Best Buy Archives - An Open Suitcase

Protect Your Home Devices with CUJO

September 13, 2017 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

Traditionally all of your device security software, like antivirus or anti-malware, has been designed to protect only the device it is installed on. Today, with so many connected devices in our lives and in our homes, our personal lives are now on display through the networked home gadgets we use. Once connected to your router, CUJO smart firewall protects EVERYTHING! 90% of connected devices store some form of personal information and 70% of those are vulnerable to attack.

At over 60 years old, I’m a trial and error technology user, so was excited to see how seamless and easy CUJO is to set-up and use. It’s made for the average user to understand easily. You see every single thing on your network through your app. The installation is simple. Take the device and the included accessories (power cords and cables) out of the box, power CUJO up and then connect to your router. Download the app and follow the instructions (there were no printed instructions in the box). You can also find easy to understand instructions on the website. The step by step instructions on the app were easy to follow after opening an account and registering the CUJO device.

After connecting the CUJO it will be in standby mode until it is connected to your WiFi router. I will admit I did struggle a bit with these steps but I’m convinced it was more user error and not a difficult process since my kids were able to do it easily.

COST

Considering what the device does, I think the price is reasonable. You can purchase CUJO at electronic stores like Best Buy and on-line for around $249. The Parental Control features alone are worth the cost.

MAIN FEATURES

CUJO is a smart firewall for the connected home, designed to bring business-level security to the home network. This one device will secure all devices connecting to the WiFi router. CUJO detects and blocks malicious sites, viruses, and hacks. Think of it like antivirus for your entire network. Plus, CUJO lets you control what your kids access online and keep them safe.

Business Level Internet Security
Protects all devices in your home
Parental Controls
Connect to Router, Control with App
Blazing Fast

PARENTAL CONTROL FEATURES

parental control for all devices
internet filter
time limits
social media monitoring
pause internet
alerts and reporting
remote administration
user profiles and settings

PROS

CUJO goes beyond traditional security by combining firewall, antivirus, and malware typically found in separate devices.
CUJO is all encompassing. It secures your computers, phones, tablets, and smart home devices that require Internet access.
With CUJO Parental Controls, you can finally control what your kids access online, set time limits, create schedules, and block sites.
The package includes a well designed mobile app that will block and then notify you of a threat or unwanted activity through the mobile app.
You can now see all devices on your network in one place and disconnect any that shouldn’t be there.
The device is small and you will always know you’re protected.

CONS

You must have an account and registration to use the app.
Depending on your home network, number of devices, etc., it could take quite a bit of time to set up so don’t start doing without enough of time set aside to finish the task.
When you receive an alert you have to go the app and take the steps to block the threat yourself.

I think CUJO is ideal for the connected family and home!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Lose Yourself in the Music with Chromecast Audio

March 7, 2017 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

Lose yourself in the music!

Dance like no one is watching!

Turn up the volume, close your eyes, and let the music take over your soul!

Make your speakers smart(er)

Chromecast Audio is an affordable way to enjoy the music you love on your existing speakers. Connect the tunes from your phone to your speakers and still be able to answer your phone! The Chromecast Audio devices are available at Best Buy and are truly inexpensive ($30).

What is Chromecast Audio?

Chromecast Audio is a small device that plugs into your speakers for streaming music through WiFi. Once set up, simply use your iPhone®, iPad®, Android phone and tablet, Mac® and Windows® laptop, or Chromebook to stream your favorite tunes to the best speakers in the house. By using your phone, it’s easy to play, pause, or change the volume from anywhere in the home. And while streaming, you can still text or call without interrupting what’s playing or draining your battery.

Easily stream music, without the hassle of pairing

Tap the Cast button from music apps to send the music instantly to your speakers. Search, play, pause, queue songs and change the volume right from your phone—anywhere in the house.

Listen to your favorites, anytime

Enjoy over 30 million songs from music services like Pandora, Google Play Music, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. We’re constantly adding new apps, so there’s no end to the music, radio stations and podcasts you can enjoy.

Plus, stream any audio from your Android phone or your laptop

For apps that are not yet Cast-enabled or music stored on your device, you can stream audio from your Android phone or tablet to the speaker. Or, use your laptop to stream music and audio streaming websites from the Chrome browser.

Streaming music over wifi instead of bluetooth gives you a higher quality of sound. Chromecast Audio uses WiFi to stream lossless high resolution audio to your speakers, so you get better than CD quality sound. With Bluetooth, audio is re-compressed and limited to standard resolution.
With WiFi streaming, your music keeps playing without disruption, even if you get a phone call or a text notification. With Bluetooth, phone calls and notifications are heard over the speakers.
Control music from anywhere in the house. Chromecast Audio streams music over WiFi, which means you can control the music from anywhere within your WiFi network. With Bluetooth, your phone needs to be near the speaker or the music will stop playing.
Streaming music over WiFi doesn’t drain your battery, while pairing from Bluetooth does.
Easily share music from multiple devices. With WiFi every mobile device on the network can connect and control your speakers. Chromecast’s guest mode makes it even easier for guests to connect to your speakers without connecting to your WiFi network. With Bluetooth, pairing devices can be tedious and requires disconnecting one device before another can connect.
Play same music across multiple speakers. Chromecast Audio lets you group multiple speakers together to play the same song everywhere.

This is one of the coolest gadgets I have used in a long time! It was in place within seconds and we’ve been dancing around the house for days!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Explore New Worlds with Minecraft from Best Buy

December 20, 2016 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

Do you have a gamer in the family? If you do, Best Buy has an assortment of Minecraft products that includes an Xbox One S console bundle, additional Minecraft games and Minecraft toys and collectibles. The games are very family-friendly and great for kids. The toys and collectibles make great gifts for anyone already into the game.

Minecraft – The Game

Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures. Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things, from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles. Play in Creative Mode with unlimited resources, or mine deep in Survival Mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off dangerous mobs. Create and explore your very own world where the only limit is what you can imagine; just be sure to build a shelter before night comes to keep yourself safe from monsters. Do all this alone or with friends.

The creative and building aspects of Minecraft enable players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D procedurally generated world. Other activities in the game include exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and combat. Multiple gameplay modes are available, including survival mode where the player must acquire resources to build the world and maintain health, a creative mode where players have unlimited resources to build with and the ability to fly, an adventure mode where players can play custom maps created by other players, and a spectator mode where players can fly around and clip through blocks, but cannot place or destroy any. The PC version of the game is noted for its modding scene, where a dedicated community creates new gameplay mechanics, items, and assets for the game.

Build and Explore

Build and explore exciting new worlds with Best Buy’s assortment of Minecraft games and collectibles.

Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures. Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles.
Play in Creative Mode with unlimited resources or mine deep in Survival Mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off dangerous mobs. Do all this alone or with friends.
The games are very family-friendly and great for kids. The toys and collectibles make great gifts for anyone already into the game.
Best Buy carries a large assortment the assortment of Minecraft products – this includes an Xbox One S console bundle, additional Minecraft games and Minecraft toys and collectibles.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free, however, all opinions are my own.

What is an Unlocked Smart Phone? Find out at Best Buy!

November 1, 2016 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

What is an unlocked smartphone? An unlocked smartphone is a phone that isn’t tied to a specific carrier or contract. Therefore, you have the freedom to shop for the latest phones and plans as often — or as infrequently — as you like. And when it comes to international travel, unlocked phones can’t be beat.

Unlocked phones are becoming a popular choice here in the U.S. Why? Because nothing beats the freedom of an unlocked phone when it comes to choice of models, carriers or plans. They offer freedom and flexibility from carriers and contracts, save you money and are ideal for International travel!

Some unlocked phones may cost more up front compared to phones financed by the carriers, but, spread over two years, and combined with a less-expensive voice or data plan, it will be less expensive than your total monthly payments on a two-year or monthly installment billing contract.

By purchasing an unlocked phone you can continue to use older or legacy voice, text and data plans. This can save you money and allow you to keep the plan you are comfortable with.

Since unlocked phones are not tied to a specific carrier you have a greater selection of phones and features to choose from. Whether you are looking for a phone with basic calling and texting options, a smartphone with all the latest features like the Samsung Galaxy S7, or anything in between, you’ll be able to find the right unlocked phone to meet your needs and budget.

Unlocked phones offer great flexibility to international students, tourists and business travelers. Since international roaming rates with your current phone and U.S. network can be high, buying an unlocked phone for overseas travel can save you money. With an unlocked phone, you’ll pay the same lower rate as the locals do for calls in that country. It can be as easy as purchasing an unlocked phone in the U.S., traveling to your destination country and purchasing a local SIM card.

Dual-SIM unlocked phones such as the BLU Studio G can house up to two SIM cards in the same phone. This means you could have your U.S. SIM card and a local SIM card from the country you are traveling to together in the same phone. You could also use a dual-SIM phone at home to maintain separate work and personal lines on the same phone.

Interested? Best Buy has an Unlocked Smartphone savings event going on right now with sales on Samsung, Huawei, Moto, Sony, BLU, Alcatel and ZTE smartphones. Shop your favorite brand during the Unlocked Smartphone Savings Event.

Moto:

Offer: Save $50 on Select Moto Mods with purchase of Moto Z Play
Valid Dates: 10/30/16-11/5/16

Huawei:

Offer: Save $50 on the Honor 8 by Huawei plus get a free case
Valid Dates: 10/30/16-11/12/16

Samsung:

Offer: Save $100 on the Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Valid Dates: 10/30/16-11/12/16

BLU:

Offer: Save $40 on the BLU Life XL
Valid Dates: 11/6/16-11/12/16

Sony:

Offer: Save $100 on the Sony XPERIA X Compact
Valid Dates: 10/30/16-11/12/16

Disclaimer for all offers listed: Offer valid 10/30/16-11/12/16. Phones, service and coverage not available in all markets. Available in New Jersey. No dealers. See a Blue Shirt for details. 4G/4G LTE not available in all markets. Products must be purchased on same receipt to receive bundle/package savings.

To use an unlocked phone in the U.S. or abroad, you will need a SIM card for the carrier of your choice. SIM cards are small cards that house carrier and user data within your smartphone. If you purchase a replacement phone or upgrade to a new unlocked phone, you can take out the SIM card in your old phone and pop it in the new one. If your old SIM is not compatible (size difference) or you are changing carriers, you will need to purchase a new SIM card. All unlocked phones work on carriers that use GSM networks, which include AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket Wireless and more. Some popular prepaid carriers that also use GSM include AT&T GoPhone, NET10, TracFone and Simple Mobile. You will need to use SIM cards from a GSM provider in your unlocked phone to get service. A number of newer unlocked phones such as the Moto G (4th Gen) are universal and therefore compatible with all major U.S. carriers in addition to most overseas carriers. You can choose almost any carrier or plan and all you need is a SIM card. Common US carriers include: Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket Wireless, AT&T GoPhone, and TracFone.

Best Buy sells SIM kits that allow you to activate your unlocked phone with a prepaid wireless carrier such as AT&T GoPhone, T-Mobile, Verizon Prepaid or Cricket Wireless. If you need a SIM card to activate a traditional plan, you will need to visit a local Best Buy store to purchase and activate your SIM card.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Cook at Home for the Holidays With the New LG ProBake Oven at Best Buy!

October 28, 2016 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

Using the LG ProBake Oven to Cook at Home for the Holidays

As the holidays draw closer and closer, planning Thanksgiving dinner comes up on the list as the next important meal to spend with your entire family. What’s the best way to prepare your kitchen and yourself for this exciting holiday? LG came out with the latest in convection technology for just the occasion and Best Buy is making it easier to add the best appliances to your kitchen with their Prep for the Holidays deals!

New ProBake Convection Technology Evenly Cooks Each Meal Perfectly

Our family appreciates great cooking especially our professional chef, so the ProBake Convection feature is by far the most appealing by evenly cooking meals every time. By rearranging the heating elements so that the lower oven’s heating element sits on the back wall over the oven, heat is evenly distributed offering consistent browning on top and bottom, perfect for baking holiday cookies! Modeled after pro-style ranges, this technology has been recently added to freestanding gas ranges and comes with both gas and electric ranges.

Additional LG Electric & Gas Range Features

EasyClean: 3 step process, 10 minutes, exceptional clean without chemicals
4 Cooktop Elements: Wide range of power for a variety of cooking requirements
Spacious Double Oven: Cook multiple meals for a large group in less time
Auto Shutoff: Timed shut-off for ovens to offer safety and efficiency

Last Minute October Deals on Kitchen Bundles and LG ProBake Ranges from Best Buy

Best Buy is offering great deals on kitchen appliances like the following sales on a 4 piece Kitchen Package or the LG ProBake Range until 10/29. You’ll still find plenty of kitchen appliance savings in November, so keep an eye out!

Best Buy Deal 1: When you purchase a 4 piece Kitchen Package from Best Buy by 10/29, receive a Visa gift card up to $400!

Best Buy Deal 2: Add 5X reward points to your Best Buy account on any ProBake Range when you purchase before 10/29. You can even add these savings to your savings from the Kitchen Package!

Disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.