Gift Ideas for Tech and Home Entertainment

Someone on your list loves tech, and you need to find them the perfect gift? Fret not, we are here to help. With all your tech in one spot, we make finding that perfect gift, easy. With options like block rocking home surround sounds, the hottest tablets & computers, head thumping earphones, and everything in between, we are sure to help you find that special something. If you are looking for gifts for the photo lover, check out our photographer gift ideas blog here.

Tablets

A tablet has become an extension of many peoples’ lives. Great for streaming, reading, connecting, and just about everything really. If you have one, you know they are the perfect gift for those who don’t.

Huawei MediaPad

Settle in with your favourite apps and streaming content with a Huawei MediaPad. available with 9.6 and 10.1 screens, and various configurations, you are sure to find the perfect match for your needs and budget.

Samsung Galaxy Tablets

With a large selection of options on the market, the Samsung Galaxy line up has a tablet for everyone. From the ultra portable 8 inch Tab A, to the 12.4 inch S7+ powerhouse, stream, scroll and create with ease. Storage options from 32gb all the way to 128gb will ensure you have enough space for all your content while on the move.

Computers

Asus Vivobook

If shopping for a student or young professional, this ASUS VivoBook laptop has the upper hand when it comes to work or study. The AMD Quad Core R5 processor and 8GB of system memory ensure seamless multitasking and dependable operation, while the AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics bring out the best in videos and games. This lightweight laptop comes equipped with a 256GB solid-state drive for convenient file storage. Boasting a 15.6-inch Full HD frameless NanoEdge display, this ASUS VivoBook laptop delivers exceptional picture quality.

Acer Chromebook

For those who want the traditional key board, but with streamlined functionality to tackle assignments at school or home, this Acer Chromebook 514 laptop is the answer. The quad-core Intel Celeron processor delivers dependable power for everyday use, while the 4GB of standard memory provides convenient storage for spreadsheets, photos and documents. This laptop boasts a 14-inch Full HD ComfyView display for an immersive viewing experience. With four USB ports, this Acer Chromebook 514 laptop makes it easy to customize your setup with external drives, wireless accessories and other peripherals. .

LG 22 inch LED Gaming Monitor

Complete your gaming computer setup with this LG 21.5-inch gaming monitor. Full HD resolution delivers clear, detailed images, while the AMD Radeon FreeSync technology and 1ms response time help prevent tearing and ghosting for seamless playback. Flicker-free technology works to reduce eyestrain to keep you in the game longer. VESA mount compatibility allows for versatile placement options. This LG 21.5-inch gaming monitor comes equipped with VGA and HDMI video inputs for effortless integration with your current computer configuration.

Google Nest Hub

Give the gift of connectivity. Control all your smart devices with this Google Nest hub. Built-in Wi-Fi lets you connect to your home automation system, while the Bluetooth technology pairs with your smartphone or tablet for access to streaming content. A touchscreen display makes it easy to navigate through alerts, upcoming activities and menu options. Compatibility with Google Assistant offers advice, answers and other helpful information. This Google Nest hub boasts a mute button, so you can enjoy added privacy when not using the voice command features.

Thinkware F70 Dash Cam

Give the avid driver peace of mind with the successor to the best-selling Thinkware F50 Dash Cam. The F70 builds on top of a winning recipe to offer the same discreet and compact design, coupled with an all-new image sensor for improved recordings in low light conditions, and the latest Energy Saving Mode for increased Parking Surveillance duration.

Sony 75-Inch 4k HDR Ultra HD Android TV

For the streaming lover, consider bringing vibrant colour and stunning clarity to movies and shows with this 75-inch Sony 4K Ultra HD LED smart TV. X-Motion Clarity technology enhances action films and sporting events, while the Ambient Optimization technology automatically adjusts the picture and sound for a more immersive home theatre experience. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa compatibility makes it easy to find content on your favourite streaming media sites using this 75-inch Sony 4K Ultra HD LED smart TV.

JBL Bar 5.1 Surround Soundbar

Enjoy the quality of the cinema in the comfort of your own home with this JBL Bar 5.1 soundbar. Bluetooth connectivity supports online and music streaming, while JBL MultiBeam technology powers high-quality audio around your family room. The wireless subwoofer boosts the bass and optimizes your audio, delivering incredible surround sound. Including a wall-mount bracket kit and hardware, this JBL Bar 5.1 soundbar lets easily you set up your own home theatre in almost any room.

