Ah, holiday shopping. You’re finding the perfect gifts for your loved ones, scoring great deals on tech you’ve been waiting to buy and … avoiding scammers? Don’t do it alone. I’ve got 4 tips to help you stay safe as you’re checking things off your Christmas list.
Want to protect your privacy? Here's what to buy and what to skip
© Elnur | Dreamstime
With new tech items hitting the market all the time, it’s opened a whole new world for gift-giving. Kids and adults alike would rather have the latest and greatest gadgets and video games than the old-school board game or necktie.
There are plenty of places to find great deals on gifts people want to receive. Tap or click here for 5 unique items coffee lovers will love.
But you really need to be careful when giving technology as gifts. Not all gadgets are created equal when it comes to protecting the users’ privacy. Keep reading and we’ll show you some products that are great, and others that aren’t.
Creepy gifts you should avoid
Mozilla recently put out its annual report and shopping guide identifying which tech items are secure and can be trusted, along with others that are not so trustworthy. It’s called the “Privacy Not Included” report, and the goal is to help shoppers know which gifts could be harming the privacy of their friends and family.
Let’s jump right into some of the items that made the creepy list. Keep reading to the end and we’ll show you some items that are safe to gift this year.
Google Nest Hub Max
Google’s Nest Hub comes with a camera, microphone and touchscreen display. You can use it to make video calls, watch YouTube, monitor your video doorbell, share photos and more.
The privacy issue is Google may target you with ads based on your searches, location, websites and apps you’ve used, videos and ads you’ve watched, age range, gender and more.
It also collects biometrics data. Google may review voice data from interactions with your device, and face data from its Face Match recognition feature may be sent to Google’s servers for product improvement or testing.
Needless to say, this isn’t a very private system and you might not want to gift it to someone who doesn’t know the risks going in.
Facebook Portal
Buying guide: Best TVs on a budget
© Antares614 | Dreamstime.com
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is — a new TV is a new TV! And who doesn’t want a new television to stream content and watch sports?
Everyone seems to want a new TV, but how do you know which sets are worth the money? Here’s a simple guide to the best TVs you can buy on a budget, so you’ll have enough leftover cash to spend on yourself or to take the family out for a nice meal.
Before you shop online for Black Friday, listen to these 4 major safety reminders
Save money with this shopping tool that alerts you when prices drop
If you regularly shop online, this tool could help you save a bundle each time prices drop.
Should kids use good manners with Amazon Alexa?
Amazon’s Alexa was one of the most popular Christmas gifts this year. Virtual assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant are incredibly helpful but should kids be taught to say please and thank you when interacting with these devices? In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim gives some reasons why using good manners will go a long way with kids and tech.
Last minute tech gift ideas for everyone on your list
Still looking for the best tech gifts to get that special someone this holiday season? There’s a whole bunch of cool gadgets out there for last minute shoppers. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim shares a few tech gift ideas for everyone on your list… even your dog or cat.
Keeping gifts a secret when you shop online
Keeping gifts a secret can be difficult these days with so many people shopping online. Seeing what people purchase online is easier than you think. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim gives some tips and tricks on how to prevent family and friends from seeing what gifts they are receiving this holiday season.
Tech Christmas gifts that will spy on you
Smart speakers, smart outlets, baby monitors and more are all great tech Christmas gift choices for friends and family. Unless, they’re spying on you. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at a recent study from Mozilla that reviews some of the top tech gifts of this holiday season and how well they deal with security, encryption, and your privacy.