Tech Friday

• Block in-game purchases and get a refund from Fortnite:
  • Fortnite is a very popular new video game
  • It's free to play, but you can spend real money on V-Bucks which can be used to purchase items in the game
  • Many horror stories have hit the news about kids racking up large bills buying items with their parent's credit card in Fortnite and other games
  • Not surprisingly, the makers of Fortnite and other video game makers make it as easy as possible to spend money playing games
  • For example, Lennon Baxter, a 12-year-old living in Alloa, Scotland, recently spent 600 pounds ($795) playing Fortnite
  • You can disable in-game purchases, but how you do it varies based on the platform you're using to play the game
  • EA has provided a good tutorial on disabling in-game purchases here: https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/account/take-control-of-in-game-purchasing/
  • EPIC games has a page where you can request a refund: https://epicgames.helpshift.com/a/fortnite/
  • EPIC has granted some refund
• Best tech of 2018:
  • HP Envy 7155 All-in-one Printer: https://www.amazon.com/HP-7155-Printer-Wireless-Printing/dp/B074P4ZS68/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1544757245&sr=8-3-fkmr2&keywords=HP+Envy+7885
  • Audible: http://www.audible.com
  • Roku Ultra: https://www.amazon.com/Roku-Premiere-HDR-Streaming-Player-Premium/dp/B07HDBZN7Q/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1544757273&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=Roku&psc=1
  • Nintendo NES Classic: https://www.amazon.com/d/Nintendo-Nes-Consoles/Nintendo-Entertainment-System-NES-Classic/B01IFJBQ1E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1544757591&sr=8-2&keywords=nintendo+nes+classic
  • 2018 Kindle Paperwhite: https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Kindle-eReader-6-Inch-Touchscreen/dp/B00ZV9PXP2/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1544757472&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=2018+Kindle+Paperwhite&psc=1
  • Samsung Fast Wireless Charging Pad: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Certified-Charge-Wireless-Charger/dp/B0797F2V5C/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1544757457&sr=1-1&keywords=Samsung+Fast+Wireless+Charging+Pad
  • Surface Tablet: https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-Intel-Pentium-128GB/dp/B07FDKZQTY/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1544757395&sr=1-4&keywords=Surface+tablet
  • SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD: https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-1TB-Extreme-Portable-SDSSDE60-1T00-G25/dp/B078STRHBX/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1544757370&sr=1-4&keywords=SanDisk+Extreme+Portable+SSD
  • XBox One X: https://www.amazon.com/Xbox-One-X-1TB-Console/dp/B074WPGYRF/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1544757351&sr=1-4&keywords=XBox+one+x
  • Nintendo Switch: https://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Switch-Neon-Red-Blue-Joy/dp/B01MUAGZ49/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1544757335&sr=1-1&keywords=nintendo+switch
  • Dango Tactical EDC Wallet: https://www.amazon.com/Dango-Tactical-EDC-Wallet-Multitool/dp/B01N4N6744/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1544757149&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=Dango+Tactical+EDC+Wallet&psc=1
  • Faraday Bag: https://www.amazon.com/Faraday-Blocker-Protector-Blocking-Keyless/dp/B07FFMMQN6/ref=sr_1_2_sspa/137-6826210-6820049?ie=UTF8&qid=1544757118&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=faraday+cage+wallets&psc=1
• Password manager pros and cons:
  • Creating a strong unique password for each site and service is pain
  • If you don't, you can be at serious risk of having your accounts hacked
  • The increasing number of hacks and breaches makes it more likely that one or more of your passwords will be stolen
  • Password manager software is the answer for many people
  • Pros:
    • Create strong, unique passwords 
    • Create, record and reuse passwords for different sites
    • Store encrypted passwords
    • Auto-logon for many sites
    • Securely store more than passwords, credit card numbers for example
    • Works across multiple devices
    • Can share passwords with family members
  • Cons:
    • Single point of failure
    • May not support all devices and browsers
    • May not work with every web site
    • Some leading password manager apps have been hacked in the past!
  • If you use one, protect the master password at all costs

Check out the Mozilla Creepiest Gift Guide :https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/