WTAM 1100 – 5 Geek Squad Tips for Shopping Safely

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – December 2nd, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland OhioThe National Retail Federation estimated that 126.9 million shoppers were planning to shop online on CyberMonday. The holiday weekend surprise for many was just how many people shopped via mobile devices. Mobile accounted for 52.1% of all online shopping traffic and 27.9% of sales on Thanksgiving according to IBM’s Smarter Commerce team.

That’s a lot of people trying to get good deals online while pretending to be productive at work on Monday! There’s plenty of online shopping to be done, though. (You remembered to get Uncle Larry a gift, right? No?)

Here are 5 Geek Squad tips for consumers:

* Be wary of crazy deals and too good to be true links in your email inbox – You’ve heard it a 100 times, but the truth is, it’s still a common way to get scammed online.

* Avoid public WiFi for shopping, like at that coffee shop at the mall. It’s important to remember that you’re sharing that network with everyone else at that location, and there’s always the possibility of someone watching data on that network for sensitive information like credit cards in the same way they might peek over your shoulder from the table nearby.

* While convenient, uncheck settings to “remember your credit card info” It’s just one less bit of your information available to anyone that gets access to your account on those servers.

* Mobile Devices are vulnerable, too – get the latest software updates for your smartphone, just like you do for your personal computer.

* Safeguard all your devices – If you haven’t, put a passcode on it to prevent a potential thief from getting access to your data should your phone get stolen while out shopping.

Once those gifts start arriving, visit geeksquad.com/techtips for how-to videos and tips for many of the most popular tech gifts this holiday season.

KELO Radio – Things to Know on CyberMonday

Play Audio – KELO AM 1320 – FM 107.9 – December 1st, 2014

KELO Radio AM 1320 FM 107.9CyberMonday, was created by Shop.org in 2005 as a way to the public into online deals on the Monday after Black Friday. As Internet access become more widespread, online shopping has become a common way to get those gifts throughout the holiday, but there’s still plenty of deals on this day in particular.

I spoke to Greg of the Greg Belfrage Show on KELO AM 1320 – FM 107.9 about how shoppers can keep safe while getting gifts this CyberMonday.

WTAM 1100 – Stay Safe While Holiday Shopping Online

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – November 25th, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland OhioThe holiday season is fast approaching and more people than ever are purchasing gifts for friends and family online. Unfortunately, ’tis also the season for online crime, and cybercriminals are on the lookout for ways to interfere with your online shopping. Whether it’s your smartphone, tablet, or computer, you need to protect your personal information in order to shop safely and securely online.

Fret not, Geek Squad has tips on safe online shopping during the holidays!

Part 1: Let’s Be Safe Out There:
– Research “too good to be true” sites or offers.
– Only make purchases from secure websites.
– Use strong passwords on banking and financial online accounts.
– Whenever possible, use a credit card rather than a debit card.
– Only shop using your own computer or smartphone.
– Avoid shopping on public Wi-Fi networks.
– Do not save your credit card information on the merchant’s web site.
– Be sure you understand the return, refund, and shipping and handling policies before you place your order.

Read more at at the Geek Squad Intelligence Blog.

Part 2: Scams in the Wireless World:
– Watch out for fake hotspots in popular public locations.
– Avoid clicking on links in unexpected messages.
– Be on the lookout for phishing text messages claiming to be your bank.

Read more at Geek Squad Intelligence Blog.

Need more help? Our Geek Squad Agents will be available 24/7 throughout the holidays for Online Support at geeksquad.com/chat, at 1-800 GEEKSQUAD (800-433-5778), and at your local Best Buy during normal store hours.

WTAM 1100 – Choosing a Laptop for College

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – July 8th, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland OhioIt’s pretty much a given that college students are going to need a computer for their studies. With limited dorm space and the need to access resources across the campus, a laptop is the most common choice. But what laptop is right for you? The Best Buy website has a Laptop Buying Guide that can help.

Two questions you need to answer first:

How will you use your laptop? Determining if you’re a light, average or advanced user will help determine what laptop specs fit your needs best. For example, demanding users will want to invest more in a higher resolution screen, faster processor, more memory and a larger hard drive.

How important is portability to you? This will help determine what balance to strike with large or small screen and keyboard size, as well as how many accessories, like Blu-ray drives you carry with you. There’s even a special laptop category for those that value portability above all else, known as “Ultrabooks“.

When shopping, you’ll come across 4 hardware specs that you’ll want to understand to help decide on a laptop:

  • Processor – This is both the brain and the muscles of the laptop. The faster and more powerful a processor is, the more work it can handle from your programs, just like an engine in your favorite car.
  • Memory – System memory, or RAM, is where your data and program lives while you’re working on the laptop. The more RAM, the more data you can be accessing and manipulating at any given time, like adding more seats to your car.
  • Hard Drive Storage – This is where your data, like your photos, documents, music and videos lives while not in use, and the more you have, the more files you can carry with you.
  • Battery Life – This one is important for college students on the go, because you may not always have a handy outlet to use at the library or time to recharge between classes.

Best Buy is offering some special discounts for college students. If you visit the Best Buy website, you’ll see a “College Student Deals” link to the right. To receive your deals, you will need a .edu email address, which can be entered on the site to get all the latest student-only offers sent right to your mailbox. When you sign up, you’ll be entered for a chance to win $100,000 as part of Best Buy’s Cash for College program.

Of course, no matter what laptop you choose, Geek Squad will be there to support you with our Geek Squad Tech Support program.

WTAM 1100 Shopping for Smartphone Features

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday June 17th, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland OhioWalking into your local Best Buy and seeing the wide range of smartphone available options might be a little intimidating. You can help zero in on the best phone for you by deciding what smartphone features are most important to you.

On WTAM 1100’s Wills & Snyder in the Morning, we spoke about a few of these features, like screen size, LTE compatibility and the operating system. For more, check out this in-depth article of 9 Handy Tips for Picking Out a Smartphone.