Best Buy – Page 9 – MeisterPlanet

WTAM 1100 – Is Your Smartphone a Germ Magnet?

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – January 6th, 2015

As the prime flu season continues, you may want to take a look at how clean is your mobile device. Smartphones are devices we handle every day, touching them with both our fingers and our faces. Studies do show that mobile devices are a common haven for pathogens, even though most are harmless.

While you could attack your phone with all sorts of cleaning chemicals, it’s important to note that many household cleaners have the potential to damage delicate electronics. However, researchers have found that you can strike an effective balance between cleaning and carefulness by using a mix of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. This combination is found in many screen cleaning kits available at your local Best Buy.

You can also make a mix on your own by using a 1 to 1 ratio of 70% or better pure isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. It’s important to use a purer alcohol along with distilled water to prevent minerals and other chemicals from being left behind as the solution evaporates. Isopropyl alcohol and distilled water can be found at most local groceries or drug stores.

For more tips on cleaning your mobile devices, as well as your laptop and smart TV, check out this New York Times articles on cleaning the mobile germ warehouse.

WHRV-FM – HearSay with Cathy Lewis – Fitness Tech Tips

Play Audio – WHRV-FM – HearSay with Kathy Lewis – December 30th, 2014

HearSay with Kathy Lewis One of the most popular resolutions for the New Year is to finally get off the couch and get in shape. WHRV-FM‘s HearSay guest host Liz Humes spoke to several fitness experts during her show on finding help at the holidays. I was able to help talk about using fitness tech, like the Fitbit Flex or even apps like Human on your smartphone as a way to not only keep track of your workout, but help motivate you to keep pushing for your goals through the new year.

WTAM 1100 – Computer Science Education Week

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – December 9th, 2014

As mobile smart devices become common, everyone will have a computer in their pocket. Learning how to program will only become a more important skill kids may need for future careers. To help with that education, December 8th-14th has been declared Computer Science Education Week, with links and resources for students, parents and educators.

A key part of this is the “Hour of Code“, which introduces coding in hour-long tutorials, designed for all age ranges and computer familiarity. Young kids can learn basic programming skills with Anna and Elsa from Disney’s Frozen. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and others teach you how to write your first program. As students progress, they can be introduced to more advanced topics, including JavaScript.

Educators and parents looking to help spread the word can find additional resources at csedweek.org and hourofcode.com.

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.