Consumer Tech Update

It's the holiday shopping season and that means everyone is getting a ton of email receipts and shipping emails. However, some of these emails might not be from legit sources. It could be from scammers. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at the latest scam hitting our inboxes this holiday season and what steps we can take to stop these scammers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the years, we've seen big companies that have been in business a long time eventually shut their doors forever. In many cases, the rise of Amazon has been used as a reason companies don't survive. But even Amazon itself is not immune to being "too big to fail." In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at statements made by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his thoughts on the company's future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Siri has been a part of the iPhone since 2011 and has come a long way in the past 7 years. Starting as a voice recognition program, Siri has advanced to new levels and functionality. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim gives some tips and tricks to show how helpful Siri can really be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social media was supposed to make us feel more connected with family and friends. Instead, it is causing depression and anxiety. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at new research showing that social media is driving more people to depression and anxiety than ever before due to "the fear of missing out." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Putting lifesaving personal medical devices like pacemakers and drug infusion pumps online saves lives. Doctors can know almost instantly if something is going wrong with their patients. The problem is: all these wireless devices have huge vulnerabilities to hacking. How safe are we? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can depend on smart speakers like Alexa to tell you the weather, turn off the lights and order an Uber, but can you depend on them in case of an emergency? In this Consumer Tech Update podcast, Kim gives you her thoughts on the matter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you remember the long sleepless nights caring for a newborn? Dad Gary Taylor saw this as a business opportunity. He created a crib with a built-in iPad to keep babies occupied. Is this really the wave of the future: Babies getting nurtured by electronics?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smartphone sales are declining. Better cameras, larger screens, and faster chips are not innovative enough to keep customers upgrading their phones. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at the next big leap smartphone makers are taking to bring in revenue but at a potentially huge cost to consumers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all know to cover up our webcams with tape so hackers can’t see what we’re doing. One laptop manufacturer took this a step further. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim talks about how one laptop manufacturer is taking steps to prevent hackers from seeing and hearing you through your computer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smartphones are expensive and everyone always wants to get the latest and greatest. But would you get a new smartphone knowing it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars? In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at the true cost of owning the latest smartphone and the dollar amount is shocking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Midterm elections are just a few days away and a new app that is meant to encourage people to vote is also irking some voters. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at the app "Vote With Me", talks about how it works and if it is an invasion of privacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before you rush out and buy a new TV, toys or computers, do some checking to see if any big retailers have released their Black Friday or Cyber Monday ads. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim gives some updates as to when and where to buy toys, clothes, tech and more on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple announced some of its new iPad and Mac computers yesterday in Brooklyn just in time for the holiday season. Along with an impressive array of upgrades to the iPad, Macbook and Mac Mini they also announced some significant price increases. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim gives some reasons why Apple products are going start costing more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Halloween is a fun time of year for kids to go out all dressed up and wander the neighborhoods getting candy. But, what safety precautions can parents take to make sure their kids are safe trick or treating? In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim gives some tips on how parents can use technology to make sure everyone has a safe and fun Halloween. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scammers use phishing emails constantly to try and steal your data and your money. They use popular brand names so that we think we are receiving emails from those companies. In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at the top company brands that scammers use as well as what days of the week scammers like to send these phishing emails. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does it seem like your internet connection is running slower than usual? It's easy to test your connection speed, but are you getting the internet speed that you're paying for? In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at internet connection speeds and gives some tips on how to make sure you're getting what you're paying for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've all been able to delete our Google search history in our browser but now Google is allowing users to delete their actual search data. Is Google suddenly being nice or is there another reason for this? In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim explores the real reason Google is allowing users to delete their search data. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you get an implant in your hand or finger that has all your personal data and financial information on it? In this episode of Consumer Tech Update, Kim looks at how some employers are paying for their employees to get chip implants and what this technology could mean for all of us in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices