Ask Santa’s little helpers
OUR GADGET DOCTORS ANSWER ALL YOUR FESTIVE TECH QUESTIONS …
How do i take the kids to see Santa while grottos are closed?
ESAT SAYS: The traditional visit to Santa’s grotto might be cancelled but thanks to a little Christmas magic, your family can have a ten-minute personalised live call with Santa himself. Services like Live Video Call With Santa and Santa’s Calling You let parents send children’s names in advance, with calls ranging from £25 to £40. It’s the next best thing to sitting on his lap – and far more convenient too.
If you want something a little simpler, you can download an app such as Video Call Santa by Dualverse Inc. It lets you make or receive a (pre-recorded) call from Santa. Lastly, you can ask Alexa or Google Assistant where Santa is, although you’ll be lucky to get through to him at this busy time of year. Still, one of his elves should still pick up.
How do i keep my connected home safe from hackers this Christmas?
DAVID SAYS: Default passwords used to configure gadgets are often a cinch for cyber crooks to crack. Change them to something difficult to guess and enable two-factor authentication if the device supports it. Keep devices up to date with the latest security updates. PC and mobiles are good at nudging us to install fixes but don’t forget to regularly update smart devices too.
We’re accustomed to installing antivirus software on our PCs but that’s rarely possible with smart home gadgets. A new breed of security device – such as the Bitdefender Box 2 (£129.99, amazon.co.uk) – plugs into your broadband router, promising to guard your connected home from hackers.
Which video chat platforms should i use for online festivities?
TOM SAYS: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Apple’s FaceTime all offer video-calling in groups but the most flexible is Zoom. Everybody’s favourite lockdown pal is available on pretty much any laptop or phone with a camera, plus it supports screen-sharing, which is handy if you’re playing a game. If anyone’s having connection issues, moving closer to the router helps.
Zoom’s downside is the 40-minute limit on calls with three or more people (two on the same device only counts as one and you can have up to 100 in total), but there’s nothing stopping you from starting a new one each time it boots you off – it’s just a bit inconvenient.
Only the host needs a paid account to remove this restriction so you could always upgrade (a month will set you back £11.99) and share the cost. It is Christmas after all.