9.4.19 Your medical info on an app; Hurricane scams abound; Lesser requirements for energy efficient light bulbs

Published: Sept. 4, 2019, 9 p.m.

b"Proposed legislation would provide US citizens access to all of our own medical records. This would require providers to send data to medical record apps \\u2013 with the patient\\u2019s permission. Privacy risk concerns are valid here including data breach exposure and data abuse by insurers. The NYT reports Apple is designing their medical app to encrypt the info and confine it to your device only, not on their servers. Android needs equivalent protection.\\xa0\\nAs Dorian heads up the coast, scamsters are already at it prompting a warning from Homeland Security to be aware of fake emails pretending to be from charities. You may soon see people collecting on street corners. Never respond to phone, email or text solicitations. Give directly to trustworthy organizations. See our guide. If you have first-hand knowledge of a group you trust, excellent. But don\\u2019t give to any charity organizations that you can't personally vet.\\nLEDs were $80 when introduced. Now they\\u2019re down to as little as $1. Home Depot Sylvania LEDs \\u2013 2 dozen for $24.\\xa0 Dollar Tree and Costco sell them cheaply as well. LEDs use 85% less electricity. If you buy a traditional bulb for .50 cents vs. and LED for $1 \\u2013 that\\u2019s a trap. So the Energy Department is proposing new regs to eliminate standards for efficient bulbs. Lighting comprises about 25% of the power bill, so switching bulbs could save you around 20%. Buy efficient bulbs. They last much longer and save you big money. Changing bulb efficiency legislation is a joke.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices"