March 26, 2024

How to replace a lost or stolen credit card

That plastic rectangle in your wallet or purse may look small, but it can present a large problem if it’s misplaced, stolen or compromised. That’s because a thief can quickly rack up unauthorized charges and possibly harm your credit unless you take swift action.

That’s why it’s crucial to take a lost or stolen credit card seriously. You need to know what to do if you notice unauthorized charges, including how to contact your credit card issuer and the major credit bureaus, when it’s best to file a police report, when to consider a security freeze on your credit file, and other best practices you can adopt to safeguard your credit cards.

For tips, check out my lastest story for Bankrate, available here.

March 19, 2024

Need a home appraisal? Here's what it costs

A professional home appraisal is essential when buying or selling a home. If you’re purchasing, your lender will require one to verify that the loan you’re applying for is appropriate to the home’s value. If you’re selling, you’ll want an objective take on how much you can expect your home to sell for. Either way, you’ll be asking the question, How much does a home appraisal cost?

Learn the answer by reading my latest story for LowerMyBills.com, available here.

March 14, 2024

Cineversary podcast celebrates diamond anniversary of The Third Man

David Thomson and Charles Drazin
In Cineversary podcast episode #68, host Erik Martin celebrates the diamond anniversary of Carol Reed’s The Third Man with two outstanding guests: David Thomson, renowned film critic, cinema historian, and author of The Fatal Alliance: A Century of War on Film; and Charles Drazin, film historian and author of In Search of The Third Man. Together, they scour the streets and sewers of Vienna on the trail of Harry Lime and the truths behind this now 75-year-old masterwork.

To listen to this episode, click here or click the "play" button on the embedded streaming player below. Or, you can stream, download, or subscribe to Cineversary wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, PodBean, RadioPublic, and Overcast.

Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com
  
 

March 5, 2024

Breathe easier indoors

Many people assume that outdoor pollution caused by cars and factories is rampant, meaning we should spend more time indoors for better respiratory health. But it may surprise you to learn that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor levels of pollutants are often two to five times greater than outdoor pollutants—in some cases more than 100 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations.

Couple that stark fact with this alarming stat: We tend to spend around 90% of our time indoors.

Consider that poor indoor air quality can seriously affect your health, causing or worsening allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems. Polluted indoor air has various sources, from everyday dust and pet dander to mold spores and harmful chemicals from cleaning products.

For tips on how to improve the quality of your indoor air, read my newest article for The Salt Lake Tribune, available here.

February 27, 2024

No butts about it: You can kick that smoking habit

Addicted to tobacco but finding it difficult to stop? There are good reasons why abandoning cigarettes and other forms of smoking is so hard. One of the biggest is that nicotine, found in tobacco, can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes are designed to swiftly deliver nicotine to the brain. Within your brain, nicotine instigates the release of chemicals that induce pleasurable sensations. With repeated nicotine exposure, your brain becomes accustomed to its presence. 

But all hope is not lost. It is absolutely possible to kick cigarettes and other forms of smoking to the curb for good with the right approaches and education. Get helpful tips by reading my newest piece for The Daily Herald, available here.

February 20, 2024

Audiovisual augmentation

With astounding relative speed, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has permeated many different businesses and industries in recent years. But lately, its encroachment into video and voice creation has been particularly remarkable, providing ample opportunities for players in this field to succeed in more efficient, economical, and impressive ways. 

Consider how AI is revolutionizing the field of video by automating tasks, improving the editing and post-production process, and unlocking innovative opportunities. Video editors powered by AI today can, for instance, efficiently analyze and process extensive amounts of footage, identifying key moments and automatically generating highlights. AI also plays a crucial role in tackling intricate editing tasks such as color grading and transitions. Additionally, AI-driven tools empower creators to produce distinctive and captivating visual effects, introducing a new layer to storytelling. 

AI has reshaped the creation of voices, as well, ushering in an era of realistic and expressive synthetic speech that is now used widely within areas such as customer service chatbots, voiceovers, virtual assistants, and audiobooks.  Deep learning algorithms, trained on vast datasets of human speech, can now generate voices that are virtually indistinguishable from their human counterparts. This breakthrough has expanded possibilities across various domains, including voice-over work, animation, entertainment, and personalized communication.

It’s constructive to consider the progress that’s been achieved on these fronts, the adoption rate of voice and video creation, the difficulties that still need to be addressed, and the enticing possibilities ahead. Learn more by reading my newest piece for Speech Technology magazine, available here.