Skullcandy Mood Boost Headphones

If you’re looking for something bright and unique, in a black and white world of earbuds, these Skullcandy Sesh Mood Boost true wireless earbuds are the answer. Integrated controls let you adjust the volume and answer incoming calls hands-free, while a long-lasting battery and included charging case deliver up to 10 hours of use. Noise-isolating technology keeps ambient sounds to a minimum. An IP55 rating offers sweat, water and dust resistance, so you can use these Skullcandy Sesh Mood Boost true wireless earbuds during morning runs or outdoor training sessions.

Panasonic Earbuds

Panasonic true wireless Bluetooth earphones are sleek and great as a stocking stuffer. The long-lasting battery design delivers up to 20 hours of uninterrupted playback, and the convenient storage case doubles as a charger for a portable power source. A high-performance MEMS microphone makes these earphones ideal for answering incoming voice calls hands-free. Equipped with premium 6mm drivers, these Panasonic true wireless Bluetooth earphones bring sharp, detailed sound to music, podcasts and voice calls.

Vinyl Records

If you want to get something extra special, why not their favourite album on vinyl? With a wide selection of new titles and classics, we have vinyl records for all musical taste. Nothing better than listening to an album on vinyl on a cozy winter eve.

We hope you have found something for everyone on your list. Be sure to check out our other gift guides for more great ideas this holiday season.

 

How to Clean Up Your Computer Inside and Out

Throughout the year, we usually take the time to tidy our cupboards, closets, dressers, drawers and more. The mess has to be tackled at some point! With spring cleaning almost here, remember to factor in your  computer cleaning too! We’re talking inside (in the digital sense, of course) and out, including both those cluttered files and that physical grime. (Don’t forget to do the same with your phone! Learn how here.)

Cleaning Inside Your Computer

1. Delete, back-up, and update files

The first step in digital spring cleaning is going through all your software and data files, keeping only what you need and use. Remember Marie Kondo’s wisdom from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: unless you love it, lose it. One option for tidying away large but important files, like family photos, is to store them on an external hard drive. You can also back files up on “the cloud,” which is really just a hard drive in another location. For this, consider using iCloud, Google Drive, or a similar service.

Stop ignoring those pesky operating system and software update requests! And don’t forget empty the trash. On your desktop, that is.

2. Clear cookies, caches, and spyware

Slightly trickier than removing unnecessary or excess files you’ve added yourself, is eliminating those added by others. This includes tracking software like cookies and spyware. Don’t worry, there are easy ways to clear it all. Possibly the best approach is to run top-notch security software that monitors your computer for unwanted files.

It’s good to return to a blank slate. No matter your browser, you’ll find ‘history clearing’ options in the settings.

3. Run a system optimizer

Let’s face it, we aren’t all tech savvy or patient enough to keep our computers running ship shape. Luckily, for those who prefer to resolve errors, crashes, and freezing automatically, while also speeding up their computers, there is system optimizing software available.

Cleaning Outside Your Computer

1. Squeaky clean screen

It’s important to keep your computer monitor clean, but using regular glass cleaner or wet cloth is not recommended. Show your monitor some due respect by using specially-designed cleaning cloths and fluids. But also, don’t forget to give your computer’s entire exterior a good, old-fashioned soapy wipe down.

2. De-crumb your keyboard

Especially if you’re the type to snack at or near your computer, your keyboard probably has more than a few crumbs stuck inside. These may seem harmless, but over time they can wear out your keys. To remove them, you can start by simply tipping your keyboard upside down and shaking, or by vacuuming if that’s easier. Afterward, wipe it down and consider adding an invisible keyboard shield.

3. Blow away internal dust

This “outside” technique requires getting a bit deeper in your computer. If you have a desktop tower, it should be relatively easy to open with a screwdriver. For laptops, consider watching how-to videos or speaking to an LD Expert first. Once you’re inside, the best tool for getting dust out is usually a can of air. Don’t want to open your computer up? Blowing air into the cooling fans helps, too.

If you have an old unused computer you purchased at London Drugs, we recycle them while making sure your data is safe. We are one of the only computer recycling options where your valuable personal data is protected. When you bring your data carrying devices to our Technology Department for Data Secure Recycling, we track and monitor all units to ensure hard drives are completely destroyed. So your data won’t fall into the wrong hands and your computer won’t add to the landfill.


For clarification or more tips on cleaning up your computer, speak to an LD Expert today. To make a purchase, shop London Drugs in-store or online

Enjoy True Whole Home WiFi with Mesh Networking

When you enter into an agreement with an Internet service provider, you typically receive a standard modem and router for home WiFi. While these components provide the basics for a home network, they are a one-size-fits-all system that rarely provides an ideal solution for homes. Wireless mesh network technology makes it possible to overcome the challenges posed by basic systems and gives you a true whole home WiFi system.

