Christmas Shopping Online - Take a Little Care While

Take a Little Care While -
Christmas Shopping Online -

 

Legitimate businesses use encryption that protects your credit card data as it travels from your computer to the merchant. This means the Web address for sending in the order will begin with https instead of the familiar http. The change from http to https may not happen until you move to the page that actually processes your order.


I once gave a vacuum cleaner as an anniversary gift.

Despite my good intentions that proved to be an ugly mistake.

My judgment isn't the only shaky thing. My gift-wrapping skills are so bad that, when I'm done with the paper and ribbons, the finished product often looks as if it has been attacked by a large dog.

So today we'll talk about a shopping topic where I can truly help -- showing you how to dodge some of the hazards of shopping online. This is the peak time of the year for online shopping and, for those of us who get a little dizzy just thinking about navigating mall crowds, online shopping can be an attractive notion.

There are ways to do it that reduce the chance of broken hearts and busted bank accounts.

Do not be creative: This is not the time to try out odd little Web sites -- places with names like Crazy Ivan's Incredible Bargains. While some might end up being great finds, you also take the very real risk of poor customer Relevant Products/Services service Relevant Products/Services, products that only slightly resemble what you see online and outright fraud. So, especially this time of the year, stick to brand name stores and Web sites where you've had success in the past.

Give yourself credit: Using a credit card gives you protection Relevant Products/Services under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act. Checks and some debit cards do not. By paying with your credit card you have the right to dispute mistakes by the merchant and, if the card ends up in the hands of crooks, you're only responsible for the first $50 of the charges.

Look for a bit of security Relevant Products/Services: Legitimate businesses use encryption that protects your credit card data Relevant Products/Services as it travels from your computer to the merchant. This means the Web address for sending in the order will begin with https instead of the familiar http. The change from http to https may not happen until you move to the page that actually processes your order. You also should look for a link that explains the site's privacy policies. And look for an icon of a closed padlock that should show on the bottom part of the Web browser. A closed lock means the site is using encryption.

Use a unique password: Before your order can be placed, you may be required to create a user name and a password for the site. When it comes to passwords, one size does not fit all. So don't recycle a password that you use to log on to other shopping sites or to check your bank account. It's perfectly OK to write down a password and user name and store it away.

Be patriotic: Only shop sites and businesses that are located in the U.S. If the business or Web site is located in another country, you may lose the protection of consumer protection laws in your state and the U.S. Besides, you will have little or no clout when dealing with a business located in another country.

Do the math: Shipping charges, taxes, handling fees and insurance charges can greatly increase what you are actually paying. What may seem like a bargain can turn into an over-priced purchase. On many sites you don't get all this information until you actually fill in the order blank. If that's the case, take a long pause and tote up the numbers before pressing the button that sends in your ordering information.

It's also smart to check out the site's return policy. For instance, if you need to return an item, will you be responsible for paying the cost of shipping it back? And will you face even more shipping charges when a replacement item is sent to you?

There might be a surprise in store: While online prices and products can be great, it's not a given that you'll find the best deal online. Don't assume local stores can't match or beat the price. That's why it's smart to start your shopping early. Give yourself enough time to check prices online and then compare the total cost from the online merchant to what you'd pay at a store.

There are many times when -- especially after you factor in shipping and handling costs -- the best deal may be located just down the street at a local store. Shopping locally also eliminates the fear that the item won't arrive in time for the holiday.

For more tips on safe online shopping, check out this Web site: www.bbbonline.org/OnLineShopTips/

Meanwhile, a last bit of advice. Avoid vacuum cleaners as a holiday gift. While, to my eyes, there's nothing more romantic than a fine piece of machinery, I have discovered that not everyone holds that same view.

Seagate Plans Ultrathin Drive for Netbooks

Seagate Plans Ultrathin Drive for Netbooks

At the Consumer Electronics Show this January, Seagate plans to announce Momentus Thin, a disc drive only 7mm high that the company will use to attack the netbook market.


Current drives are 9.5mm in height—not that much of a difference from the 7mm drive Seagate will offer, but enough that the drive may be able to squeak into a netbook or an ultrathin portable.

Seagate will offer the Momentus Thin in two capacities: 160GB and 250GB. Each drive will spin at 5,400 rpm and include an 8MB cache.

"Momentus Thin promises to help computer makers differentiate on mobile-computing form factor and better compete in the fast-growing markets for thin laptop PCs and netbooks," said Dave Mosley, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Seagate, in a statement. "Seagate is committed to helping its OEM and system integrator partners meet market demand for thinner laptop PCs and plans to expand storage capabilities for thin laptops as demand for these slimmer models continues to grow."

Seagate's argument is that the drives will now fit into the tight spaces reserved for storage inside netbooks, that some have reserved for SSDs—which are typically faster and more rugged, but more expensive, than hard disk drives. But the Momentus Thin also lacks a free-fall sensor that some of Seagate's other Momentus drives include, meaning that the drive may be less rugged than other rivals. It does consume 1.54 watts on average while seeking, however, on par with Seagate's other Momentus drives.

New Blu-ray Titles for Showing Off Your Home Theater

New Blu-ray Titles for Showing Off Your Home Theater

Ready to enjoy a classic? Each of these ten titles demonstrates how Blu-ray's high-definition image and sound can re-create a bygone cinematic experience, from epics designed for 80-foot-wide curved screens to a comedy originally accompanied by live music. This list is in reverse chronological order of when the films were released. Half of them come from the 20-year period starting in the early 1950s--when Hollywood saw television as a threat instead of a market, and the industry created new film formats that TV couldn't match. Today, with Blu-ray, your TV can at least come close.

