Technology – Page 15 – MeisterPlanet

WTAM 1100 – 5 Geek Squad Tips for Shopping Safely

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

The 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 107.9 CyberMonday, 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 Ohio The 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.

That $100 Smartphone Costs More than $100 to Replace

Smartphone owners, please keep in mind that while you paid $100 for that smartphone, that’s not the true cost of the phone. Many smartphones are “subsidized”, which hides the true cost of the phone in the 2 year contract fees. Carriers have started rolling out un-subsidized plans, like AT&T’s Next, that ask you to pay for the true cost of the phone in monthly installments.

In many cases, that “$100” phone costs $300 to $500. “$200” phones are often between $500 and $1000. This is important to understand should that phone need to be replaced due to damage. It’s why many phone protection plans from various carriers and retailers ask you to pay anywhere from $99 to $199 to replace your damaged “$100” phone. It’s more than you initially paid for the phone, yes. But you’re still ahead, because you’re not paying the full replacement cost of the phone.

You have many options for coverage these days, from the retailer, the carrier, and in some cases, even the phone manufacturer. Consider what coverage is important to you. For example, manufacturer coverage is often cheaper, but doesn’t cover theft or loss.

Take the time to read through the plan details, not just the quick overview provided to you at the retail or phone store location. Smartphones have truly become an important tool in our lives, so make sure you’re considering your options … all of your options … should it suddenly be dropped, lost or stolen.

WTAM 1100 – AT&T and Verizon Looking at Data Plan Changes

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – Novemner 11th, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland Ohio It’s no secret that most of us are spending more of our “online time” on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. This is only going to increase over time, and ?one study suggests mobile data use will grow 325% by 2018. The carriers seem to be responding to this by focusing on their data plans more as smartphones become more common than regular phones.

Sprint and T-Mobile have had some success in drawing new customers with their broad data plans, and now AT&T and Verizon are in a new battle over increasing the data on some plans or offering the same data at a cheaper rate.

Another driver of data versus voice plans is a feature called “Voice over LTE” (VoLTE) which allows voice calls to be placed across the much faster LTE data networks if the hardware (and carrier) supports it. This use of mobile Internet access promises higher quality audio on voice calls, and the potential future integration of video and other voice services.

Verizon and AT&T have announced they will look at allowing interoperability of this feature on each other’s networks in 2015, increasing the availability (and adoption) for customers of both carriers.

It continues to be a highly mobile, always connected world!