 The Problem with a Conventional Home Network

With the basic home WiFi equipment provided by your Internet service provider, you’re likely to experience dead zones in various areas of your house or condo. In these areas, you may not be able to access WiFi on your smartphone or tablet as connectivity may be poor.

Secondary routers can be added to a home network to try and address this problem, but this leads to other challenges. Smartphones and tablets are not smart enough to switch from one signal to another, making it necessary to manually connect to the secondary router as you move throughout your home.

What Is a Mesh Network?

Mesh network technology was developed as the solution to the problem described above. A wireless mesh network provides home WiFi with two pieces: a base unit and a satellite. The base unit takes the place of a conventional router and is connected to the Internet. Then, you place the satellite component of the wireless mesh network system in another location, such as on the second floor, and just plug it into the wall. Signals from the base unit are transmitted to the satellite unit and then distributed through your home.

Mesh networking provides a whole home WiFi system that does not require you to reconnect your mobile devices to maintain optimal connectivity as you move throughout your house. Your smartphone or tablet works seamlessly with no interruptions to data no matter where you are in your home. This means you can say goodbye to freezing and buffering when streaming videos.

Do You Need a Mesh Network?

Mesh networking is ideal for multi-level homes and businesses where there are noticeable WiFi dead zones. The highly efficient system can provide whole home wireless coverage when metal, water, or concrete interferes with or completely blocks connectivity.

Meet the Netgear Orbi

Netgear Orbi AC3000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi System – RBK50-100CNS

Benefiting from mesh networking is easy with the Netgear Orbi. This system gives you the ability to continue to grow your network with additional satellites to provide full connectivity throughout a large home. It’s dedicated channel for communication means that Internet speed remains fast no matter how many satellites you add and sets the Netgear Orbi apart from dual-band mesh networking systems.

With its larger size, the router in the Netgear Orbi system offers a stronger signal than other options on the market for a noticeable boost in performance. Plus, the sleek modern design of the base unit and satellites blend in with a home’s decor for a fashionable look.

To learn more about the Netgear Orbi, check out the product page here on London Drugs.

E3 2017 – Day 1

Microsoft continually strives to be at the forefront of the console gaming market, and with the new Xbox One X the company’s seat at the top is firmly reinforced. The high-end home device is the most powerful console ever made, offering unprecedented visual quality and processing power in the smallest Xbox ever assembled. Simply put, the Xbox One X is a powerhouse.

READ MORE

Why You Need to Recycle Your E-Waste (and how London Drugs can help!)

Earth Day 2017 may be over, but we at London Drugs know that thinking about and acting on behalf of our planet is a vitally important year-long activity. That’s why we accept so many forms of recyclables at our stores, including everything from small appliances and empty bottles to both standard and rechargeable batteries. We even accept styrofoam!

 

There is one type of waste that can be especially damaging to both the environment and to communities around the world: e-waste.

It deserves special attention because, too often, we don’t think of e-waste as being recyclable at all. Or we don’t realize that there are good and not-so-good ways to deal with it.

What is E-Waste?

The first important thing to know is that “e-waste” is not garbage, it’s actually a category of recyclables. The problem is, objects in this category aren’t always disposed of properly. In fact, the UN estimates that only about 14% of e-waste is currently being recycled around the globe.

The category of e-waste includes all electronic appliances, but one of the most hazardous sub-types is computers. This includes PCs, gaming consoles, monitors, televisions, tablets, smartphones, and all other handheld digital devices.

Collectively, items in this category have advanced components inside them, such as microchips and motherboards. Although many of us rarely see these components, it’s important to understand that they are often constructed out of hazardous materials like cadmium, lead, and chromium.

Thankfully, many of the companies that produce these products, including Apple, are working toward a future in which these hazardous materials either won’t be needed or can be entirely obtained from recycled e-waste. But we aren’t there yet.

It’s important for consumers to know about the damage to the environment these products can cause when they are disposed of improperly, and to take responsibility for making sure disposal is done right.

How Dangerous is E-Waste?

Improperly handled or mistakenly thrown out e-waste is currently causing serious damage to the environment worldwide. Over time the dangerous metals and chemicals in e-waste (including in plastic casings) break down in our landfills. From there, these pollutants can enter the soil, the air, and the water in the surrounding area.

