish user growth. It also said that sales for the fourth quarter may be a bit below forecasts, the Wall Street equivalent of missing a penalty kick.

Twitter simply isn't growing its user base enough. It finished the third quarter with 284 million monthly active users, a gain of less than 5% from the second quarter.

Compare that to the second quarter when Twitter reported a more than 6.3% jump in active users thanks in large part to its popular "hashflags" promoting the World Cup.

Slowing growth is never viewed well by momentum investors. And Twitter's stock had become a favorite plaything of day traders lately.

The stock soared 20% the day after it reported its second quarter results in late July. Shares had gained even more ground since then -- despite the massive market volatility of September and October.

Twitter is no Jack Kennedy of social media. Expectations were high. Twitter bulls believed the worst was over. They were wrong.

The stock is now down 32% year-to-date.

It's once again the worst performer in CNNMoney's Tech 30 index, moving ahead (or is it behind?) of mobile chip company ARM Holdings (ARMH, Tech30) and Amazon (AMZN,Tech30).

Twitter, unfairly or not, it is always going to be compared to another much larger social network.

To paraphrase the late Lloyd Bentsen in that famous 1988 vice presidential debate with Dan Quayle, Twitter is no Facebook.

Related: Can Facebook live up to the hype?

Twitter has less than a quarter of the users that Facebook (FB, Tech30) has. In the world of advertising, scale is everything. Facebook and search leader Google (GOOGL, Tech30)dominate the online ad market because they are the biggest in their respective segments.

While Facebook is an every day necessity for many, Twitter seems more like a social media outlet that's really only vital to those who need second-by-second accounts of what's happening as it happens.

Facebook is the 21st century newspaper or local TV news. It's what people increasingly trust and rely on for information every day.

Twitter is the 21st century newswire service ... or the social media equivalent of Statler and Waldorf from "The Muppet Show" gleefully mocking everything in real time.

That's great if you are glued to your phone while watching a live sporting event or award show. But have you ever tried to follow an account of something on Twitter hours (forget about days or weeks) after it's taken place?

Strong sales growth is not enough. Where are the profits? Yes, Twitter's revenue growth is impressive. Sales more than doubled in the third quarter. But that hasn't translated into sustainable profitability.

Twitter reported a net loss of $175.5 million in the third quarter.

The little blue bird has seen better days. It looks like he was mauled by the fail whale.

Analysts often overlook some one-time events though. But even when you back those out, Twitter still had a profit of just $7 million, or a penny per share.

When Facebook reports its latest results after the closing bell Tuesday, analysts expect it to post a profit (before one-time events) of $824 million.

For the full year, Wall Street is forecasting earnings of $3.3 billion this year and $4.6 billion in 2015 at Facebook. Twitter is expected to lose money (before one-time charges and gains) this year, next year and in 2016.

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Five banks fined more than $3 billion in currency probe

Five banks fined more than $3 billion in currency probe

How big banks broke the rules

Five banks have agreed to pay $3.38 billion in fines to global regulators to resolve allegations that they attempted to manipulate foreign exchange rates.

Citibank (C), HSBC (HSBC), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), RBS (RBS)and UBS (UBS) will collectively pay $1.4 billion to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and about £1.1 billion ($1.75 billion) to the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority. UBS will also make a payment in Switzerland.

The fines are the largest ever imposed by the British regulator, which said it will continue to investigate potential wrongdoing at Barclays (BCS).

Some $5 trillion is traded in the global currency market each day, much of it in London.Foreign exchange rates affect the price of imported goods, company earnings and many investments held by pension funds and others.

Between 2008 and 2013, lax controls at the banks allowed traders to share confidential information and collude with their counterparts at other institutions in an effort to fix rates and increase profits.

British regulators said traders used private online chatrooms to coordinate their buying and selling to shift currency prices in their favor, aiming to making a profit for their banks at the expense of clients.

The traders called themselves "the players", "the 3 musketeers" and the "the A-team."

The FCA said that the banks had failed to manage obvious risks, and that traders were allowed to behave unacceptably.

It is possible that the banks and individual employees will also face criminal charges in both the U.K. and U.S. over attempts to manipulate the rates.

Related: You may never have to rescue a bank again

While all five banks face more than $600 million in fines, UBS was also penalized by Swiss regulators, and will pay a total of $800 million. Citibank will pay the second largest total fine at $668 million.

British regulators said 36 banks that operate in the foreign exchange market, including the five fined Wednesday, will be required to participate in a program to change banking culture and ensure management take more responsibility.

A separate investigation into the actions of officials at the Bank of England found that no staffers were involved with alleged foreign exchange rigging. However, one official was found to have been aware of potential improper conduct, and failed to raise the issue.

The CFTC said that since June 2012, it has imposed penalties of more than $3.34 billion relating to the manipulation of global benchmarks.

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Why are we still using Social Security numbers to identify ourselves

Why are we still using Social Security numbers to identify ourselves

 

I lived on bitcoin for 24 hours

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

So far this year, hackers have stolen more than 6.5 million Social Security numbers, CNNMoney has found.

That's the absolute bare minimum. It's likely much more than that.

Getting at the exact number of stolen SSNs is difficult. No single organization or government agency tallies the number. To arrive at the number, CNNMoney examined two dozen hacks that took place in 2014.

The biggest hacks included the 750,000 that were exposed with the recent U.S. Postal Service data breach, 1.3 million stolen from Montana's health department in June, and4.5 million from a nationwide hospital network in August.

Related: Half of American adults hacked this year

The damage from Social Security number theft is real. Criminals use those numbers tosteal your identity, ruin your credit and grab your tax refund. It can take years and lawyers to clear this up.

And in some cases, criminals use it to fraudulently bill visits to the doctor. That could alter your electronic medical record, which first responders rely on to treat you during emergencies when you're passed out. It happened to one man in Oregon, according to Bob Gegg at ID Experts, a privacy software company.

This raises an important question: Why are we still using SSNs to verify our identities if they're so exposed?

It stands in complete opposition of what every security expert says about protecting your identity. The best way to prove you're you is to present something only you know. But SSNs are relatively easy to find. With a proper license, you can buy them.

Data brokers sell your Social Security number -- or parts of it -- every day. One Vietnamese man even managed to buy access to a databases that housed 200 million SSNs. It's unknown what he did with those numbers.

Yet your bank, cable company and mobile provider still insist it's the only way to know you're really you.

Neal O'Farrell, a consumer advocate with the Identity Theft Council, thinks it's an exercise in the absurd. But alternatives are impossible.

Another national ID number "is too monstrous of a task," O'Farrell said. Too many Americans oppose it. Besides, they'd get stolen too.

What about biometric identifiers, like fingerprints and iris scans? If the FBI's new and growing facial recognition system is any indication, Americans are too creeped out by this as well.

"There's no sensible way to look at it," O'Farrell said.

 

Brian Krebs demystifies today's hacker

But SSNs were never supposed to be used this way. When it was created in 1936, the SSN had a single purpose: tracking what U.S. workers earned to determine benefit levels.

In fact, the card read: "FOR SOCIAL SECURITY PURPOSES -- NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION" until 1972.

It wasn't designed to be secret -- Social Security numbers aren't even random. You can figure out the first 5 digits by knowing the state and year it was issued. The federal government only started making them random in 2011.

When IBM computers arrived in the 1960s, they ushered in an age of SSNs as IDs. In 1961, the federal government started using it for employees, even though most are not eligible to collect Social Security. In 1962, the IRS used it for taxpayers. Law then compelled banks to join in. Colleges and hospitals soon followed suit.

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