Digital piggy bank: Venmo has accounts for teens ages 13 to 17. The best part? Parental controls. You can keep an eye on where their money’s going and how they’re spending it.
To do: Change your smart speaker settings before the holidays
When we have friends and family with kids over, voice assistants can become a favorite attraction. At best, someone will start another “Baby Shark” round and you’ll sing it for a week.
But what if one of those curious kiddos buys toys with your Amazon Echo? Or maybe your niece, Alexis, will have the Echo going haywire.
That’s why it’s worth changing a few settings to make your voice assistants safer when guests come knocking. Do it now before the holiday rush!
Keep kids from shopping on voice assistants
Tech-adventurous toddlers can order things with voice commands before anyone can stop them. That’s a massive pain in the wallet and can take lots of service calls to untangle … and yes, it’s more likely to happen around the holidays.
Frankly, I’m more comfortable turning voice purchasing off unless it’s on something private like my phone. Since Amazon is a big culprit here, it’s a good thing you can prevent Alexa from going on a shopping spree.
- Open the Alexa app, select More > Settings, then go to Account Settings.
- Here, you can find the Voice Purchasing menu, where you can turn voice purchasing capabilities off entirely.
- You can also set up codes to use voice purchasing, but only if you know the passcode.
Google Assistant lets you do something similar to the Payments section in your account. Voice payments aren’t on by default, but you can turn them off here if you’ve set them up before.
Know your mute buttons
Manufacturers include physical mute buttons on every voice assistant device because they care about our privacy. No, they just do it so they can say they care.
When you have guests and it looks like over-indulgence in voice commands (and/or cocktails) could be a problem, tap mute to stop any commands. Look for the crossed-out speaker icon. For displays, an accompanying switch flips the camera off, too … just in case.
Set up parental controls
Innocent Google searches that lead to malware: Movies, TV shows, music and more
When I saw this malware report, I wanted to pass it along because hackers and scammers are no longer just going after adults. They’ve got a huge pot of gold for anyone looking for Sonic the Hedgehog, Taylor Swift or “Boss Baby.”
Give your willpower a hand
Social media apps are designed to keep you scrolling. Do yourself a solid and tell your phone to limit your time on TikTok, Instagram or your weakness of choice.
On iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Screen Time.
- Tap App Limits > Add Limit.
- To set limits for individual apps, tap the category name to see everything there, then select the ones you want to limit.
- Tap Next at the top right, then set the amount of time allowed.
- When you finish setting limits, tap Add.
On Android:
- Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls, then tap the chart.
- Select the app you want to limit or tap the hourglass icon.
- Choose how much time you can spend on that app. Then, tap OK or Set.
- The app will switch to black and white when you have one minute. After that, you’re locked out.
⏱️ For the record, you can override it once time runs out, but don’t! You set that limit for a reason. Speaking of time, the past, present and future walked into a bar. It was tense.
Teddy Bears with AI: Cool, creepy or a true security risk?
In the not-so-distant future, you could walk in on a teddy bear reading a bedtime story to your child. And it wouldn’t be just any story — it’d be a saga tailored to everything the toy knows about your child, including likes, dislikes and even their deepest secrets.
AI toys: Cool or creepy?
In the not-so-distant future, you could walk in on a teddy bear reading a bedtime story to your child. Not just any story, a saga customized based on everything the toy knows about your child — their likes, dislikes and deepest secrets. All thanks to artificial intelligence (AI).
Do you share a Netflix account? That's about to be banned
Netflix is undoubtedly one of the most popular streaming services. By the end of 2022, it had just over 220 million subscribers worldwide.
Imagine how many subscribers Netflix would have if so many people didn’t share passwords. Well, you won’t have to imagine much longer. The streaming giant is banning account sharing in March. If you have a profile on someone else’s account, it’s time to transfer it and create your own account.
Tech keeps your students safe at school
When my son went to preschool at age four, I taught him to use a cellphone for kids that I tossed in his backpack. It had no apps and four numbers: Mom, Dad, Grandma, and 911. This time was way before school shootings were in the headlines.