Another threat posed by e-waste is to the labourers who handle the products. This is especially true for the vast quantities of e-waste that are frequently shipped to developing nations for processing. Too often, these recycling operations are poorly regulated, leaving workers unfairly exposed to physical harm, illness, and even death.

On top of that, the processes used to isolate the valuable parts of e-waste can be crude and may cause more environmental damage than simply throwing the e-waste into the trash. For example, burning copper wires at low temperatures to remove the plastic coating (a common practice at unregulated recycling operations) releases hazardous chemical compounds into the air.

This is why it is so important not only to recycle your e-waste but to ensure that it is being disposed of responsibly. This is needed for the sake of the planet and for the safety of the labourers involved in the process.

What Can We Do About E-Waste?

Good news! If you live in Western Canada, London Drugs accepts all forms of e-waste for proper recycling. Simply bring your tech recyclables into one of our stores and look for the recycling station.

If you don’t see the recycling kiosk in your local LD store, or aren’t sure quite where to find it, just ask one of our LD Experts or speak to someone at the customer service desk. For certain items, there may be daily limits we will inform you of, but we will always do our best to accommodate your recycling needs.

When you recycle your e-waste at London Drugs you can be sure it will be handled by fully-screened and certified companies and never shipped to substandard processing plants. Another benefit of recycling your e-waste at London Drugs is that we always make sure your personal data is properly deleted. In some cases, we may even offer your used electronics a second life by providing them to those in need.

Go the extra mile for the environment and participate in our computer packaging re-use system called Bring Back The Pack. We’re thrilled to have partnered with Certified Data to bring you this program that enables re-use of brand new computer packaging.

Don’t live near a London Drugs? Don’t worry.

There are other ways to safely dispose of e-waste in Canada. The first place to check is with your local recycling depot, but The Salvation Army also typically accepts e-waste.

And remember, whatever you do, the most important step you can take to avoid contributing to the e-waste problem is to never put your electronics into the garbage.

Have more questions about e-waste recycling? You can always ask an LD Expert in-store.

And we encourage you to learn more about our recycling program at GreenDeal.ca.

LD Experts: Think Cyber Security Is Mainly About Viruses? Go Phish!

The internet is always changing.

Just ten years ago, most of our time online was spent sitting down in front of monitors at home, school, or work, often communicating over email. We still have desktops and email, of course. But now we can connect anywhere with smartphones and other smart devices, while social media changed how we communicate forever. (Check out London Drugs on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to see how much we love our social media!)

The More Things Change…

But the old saying also applies: the more things change, the more they stay the same. For example, one thing that will probably always be true of the internet is there are serious cyber security threats lurking on it. The problem is, many of us have not kept up with the emerging modern threats.

For a lot of us, the first thought that comes to mind when considering cyber security is still ensuring we have up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall installed. Important, indeed.

But as LD Expert Matt Simpson explains, the biggest threat facing computer users today may be phishing scams.

What is a Phishing Scam?

Phishing (pronounced “fishing”) scams are automated messages containing threats to your computer that are sent to your email, social media, or even your text messaging accounts. They’re called that because they are cast out into the wide internet like a baited hook, hoping to catch consumers unaware.

With fishing in real life, you don’t expect to catch every fish in the lake, or even every fish that see or touch the bait. But if you have patience, you’re likely to catch something. Similarly, the hackers and internet ruffians who create phishing scams don’t spend a lot of time working to get your specific information. They just sit back and hope for the best. This is part of what makes phishing scams different from old-fashioned email con scams that involved a series of messages sent back and forth.

Also like fishing, phishing works because the bait looks so safe and appealing. That’s because phishing messages look just like something you would receive from a friend, family member, or even a company or institution you trust, like your bank. Often, they actually do come from a trusted source. It’s just that their account has already been corrupted by the same automated scam. Phishing messages also contain contents you might expect to receive from those sources. Something like, “Hey! How are you? Check out this funny video!”

But once you open the link, or provide any information, it may already be too late. Your entire computer can instantly be corrupted and your online and real identity can be stolen.

A Recent Example

Early in 2017, Google Gmail users were attacked with a new and very sophisticated phishing scam. It arrived in an email that appeared to be from a friend. When they opened it and clicked on the link inside, the normal Gmail sign-in window popped up.

Many users immediately signed back in, assuming they had simply been logged out for one reason or another. The problem was, it wasn’t a real Gmail sign in prompt.

It was a very convincing copy.

As a result, Google is now making changes to their email service. They’ll be blocking all Gmail attachments in JavaScript, which was the file-type used in this scam.

What To Do About Phishing Scams?

