lifeline

Cell phone subsidies claimed by many who can't prove eligibility

A hefty chunk of taxpayer dollars spent by the government on mobile phone service for low-income Americans may have been wasted.

A federal program called Lifeline provides hefty discounts on mobile phone service to qualifying low-income households. The goal is to ensure that they can connect with families, employers, and emergency services.

How many of those households should actually have been receiving the discount?

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission started forcing mobile carriers to confirm the eligibility of their Lifelife subscribers. The agency figured that around 15 percent of users would be determined ineligible, but the tighter rules discovered … Read more

Facebook boosts efforts on suicide prevention

In the wake of tech activist Aaron Swartz taking his life earlier this month, there has been a lot of discussion about how to get suicidal people help before it's too late.

Facebook, which has already done work on suicide prevention, is upping its efforts on seeing what more it can do to prevent future suicides.

The social media site recently started working with suicide prevention group SAVE to see if user data on how suicidal people act on social media -- in the weeks and days leading up to their deaths -- could be helpful in pinpointing early … Read more

FCC reforms phone subsidy program for the poor

The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to bring its subsidy programs for low income families into the 21st century by offering funds for basic broadband service for financially disadvantaged Americans.

In its January open meeting Tuesday, the FCC adopted an order that will eliminate the FCC's Link Up program, which offers a one-time $30 credit for the installation of landlines or activation fee for cell phones. And it announced a new pilot program that will direct universal service funds collected for these subsidy programs to offer subsidies for basic broadband service.

The commission also pledged to root out waste, … Read more

Facebook throws potentially suicidal users a Lifeline

Facebook announced today that it's working with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on a program designed to help save lives.

The new service will enable Facebook users to click on a link and be taken to a page where they can enter into a live chat with a suicide prevention specialist. There is also a reporting link where users can alert Facebook, if they see something on a person's profile that causes them to think that the person is in severe distress. Facebook will send a message to that person to encourage them to contact the Lifeline.

The … Read more

Bro Lifeline wingman app covers your butt

The concept of a best-buddy wingman has thrived at the cineplex, but it's much harder to find one in real life. That's where the Bro Lifeline app steps up to watch your back when you're picking up chicks or getting in trouble.

The app features a menu of options that include pick-up lines, excuses, pep talks, and background noises. It's available in free and ad-free 99-cent paid versions for Android and iPhone.

The pick-up lines include such cheesy, painful standard fare as "What time do you have to be back on heaven?" and "Do you have a map? I just keep on getting lost in your eyes." Do those really work?

There are also some creepy lines. "You are the reason why even at the saddest part of my life, I smile. Even at confusion, I understand. Even in betrayal, I trust. Even in fear of pain, I love." That's almost guaranteed to get you a restraining order.… Read more

Is that your final answer?

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Lite is a free, six-question preview of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, a game based on the current U.S. version of the world-famous TV game show. The game faithfully recreates the look and feel of the show, from the live video clip of Meredith Viera kicking off each game ("Let's play Millionaire!") to the music, sound effects, graphics, and question format and categories. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire even gives you the game's signature "lifelines": Ask the Audience, Double Dip, Phone a Friend (with canned … Read more