advice

The 404 is back with our first show featuring all three of us back in our home studio, and it feels great! CBS MoneyWatch's Financial Decoder Jill Schlesinger, aka #AuntJill, makes her 2011 debut and answers a few listener questions about the uphill economic battle in 2011 and planning for your retirement.

We haven't had a chance to talk to Wilson about his month away in China, so he tells us how he got hit by a bus in Guangdong, and would you believe it? His iPhone was not to blame! Sounds like the Asian driver stereotype might actually be true when it comes to Chinese bus drivers.

Speaking of stereotypes, Amy Chua from the Wall Street Journal sparked some controversy for an incendiary article entitled Why Chinese Mothers are Superior so Jill posted her response that examines the surge of wealthy women in China and the effect that strong parenting can have on a country's economy. We all agree with Chua when she says that "nothing is fun until you're good at it." Sage advice!

Finally, Jill answers questions from listeners wondering about reporting taxes without a Social Security number, the best way to save for retirement, how to refinance or purchase a home, and what kind of economic growth we can expect in the new year!

Now that the holiday season has us in its clutches is well under way, it's the perfect time to bring my well-rested Dos & Don'ts column out of hibernation. And while I count myself among the lucky few who don't have to do much traveling to visit family, I know many of you have some lengthy treks ahead of you.

Whether the mode of transport is plane, train, or automobile, one of the best ways to counter the tedium and annoyances of travel is with some video entertainment. What follows are some tips on the best ways … Read more

Jeff's out sick today, so Aunt Jill drops by with a valuable life lesson about privacy and the importance of being kind--that's right, we're actually taking a serious look at Internet privacy today, starting with the Webcam tragedy at Rutgers.

We also discuss Paypal's new iPhone app that lets you deposit checks using the onboard camera, and Jill also answers more of your burning financial questions about the value of Timeshare, establishing good credit after school, and the importance of investing in a 401(k)--listen up!

PayPal's new iPhone app lets people deposit checks just by signing the back and taking a picture of the check using the camera on the phone.

Mobile check depositing isn't new, and chances are you've already seen Chase commercials advertising its similar functionality, but we understand if you're still hesitant to handle finances using your phone.

On the other hand, mobile apps are actually safer than using the desktop version with a scanner and an e-mail address, since cell phones aren't as prone to vicious malware that try to poach your information, and mobile banking still asks for the same precautionary information as a walk-up ATM machine; stuff like PIN number, bank account info, and more.

Don't take our word for it though, the PayPal app for the iPhone will be available in the next few days, so try it for yourself and let us know what you think!

Speaking of online privacy, the next story is about Tyler Clementi, the young Rutgers student who jumped off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate secretly videotaped him "making out with a dude" online. His roommate, 18 year-old Rutgers freshman Dharun Ravi and classmate Molly Wei, were both charged with invasion of privacy for their role in the online distribution of the film and face up to five years in jail. Be sure to tune into this segment for an important lesson from Aunt Jill. The lesson is short: don't be a jerk.

Natali can't make it on the show today because she's busy taking care of little Justin Junior, but Jill Schlesinger saves the day and joins us to answer some of your most pressing financial quandaries.

Our first order of business is figuring out how Jill can get 3,000 Twitter followers before the end of this year. She hasn't been on Twitter very long and already has 1,627 followers, but we're thinking a funny new profile picture could help increase her online presence. We know that all you 404 listeners are handy with the Photoshop, … Read more

There's never a bad time to update some basic laptop-buying advice, and with this spring's new crop of laptops and new components (and some left-field competition from Apple's iPad), we decided it was a good opportunity to create a new version of our laptop buying guide video. Think of this as a video compendium to our more-detailed Laptop Buying Guide, which covers the ins and outs of laptops across different size categories and price ranges.

To get into the laptop mood, we went down to the new Best Buy location in New York's Union Square (ironically, … Read more

You know what they say about parenting: It's the hardest job you'll ever love. Of course, you might love it a little more if it weren't so flippin' hard all the time. So let's hear it for all the iPhone apps designed to make parents' lives a little easier.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of such apps in the Store, but I've rounded up five that I consider essential--starting with one that can make injuries and illnesses a little less scary (for you, anyway):

1. Kid Care Your toddler is running a fever of 103. Should you call your pediatrician? Head for the hospital? Wait it out? Kid Care offers medical advice for dozens of common symptoms--everything from bee stings to headaches to wheezing. Based on proven clinical protocols, the app provides symptom definitions and images, care advice, medicine dosage information, and helpful reading material such as "Fever--Myth Vs. Facts." There's also a handy dial-your-doctor button and a location-aware emergency-services finder. My only wish is that I'd had this incredible app at my fingertips when my kids were younger. Amazingly, it's free.

2. Tales2Go A new favorite in our house--make that our car--Tales2Go streams on-demand audiobooks for kids. The collection now exceeds 1,000 titles, including such well-known series as "American Girl," "The Boxcar Children," "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," and "Junie B. Jones." The app is free, as is a 30-day trial of the service. After that, you pay $24.99 for a year of unlimited listening. As someone who's spent that much on a single audiobook CD, I consider that the bargain of the century.… Read more

Shaky Advice from Samwell is an advice-giving app--in the spirit of Mattel's famous Magic 8-Ball toy--in which you get metaphysical guidance from the putatively sassy Web celebrity Samwell.

Internet-famous for 2007's "What What (in the Butt)," Samwell can be seen here channeling the same sauciness, albeit with more G-rated, "butt"-free content. The interface is fittingly Magic 8-Ball-style: you shake your iPhone or iPod Touch, and within seconds Samwell appears with a short video that answers any yes or no question. Each of the videos (more than 30 in all, accompanied by quick sound … Read more

So Christmas, as awesome as it has always been, is now over, and you're wondering what to do next. Well, I don't have an answer to that. However, if you already know what to do but just wonder how to best do it and you happen to own an Android-based phone, then I have something for you.

It's an app that can be used for basically anything, called eHow from Demand Media, the owner of the popular eHow Web site.

The app basically puts all the functions of the Web site and more in your palm. I … Read more

The much-anticipated and controversial Modern Warfare 2 finally arrives in retail stores today, which gives us an excuse to invite AOL GameDaily.com's Libe Goad to give us some insight into all the action. Although it's definitely not the first Call of Duty game, Libe and Jeff tell us it's the most controversial of the pack, with disturbing scenes that let you take the side of terrorists.

It's hard to believe anything can be scarier than making the trip down to Chinatown, NYC, to pick up your "advanced" copy, though. Don't call it a bootleg; the copies they're selling down there are actually legit, a first for Canal St. merchants. And although they cost the same as copies from the big box stores, Modern Warfare 2 has been available at these "select retailers" for the past week! Good to know I live in such a respectable part of NYC.

Yesterday's episode sparked such a heated conversation about censorship, video game and movie ratings, and parenting video gamers that we're happy to revisit the topics today, with Libe's valuable industry input, of course! This time, we address the world of online gaming that's brought a new level of offensive material to young people who might not understand the implications of their trash-talking. With no moderators to police Xbox Live or PSN, players are allowed to communicate directly with each other, which often results in racist and misogynistic epithets. Tune in to today's episode to listen to our opinion on what should be done.

Finally, we hate to take the spotlight away from Libe, but we've been resisting the urge to announce our guest for the past week. We finally got the green light, so we're happy to announce that Tony Hawk will be in The 404 studio on Monday, November 16, to chat with us about his latest game, Tony Hawk: Ride and maybe even do a live in-studio demo! Start thinking up questions, as we'll most likely be taking questions from the audience as well.