Have kids in the family? New way to see who they're talking to and what they're looking at
Social media has come under fire for its invasive privacy practices. Among the biggest culprits is Meta, the parent company for Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook recently rolled out new privacy settings to keep you informed of how you’re being tracked while also giving you options to limit tracking. Some of those settings have been making their way to Instagram. Tap or click here to rein in Instagram’s hold on your data.
A powerful router if you have lots of devices: ASUS RT-AX3000
When you have a lot of gadgets and a larger home, you need a router that can keep up. The ASUS Wi-Fi 6 Router RT-AX3000 is an excellent option to deliver fast Wi-Fi to up to 30 devices.
ASUS says the tech behind this router provides four times greater network capacity and efficiency in homes up to 3,000 square feet with high traffic, meaning this is the choice for those of you with multiple people using several devices each day. For even stronger coverage or to bring Wi-Fi to areas further from the router, you can add optional mesh points.
A solid router option for homes up to 2,500 square feet: TP-Link AX3000
According to your answers, the TP-Link AX3000 Smart Wi-Fi Router is the ideal router for your home. It’s handles dozens of devices, is Wi-Fi 6 enabled and comes with advanced security features right out of the box.
Wi-Fi 6 technology offers up to three times faster speeds, four times higher capacity and 75% lower latency compared to Wi-Fi. Tap or click here to learn more about Wi-Fi 6 routers. Along with an Intel dual-core CPU, you can expect smooth, buffer-free streaming and gaming.
The best budget router for large homes: TP-Link Deco S4
According to your answers, the right router for your home is the TP-Link Deco S4 — our top budget pick for larger homes.
This mesh Wi-Fi router system works in homes up to 5,500 square feet and allows you to connect up to 100 devices. A mesh system is superior at eliminating dead spots and weak signals so this is the pick for you if you struggle with connectivity problems in areas of your home.
If you see these emojis, your kids are doing drugs
Kids are often more intelligent than we realize. And their advanced knowledge of technology makes it easy for them to hide things from you. Tap or click here to see how kids are getting around parental controls.
Even though many teens think they are mature enough to know what’s right, they don’t. And as a parent, keeping them safe is your number one job.
Here's how the kids are getting around your parental controls
There is an old saying that if you want to know how something works, give it to a child, and they’ll figure it out. Sometimes, something odd happens with technology, like when Alexa told a child to put a penny on exposed electrical prongs.
A deadly online challenge is making a comeback - How to keep your kids safe
Social media originated to help us stay in touch with friends and family, but for better or worse has evolved into a source of news, entertainment, political discussion, marketing and more. With billions of users spread across just the top three social platforms, there’s a built-in audience ready to make virtually anything go viral.
Roku is cracking down on private channels (and banning porn streams)
Roku has been in a bitter tussle with Google over rights regarding YouTube TV being available to its users. If negotiations fail by December, it could see the disappearance of 85 channels from Roku.
But the platform is now bringing down the hammer on private channels. As part of the Independent Developer Kit (IDK) launch, Roku adds a beta channel to the list of available options.
How to see what the kids are doing on their phones
In this modern world of digital dangers and threats, keeping children safe while online is of the utmost importance to all parents. There are inappropriate websites and apps, cyberbullying, sexting, the risk of internet and digital addiction and worst of all, online predators that your child can be exposed to.
8 Roku pro tips you need to try right now
If you own an older Roku, you know it can no longer support the Netflix app. It’s finally time to upgrade, and newer generations are waiting to wow you with upgraded features.
A lot has changed since Roku was first introduced in 2008, renowned as the first Netflix streaming box. Tap or click here for a Netflix hack you’ll wish you knew sooner.
10 secret Fire TV tips only the pros know
Once you cut the cord, it’s hard to go back and leave all that streaming content behind. There are many ways to stream your favorite movies and TV shows and one of the easiest and most convenient is through a smart TV.
Don't click on these dangerous phishing websites
With millions of Americans at home, cybercriminals are scrambling to change targets. Instead of the old run-of-the-mill tactics, crooks are focused on people working from home or looking for ways to stay entertained online. Ruthless, right?