The holiday season is in full swing across Florida! Although this is supposed to be a festive and happy time of year, it can quickly get busy and stressful with shopping, preparing for guests, traveling to visit family and friends and hosting holiday get-togethers.
Here’s a few tips from Xfinity on how you can use technology to make things a little easier this holiday season:
1. Be a Cyber Savvy Holiday Shopper
With an abundance of online retailers offering great deals and fast shipping, it’s no wonder researchers expect that online holiday gift sales will surpass in-store sales for the first time this season.
But before you start adding items to that online shopping cart, make sure you’re taking the proper steps to be a cyber savvy and safe holiday shopper. That includes making sure your computer’s software is up to date and you have security software up and running. Comcast Xfinity Internet customers can visit Constant Guard to download Norton Internet security, free of charge for your Mac or PC.
You should also set up unique, strong passwords for all your online retailer accounts. The National Cyber Security Alliance has some great tips for coming up with good passwords.
2. Watch Out for Porch Pirates
Unfortunately, as online shopping has gotten more prevalent, so have “porch pirates” – thieves who drive around neighborhoods and steal packages from doorsteps. A recent Comcast Xfinity Home survey found about thirty percent of people have had a package stolen at some point.
You can use a camera to keep an eye on your front doorstep or porch when you’re expecting a delivery. Xfinity Home customers can set up their cameras to record a video clip when it detects motion at the front door, then deliver a crystal clear thumb nail image to them through the Xfinity Home app.
If you don’t think you’ll be able to be home when or soon after your package is expected to arrive, check to see if the carrier has any alternative delivery methods. Many companies, including FedEx, UPS and Amazon, offer options to re-direct or hold packages for customers.
3. Get Digitally Ready for Your Guests
Holiday guests appreciate the time and energy you spend preparing for their arrival – vacuuming, dusting, and getting the guest bedroom ready. But they are probably more interested in what the Wi-Fi password is than where they can find clean towels.
Instead of having to search your router or modem for a network name or password after your guests arrive, personalize your Wi-Fi network name ahead of time, Comcast Xfinity internet customers can use the Xfinity My Account app for Apple or Android devices to quickly re-name networks and update passwords to something easy to remember. The app even offers a “share” features to send your guests that information in a text message.
4. Take “Pause” to Celebrate the Season.
Even though you’re happy to share your Wi-Fi network details with your guests, there may be times, such as during a holiday meal, when you want everyone to take a digital timeout and just enjoy being together.
But sometimes we all need a little nudge to take that timeout – even adults! A Comcast survey found that more than half of parents had to be told by their children to put away their smart phones during mealtime.
With the “pause” feature on the Xfinity xFi app, customers can turn off Wi-Fi access until the after the table is cleared or for a set amount of time, like an hour.
5. Take Your Entertainment with You
If you are the one traveling this holiday season, you’ll want to be sure to bring some entertainment options for when you’re waiting at the airport or in traffic (so long as you are not driving, of course!)
Comcast customers can take their favorite shows and movies with them on the road. Using the Xfinity Stream app on the go gives them access to more than 200 live channels, access to their home DVR recordings and 40,000 on demand titles. You can also download certain content ahead of time so you can watch it offline later if you’ll be somewhere without internet access.
Speaking of internet access, Comcast internet customers can also take advantage of the nationwide network of Xfinity WiFi hotspots to stay connected and conserve cellular data.
