Hardware

Tommy bought a Google-branded Chromebook. Leo says that he can get 12 hours battery life on that Chromebook and it's incredibly secure. He pays a bit more for Google's brand, but they are well-built, will always be updated, and offer great security.

Elizabeth wants to get a new computer but wants to save money. Which budget computer should she look at? Leo says that a Chromebook or a Chromebox is ideal for her because she can use her existing monitors (with the ChromeBox) and it's ideal for most of the things we do today online. Liz doesn't have WiFi though. Leo says that if her computer is next to the modem, that's not really an issue. But she'll be chained to your desk when doing things. That's why a WiFi router/modem combination would be better. 

Joe was thinking of getting a NEST thermostat, but he doesn't want to pay a fee. Rich says the only fee you pay is for buying the device. NEST uses WiFi to connect to the internet, where you can control it using your mobile device. But you don't have to pay a subscription fee to use it. Can you control it using your computer? Rich says you should. But the NEST doesn't have to be programmed since it uses machine learning to learn how you want it to operate. Also check with your energy company. NEST also offers a $50 rebate.

Greg's parents were using EDGE on Windows 10, and it shut off and went into a reboot loop. They took it in and got it reset. But how can they avoid it in the future? Rich says that it sounds like his parents got bit by some malware after clicking on something. It's very easy to fall victim to. So encourage them to not click on any links or open attachments. Also, make sure their software is up to date. Of course, you could replace their Windows machine with a Chromebook. That would be very secure, and if something happens, you can powerwash it back to normal.