Consumer Tech Update

The "sharing economy" — think Airbnb, VRBO and rideshare companies like Uber — is reeling. March was brutal but just wait for April numbers. Will these businesses bounce back? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cybercriminals have their minds on one thing right now: Getting into your wallet. And they're working very hard to steal your $1,200 stimulus check. I'll tell you how to stop them in their tracks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FCC just opened a brand new Wi-Fi band. Translation? More, better and faster Wi-Fi in our homes and offices. But don't get too excited just yet — you'll have to wait at least a few months to start using it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think back to Y2K. Remember the people who stocked up with years of food, water and supplies? Those doomsday preppers have long been the object of ridicule, but now Silicon Valley billionaires are joining their ranks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Top-of-the-line smartphones can cost you more than the average mortgage payment. Apple's more affordable option goes on sale tomorrow, and that begs the question: Is the $400 SE worth the money? Here's what I think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An estimated 37% of the world's internet users use Netflix. Think about that number. The big television networks certainly are. Can anything compete with the streaming giant? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've seen the shopping tide shift in recent years. In 2019, online spending beat out traditional in-store retail for the first time. Now, as people are relegated to shopping for everything but essentials on the web, those numbers are growing at a staggering pace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unemployment is skyrocketing, and major companies are desperate to hire qualified employees. Before you jump into action, I have a warning: Scammers are at the ready, waiting for job seekers to slip up. I'll tell you the safe way to find work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Look at Amazon's profits over the past 15 years, and the graph looks pretty close to exponential. From 2013 to 2019 alone, the company jumped from $89 billion in net revenue to $280 billion. Now, the huge demand — and all the money that brings — is a problem. Here's what Amazon is doing to try to keep up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of websites, all using the word Netflix, have popped up in the last two months. Their collective goal? To trick unwitting victims out of money and steal some data in the process. I’ll show you what to look for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zoom has exploded in popularity over the last few weeks as meetings moved onto the web. But the sudden growth, and lacking security, has organizations from the Department of Education to the FBI saying no more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maybe you've seen this conspiracy theory on social media or YouTube: 5G is causing or spreading the coronavrius. Don't fall for it. I've got four scientific facts to set your mind at ease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple and Google are teaming up to develop technology that will alert you if you have come into contact with anyone infected with coronavirus. This "Contact Tracing" could be used by more than 230 million Americans who use an iPhone or Android smartphone. Is this a necessary tool or an invasion of privacy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humans are social creatures, and we're all missing in-person connection. Texts and emails just don't cut it during this time of isolation. We're turning to our smartphones for, you guessed it, making actual calls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

YouTube is full of garbage. Sure, there are helpful videos, too, but there's no denying the trash you can find. The latest conspiracy theory spreading on the video site is getting lots of attention — and YouTube has had enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social media is loaded with videos of those who are sick, those who have lost loved ones and hopeless medical professionals. One in particular, a real heartbreaker, caught the attention of CBS Sunday News and Sen. Bernie Sanders. What they didn't realize? It's a fake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Statistics surround the coronavirus pandemic — from growing infection numbers to the time we're all spending online. Everything from streaming to cybercrime is through the roof, and spam is no exception. You won't believe just how much. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In times of crisis, we're all searching for reliable information. My advice: Steer clear of, well, most of social media. Here are some of the bizarre conspiracy theories nuts are spouting off right now, from government power grabs to 5G's role in spreading the virus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At work, your office has all the outlets you could need. At home? Well, that's not the case for many of us. If you're working from home, don't miss this warning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

College classes, companies, churches and friend groups are turning to Zoom to stay in contact during pandemic. It makes connecting with others easy — but if you skip a few key steps, you're opening yourself and your meeting participants up for some serious online trolling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices