- What's up, bits and bytes?
It's me, Chenae.
Today, we're doing a special episode called...
"Chenae Treats Herself to Free Stuff
"Using Her Firefox Company Card."
(giggles)
That's right, y'all.
I've got my cabernet, I've got my wishlist,
and we're gonna talk about the best and worst things
you can buy in tech today.
Now, if you're wondering how I'm able
to decipher the best and the worst,
then you need to check out "*Privacy Not Included"
by Mozilla.
Check out the link in the description.
We read all the long terms of service
that nobody wants to read
and make recommendations accordingly.
That said, I've got two lists of people
I'm gonna be shopping for.
Let's start with the list for my enemies.
I decided to make this list
after we had a particular question come through.
Should I be worried about which smart devices I'm buying?
Short answer, yes.
Anything that connects to the Internet opens you up
to potential risk that you usually don't find out about
until after you've charged your card.
Like having your everyday conversations monitored
or your personal information shared to third parties.
The first on my list of enemies is the Bluetooth-wearing guy
at Starbucks who cut me in the line.
What is it? 2008?
Either text them or don't.
Now everybody knows your business,
and ain't nobody want to.
For him, I'm getting some Samsung Galaxy Buds.
You might think it's actually a nice gift.
Now we can talk all day long without looking like a jabroni.
but the real trap comes with its data privacy.
Samsung's app makes it especially difficult
to remove your personal information from data sharing.
Even when you click all the opt-out options,
it's never clear whether it worked.
Next on my list,
the meter man who gave me a parking ticket
three minutes after the meter expired.
I was standing right there, man!
I'm getting this guy a Peloton.
Now I know we've all heard
about these "exercise bikes of the future,"
but there's a dark, dark shadow these babies cast.
Now, I won't get into the nitty gritty details,
and believe me, there's some messed up stuff out there,
but Peloton is yet another company
that doesn't have a great track record with user privacy.
Look, Peloton, I get it.
Everyone has bugs from time to time.
But generally speaking,
allowing hackers to access users' private data,
like their exact location, without any authentication?
Yeah, you done messed up now.
Peloton has since "fixed" the bug
through a series of patches
that are really more like throwing a towel down
on top of a spill.
And believe it or not,
for my whole life, that's all my enemies.
I try my best not to hold a grudge,
but those two had it comin'.
Let's get to the good stuff.
My buds, my homies, my peeps.
These guys deserve the best of the best.
Right at the top of the list is my best friend Justine,
who is always traveling.
You can empty your pockets at a five-star hotel,
but that doesn't mean their wifi security is five-star, too.
I'm getting her a one year VPN subscription
so she can still access her bank account or email
and feel secure while kicking it by the beach.
I just hope she sets it up
Next is Chenae.
Ooh, I've been waiting for this one.
Let's see... what to get me?
The best way to think of a gift is to think of the things
that someone hates.
You know what I hate?
The heat!
Do they make robots that blow cold air directly on my face?
It may not be a little robot chiller,
but it'll still cool me down.
I'm talking about an Ecobee Smart Thermostat.
Ecobee answered the question,
what if I tape my iPhone to the wall
instead of having a thermostat?
These things play music,
take calls with other Ecobee devices, create routines,
and you can even control other smart devices.
Not only do these thermostats
come absolutely stuffed with features,
but Ecobee has taken a very strong and very positive stance
on how they choose to handle your data.
I mean, one of the first lines of their privacy policy is:
"Your personal information and the data created
"by your Ecobee devices belong to you."
Now, if that isn't reassuring,
then I don't know what it is.
Hope these are some helpful ideas
for your friends and your enemies.
If you have questions, hit us up on social.
We're on IG and Twitter.
Make sure to give this video a thumbs up
and subscribe for new videos every week.
Until then, I'm Chenae.
See you next time.