Hitwise: 'Facebook' the year's top search term

Hitwise: 'Facebook' the year's top search term

Mark Zuckerberg should be proud: The top search term of 2009, according to Experian Hitwise, was not "porn," "poker," or "Britney Spears." It was, for the first time, "Facebook."

In 2008, Facebook had been the tenth most searched term on the Web, according to the traffic company's annual survey of search queries.

The rest of the list for 2009 is also made up of "navigational" searches, which Hitwise reps say actually always dominate top search queries despite the common wisdom that top searches tend to be for online gambling or racy pictures. In spot No. 2 is last year's leader, "myspace," followed by "craigslist," "youtube," "yahoo mail," "google," "yahoo," "ebay," "facebook login," and "myspace.com." If you add up all four Facebook-related terms in Hitwise's top 300 search terms, they make up slightly over a percent of all searches on the Web. The #1 term alone accounts for 0.67 percent.

Meanwhile, searches for "porn" came in at No. 16. Britney, unfortunately, didn't crack Hitwise's top 300, but the most searched for celebrity was Michael Jackson at No. 95, and "Twilight" hottie Robert Pattinson came in at #221. (Hitwise representatives say that they are currently reevaluating the data to see if recently beleaguered golfer Tiger Woods has moved up in the rankings, too.)

787 Dreamliner takes to the sky

787 Dreamliner takes to the sky

At 10:28 a.m. PST on December 15, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner finally took air. It was the plane's first flight, more than two years after it was officially rolled out on July 8, 2007 (7/8/07).
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

EVERETT, Wash.--At long, long last, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is aloft.

On July 8, 2007 (7/8/07), in front of thousands of enthusiastic onlookers, Boeing rolled out the 787 at its mammoth assembly plant here. The aerospace giant promised to change the nature of long-haul flight, making it significantly more efficient than ever before, and promised to showcase the new plane with its first flight just a few months later.

But one delay after another has substantially slowed the 787 program, and even though the plane was brought to the flight line last May, and it was expected that the first flight would take place sometime in the second quarter, that didn't happen. Until Tuesday, when at 10:28 a.m. PST, the maiden voyage of the first Dreamliner finally lifted off from Boeing's Paine Field here, quickly disappearing into a thick cloud cover. The plane is scheduled to land in a few hours at Boeing Field, near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, about 29 miles south.

For Boeing, Tuesday's development is one of its most significant in years. The 787 Dreamliner, which is built from carbon fiber composite materials and has new-style curved wings--allowing it to fly 20 percent more efficiently per passenger than other planes of its size--was meant to be the company's best chance to dominate the next generation of super planes. Originally, said Boeing spokesperson Russ Young, the idea was to build a plane that was 20 percent faster. But eventually, the company decided, after discussions with potential customers, to go for more fuel efficiency.

But the delays--a machinists strike, a problem with the joint between the wing and the fuselage, shortages of parts and supplies, and more--cost Boeing that advantage. And in the interim, archrival Airbus got its much-heralded A380 plane off the ground and into the hands of several carriers. Today, the A380 is flying regularly scheduled service on airlines like Qantas, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and others.

Still, with the kind of time and money Boeing has invested in the 787, it was hardly going to drop the program because of some delays. Instead, it fought through the problems and continued forward. Last week, the company completed the last tests necessary to get the green light for the first flight, and today, the plane took to the skies in front of a large audience, some of whom were said to have paid $250 for the privilege of watching. Also on hand were thousands of Boeing employees who had front-row seats alongside the runway.
At long last, Boeing's 787 takes flight (photos)

Of course, while all eyes were on today's flight, there is a great deal more work to do before Boeing can deliver its first 787 to a customer--expected to be All Nippon Airways in 2010 assuming no more major delays--or see the plane carry its first paying passengers.

For one, there are six 787s that will be part of the test fleet, with 34 total test pilots. The planes will be put through a battery of in-air stress tests to determine if the model is ready for prime time. All told, said Young, the six already-built 787s will be put through more than 3,000 hours of test flights. In addition, there will be more than 4,000 of ground tests. Young said either the fourth or the fifth 787--in terms assembly order--will be flying tests with a fully fleshed out interior.

Just seconds after the plane took air, a trail plane flew by, much to the delight of the thousands of people on hand.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Among those tests are:

• A maximum energy refused takeoff, in which the plane is loaded to its maximum weight and its brakes ground down to the minimum level allowed, and then taxi at full speed down a runway before hitting the brakes. One aspect is to make sure there is no fire.

• In-flight stalls, where pilots will make the plane stall at heights of between 10,000 feet and 15,000 feet to ensure it is capable of regaining control and stability and that it doesn't go into a spin.

• Engine out on takeoff, where pilots will cut off power to one engine, and make the plane take off in spite of the powerful asymmetrical thrust twists that result.

• Tail-strike takeoff, in which the pilots will get the plane in the air despite striking the tail on the ground on takeoff, causing flying sparks. A wood panel will be attached to the tail to make sure the fuselage isn't damaged.


• Landings in severe conditions, including strong headwinds, crosswinds, and tailwinds.

• Being put through severe temperature extremes.

• Lightning tests, in which the fuselage will be hit with simulated lightning at a lab at Boeing field.

The importance of Boeing's ability to complete these tests and get the 787 into the hands of its customers can't be overstated. Back in 2007, the company touted the fact that it had received 677 preorders from 47 carriers, making it the most preordered airplane in commercial aviation history.

Surprisingly, Boeing said the delays have not forced customers to back out and that today, there are more than 840 preorders. Young said any carriers who backed out did so for financial reasons. "It's a tough time in the industry," he said.