The holidays are the best time of year. Friends, family and the joy of the season. Make your holiday gathering the “tech” talk of the town with these ideas from the Geek Squad. Working Divas are tech-savvy and fabulously up to date on what’s HOT. Make your planning fast and fierce! Remember Working Divas work smart not hard. Happy Holidays!
· Making the List, Checking it Twice – Organizing your holiday party begins with colorful, festive and fun invitations that help to set the mood for your party and get your guests excited about the upcoming festivities. You can create your own invitations or consider sending free online invitations via Web sites like Evite.com that also send reminders to your guests before the big day and keep track of your guest count.
12 Days of Holiday Party Shopping – Before your big party you don’t have to fight your way through crowds at your local stores. You can shop online from your home or on the road with a notebook computer or PDA. But while you’re shopping online, make sure you have a safe and secure experience:
· It is generally safer to buy from established sites, or sites from companies that you’ve heard of, rather than unknown, smaller operations that might not be secure or legit.
· To make sure you’re buying from a secure site, look for a “lock icon” on the screen. Make sure it says “https://” in your browser. The “s” signifies that the site is secure.
Photos of Christmas Past – As you begin to plan your holiday party this year, the Geek Squad suggests using technology to share favorite digital videos, music files and photos from the year’s most memorable moments with all of your party guests.
· Geek Squad Agents can help consumers stream all of their digital media – including pictures, music and even video – from the bedroom computer to the living room flat-screen television. Visit Geeksquad.com for a free tutorial.
· For outdoor festivities, you can also stream your music outdoors with products that plug into outdoor grounded outlets or battery operated mp3 docks. Plus, wireless networking allows you to bring the music from your laptop outside to listen to a specific playlist or stream music from an online radio site such as Pandora or Yahoo! Launchcast.
Winterize Your Home – If you’re looking to turn your front yard into the envy of your neighbors and guests with a spectacular Winter Wonderland, you could remotely control the entire light display system. Check out real life examples on this Web site www.planetchristmas.com
· Home Automation Systems (such as SMARTHOME or Planet Christmas) have software that allows you to control your home remotely via the Internet. Let a Geek Squad Agent show you how to control your entire light and decoration display from your laptop.
· Similar programs can help you control the heat in your home from a PDA to get your home warm before you or any of your guests arrive. Stop by any Geek Squad Precinct and an Agent can show you how.
For help with all your technology needs, call 1.800 GEEK SQUAD to set up an onsite consultation, find a location near you at www.geeksquad.com, or visit the Geek Squad Precinct at Best Buy and other locations to speak with an Agent directly. We provide our services wherever and whenever you need them – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
