Q. Most dashcams are pretty obtrusive on the windshield. I thought about adapting my GoPro camera, but am not sure if that is practical. Any ideas?

—L.N., Seattle

A. A GoPro camera can indeed be mounted in a car, and there are suction cup mounts for this purpose. The SJCAM SJ4000 action camera I recommended in the past even included such a mount with the camera. Good mounts can be expensive, and the official GoPro mount is a princely $39. A quality dashcam records speed and GPS data and has night vision and parking modes to protect your vehicle when parked, a combination that action cameras lack. If you want to mount a GoPro to record high-performance driving it makes sense, but if you want a driving and security tool you need a dashcam.

The Redtiger F4 Pro would be a perfect fit. It's one of the smallest full-featured dashcams available, and it even resembles a GoPro. The F4 Pro comes from the industry leader and Redtiger provides an 18-month warranty and 24-hour tech support, which makes it very easy to recommend them. Regular retail is $149.99, but a Labor Day sale on Amazon using the code LABORF4P at checkout saves $50, bringing it down to $99.99. It uses Sony STARVIS 2 sensor technology for exceptional 4K video quality, and a 1080P rear camera and 128 GB card are included. It even has voice command, so you don't have to manipulate a small touchscreen for basic functions. Having voice command is a game-changing feature, especially for a product meant to enhance safety. It's an excellent value for under $100, or even at the regular $150 price.

Eliminate junk calls with Nomorobo: Telemarketing spam and scam calls have risen dramatically, and nonstop invasions of my privacy and peace recently took me to the breaking point. I decided it was time to fight back beyond hanging up on someone from "Diabetic Supplies" (I am not diabetic) or a shady real estate broker "calling about the property at (my home address)" asking if I would be interested in a cash offer. So far the Nomorobo app has brought me peace and quiet I never thought I would have again. If you have had it with intrusive and rude robocalling shysters, read on.

When I realized I had absolutely had enough I went to the iPhone App Store and started looking at options. Some were quite expensive, but at $2.99 per month and rated at 4.5/5 with over 20,000 ratings, Nomorobo looked promising. I signed up for the two-week trial, and now there is no way I am going back to life without it!

Nomorobo silences spam and scam calls and sends them to voicemail, and most of the time the offending party does not bother to leave a message. So far it has not let a single offending call through, and it has not blocked any valid calls. Besides the relief that Nomorobo provides, there is also the matter of security. Just answering the phone confirms someone is at the number and sets you up as a target, and if they record your voice it could provide the basis for an AI fake to impersonate you. (Before Nomorobo I would answer suspected spam calls in a fake voice to minimize the chance of this.)

Look for more security and privacy tips in the weeks to come. The situation is getting out of hand, and it is time for all of us to band together and fight back!

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