For tips on what to do about phishing scams, we turn to Matt, our LD Expert on cyber security. His first bit of advice is to simply be vigilant.

“Be mindful of what you’re doing,” Matt says, “Don’t punch in your banking information to a site that’s like ‘www.I’m-going-to-steal-your-information.com.’ It’s never quite that blatant, but it’s actually usually a lot more blatant than you would expect. Scammers sort of bank on long URLs being hard to read and people often don’t look at the URL.”

You can also utilize the anti-phishing extensions to help you identify potentially dangerous web addresses. This option is usually found in the security settings of your web browser. Another option is to make sure to purchase internet security software, which goes far beyond a basic anti-virus.

“Anti-virus will only protect you from viruses. But internet security will still protect you from viruses, has a firewall, and has anti-phishing measures. It also has anti-spam measures, which is still quite a pervasive problem,” Matt says.

Still, some might question why it’s important to buy an internet security system when there are free versions available online. According to Matt, it’s all about response time:

“If you go with any of the big name brands, they all have faster and more effective turn-around times for new problems than the free services. They have more effective auto-update procedures, as well.”

Final Advice to Avoid Being Phished

Here are Matt’s final thoughts on cyber security, anti-virus, and how to avoid a phishing scam’s hook.

“If a website is asking for your password and you’re not sure why, just don’t enter it. It’s not what people want to hear, exactly, but a lot of phishing scams bank on our complacency.

So a lot of the solution just has to do with us being a bit more educated and vigilant. Because, a lot of the time when we get people in the store with malware or ransomware, it’s because they’ve done something without really paying attention to what’s happening.

It’s sort of sad, but true.

I love selling people good anti-virus products. But if I can get someone to walk out of the store with the idea of being a little more aware of what’s going on, that’s actually a bigger win in terms of cyber security.”

The internet may be changing all the time, but a few things won’t.

There will always be someone online looking to cause you harm. You will always be safest if you stick with professional internet security software. And London Drugs experts like Matt are available in-store to answer your questions or help you resolve any cyber security problems you may have.

Shop our Computer Event on now until April 12 for great savings!

 

Matthew Simpson has been a manager with the London Drugs Computer and Audio/Video Departments for many years. He loves tea, but not coffee, and is usually the tallest guy in the room.

Matthew is an avid movie buff and he can almost always tell you the name of that guy that was in that movie you love.  (And also answer all your questions about computers and electronics, of course.)

CES 2017, Day Two

It’s day two of press conferences here at Ces2017. It’s been a heckuva day with Samsung, LG, Intel, Toyota and other presenters. The three of us can only fit so much in a day and cover so much but I think we did well.

So… amazingly beautiful huge televisions, appliances that talk to you and recognize you, and extremely good virtual reality goggles, and automated cars really fueled the day.

I think one of the partnerships that really opened my eyes today was that between Nvidia and Audi. Who would’ve thought all those years ago when Nvidia was formed in 1994 that they would be making the computers that will run the autonomous cars of the future? But video cards have to perform thousands or hundreds of thousands of functions in a very short period of time so they are experts at handling large amounts of data and responding very quickly when needed. In a way, it’s a natural combination of skill sets and manufacturing expertise.

I was privileged to be in a group of only 260 reporters that got to sit in on an Intel virtual reality demonstration that had never been done before. We went flying in squirrel flying suits, then sat on the side court at a live basketball game and watched it in virtual reality, totally feeling like we were right there, and then we were in a video game called “Arizona sunshine” in a very scary and precarious predicament.

We also had a unique demonstration that had never been attempted before on this scale.  All 260 of us could just stand or sit and watch a river flow by us, see animals and farmers in the distance and be able to look all around you like you were transported there magically. This was all real film not created artificial reality. It was like being in the middle of it in real life, not like watching a film, it was almost indescribable. The amount of data required? It takes 3 TB per frame of film to create this illusion. At 60 frames per second that means 180 TB of data per minute are required to create this illusion of being in the middle of a real film.

To top it all off we had another demonstration wearing our VR goggles that had us flying over a 250 acre solar power farm in India in real time…. it was actually happening as we were seeing it and we acted as inspectors for the solar panels. The applications for business are obvious and huge cost savings can be realized.  Very dangerous situations like search and rescue can absolutely benefit from this technology.

Tomorrow we will be taking a closer look at some of the autonomous vehicles.

Talk to you soon!

 

Ron Fraser
London Drugs Yates Street
Computer Manager
Victoria, BC

 

CFAX Tech Talk airs each Saturday on CFAX 1070 radio in Victoria from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

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