It's lights out for the popular incandescent light bulb, but most Americans are still in the dark about the phase out. Then, how can payment card security be improved in wake of the Target breach? And how much would you pay for a smartphone app to keep your information private? On FilmWeek, we review this week's releases--including The Wolf of Wall Street and August: Osage County.
The bright future of the American light bulb is not incandescent
2014 may be the last year of the good old-fashion incandescent light bulb, as increased efficiency standards established by 2007 federal law are effectively shutting down the light bulb’s manufacture.
Backers of the law say that getting Americans to switch to higher-efficiency compact fluorescent (CFL) and LED bulbs will save billions of dollars a year in energy costs, but not everyone is on board with the switch. Many people are anxious about losing the unique light textures that incandescent provide, and some are stocking up on the bulbs before they’re a thing of the past.
Are incandescents an inefficient holdover that we’re finally rid of? Or should Americans be worried about having to see ourselves in a new light?
RELATED: Incandescent light bulbs phase out Jan. 1: What it means for you
Guest:
Jane Harman, director of the Woodrow Wilson Center and the former U.S. Representative for California's 36th congressional district
Randy Burkett, Fellow at the International Association of Lighting Designers, president of Randy Burkett Lighting Design of St. Louis
Is chip-and-PIN the answer to safer credit card transactions?
As Target continues to investigate how the details of 40 million credit cards were stolen from their stores, attention has now turned to improved payment technology. The use of magnetic strips on the back of cards has been blamed in part for the security breach at Target. Security experts say it's time to look again at the use of chip-and-PIN.
Financial institutions in the U.K., Canada and Hong Kong transitioned to the new system a number of years ago. Cards are no longer swiped, but inserted into a terminal. Consumers then enter their secure 4 digit PIN or sign for their purchase.
While chip-and-PIN is unable to put an end to fraud, the cost of replicating cards embedded with chip-and-PIN technology is high for criminals. A number of credit card companies plan to roll out chip-and-PIN in the United States in the next two years.
From October 2015, Visa says it will encourage the use of the embedded cards, but stores that fail to upgrade to the new payment terminals may be liable to costs if a customer with a chip-enabled card is the victim of a security breach.
As a consumer, do you think banks should be moving faster to implement chip-and-PIN technology? Would this make you feel safer while making financial transactions?
Guest:
Mary Ann Miller, head of fraud and financial crime consulting at NICE Actimize, a provider of financial crime, risk and compliance solutions for financial institutions and government regulators
How much are you willing to pay for an app that protects your privacy?
Economists Scott Savage and Donald Waldman have looked into that very question in their study, “The Value of Online Privacy.”
They surveyed over 1,700 smartphone users and found that most respondents were willing to pay for a smartphone app that safeguards their private information.
How much, though, depended on the kind of data they wanted to protect. For example, consumers would pay around $2.25 for an app that won’t record their browser history; a little over $2.10 for an ad-free app; and about $4.00 for an app that wouldn’t be able to tap into their contact lists.
What price are you willing to pay for privacy?
Guest:
Donald Waldman, Professor at Economics at the University of Colorado and co-author of the study
Filmweek: The Wolf of Wall Street, August: Osage County, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and more
Larry and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Henry Sheehan review the Christmas releases, including The Wolf of Wall Street, August: Osage County, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and more. Then, Larry speaks with Nebraska director Alexander Payne. TGI-Filmweek!
The Wolf of Wall Street
August: Osage County
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com
Alexander Payne, film director 'Nebraska,' 'The Descendants'