iPods & privacy

Most people use iPods and other MP3 players to store music, and in some cases video. But did you know car thieves have used an iPod to store all the information that makes up people's identities? And used those identities to steal very Jaguars and BMWs? That's the true story told by CNET security writer Robert Vamosi. A few months ago, after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, the New York Times ran a helpful how-to piece on the benefits of keeping household financial records, including account numbers and three years' worth of tax returns on an iPod or flash drive in case our homes are flooded or burned down. It's a great idea, but – if one happened to lose that little pocket-size repository of our personal info – where would we be? Just another thing for families to be aware of in this age of supreme "convenience." It's not about kid safety, really. A lost cellphone would be more of an issue where teens are concerned and how it could be used to find its owner. [Meanwhile, a panel at the Sundance Film Festival looked at the future of "cinema on the go," CNET reports, and the Washington Post told the story of iPods sold pre-loaded with movies and TV shows (find them on eBay, USATODAY reports.]