Articles about Christmas

Do you hear that horrible sound? That's the combined screams and howls of countless Linux gaming nerds learning the devastating news -- the release of the Steam Deck video game console has been pushed to next year. In other words, anyone hoping to get the console under the Christmas tree this year will be left disappointed.

If you aren't familiar, the Steam Deck is a portable PC/gaming console hybrid that runs the Arch Linux-based "SteamOS" operating system which uses KDE Plasma. Similar to a Nintendo Switch Lite in design (but much bigger, heavier, and more powerful) it lets you play PC games in the palm of your hand. You can check out the specifications here.

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For some people, Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. For others, the holiday is more about Santa Claus, family, and exchanging gifts. Over on the Hallmark Channel, however, Christmas is largely about romance!

If you aren't familiar, Hallmark Channel is known for its cheesy, family-friendly, romantic Christmas movies. If you are a single man, you may not be familiar with this TV channel, but trust me fellow guys -- women love it. And now, just in time for the holidays, Hallmark Channel finally comes to YouTube TV.

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A new report from Imperva suggests that the 2021 holiday shopping season faces disruption by cybercriminals looking to create chaos and take advantage of the global supply chain crisis.

Bot attacks against retail sites have risen by 13 percent in 2021, with 57 percent of attacks recorded on eCommerce websites this year carried out by bots. In comparison, bad bots made up just 33 percent of the total attacks on websites in all other industries in 2021.

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Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the holiday season have become prime targets for cybercriminals in recent years, as online retailers make it a global phenomenon that is no longer a one-day only event. As we approach this time of the year, cybercriminals will be looking to take advantage of the millions of shoppers who will take to the internet in search of the best deals.

This holiday season, more people than ever before, will shop online in the interest of public safety due to COVID-19, some of whom will have little to no previous experience navigating online shopping and almost no internet security knowledge.

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In the realms of understatement, "2020 has been a hard year" rules supreme. No one needs a recap as to why, but as many of us continue to be subject to restrictions preventing us from getting out to the shops, coupled with well-publicized delays and disruption to mail services, getting Christmas sorted for our loved ones has been particularly challenging this year.

And that’s where we come in: if you’re stuck within a "stay at home" area, worried about missing the last post or looking for a last-minute gift, the Downloadcrew Software Store has you covered. You can order directly from our digital store and have the gift sent either to yourself or directly to your friend or family member -- it’ll arrive within minutes, even on Christmas Day!

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With more people shopping online than ever before, 78 percent of cybersecurity professionals say they expect to see an increase in DNS-related security threats over the next month.

This is according to a new report from information services and technology company Neustar's International Security Council which also finds that 59 percent have altered their DNS security methods in the run up to the holiday season.

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Apple's new Mac computers have changed everything. These machines are powered by the company's own ARM-based "Apple Silicon" processor called "M1" instead of Intel's chips. You know what? The M1 is delighting both consumers and professional reviewers thanks to the excellent battery life and impressive performance. It's really exciting stuff, folks.

There are two new Mac laptops that are powered by the Apple M1 processor -- the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The Mac mini is the only desktop powered by the M1, and thanks to its lack of a display, it is incredibly affordable. Just how much is the new Mac mini? Well, it starts at only $699.

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Microsoft has announced that it will not be releasing any preview releases in December as the company winds down for the end of the year.

The Windows maker cites the "minimal operations during the holidays and the upcoming Western new year" as the reason for scaling things back. Microsoft adds that things will return to normal in January.

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What do you want for Christmas? How about a coffee maker that can eavesdrop on your conversations, or a fitness tracker that can analyze the tone of your voice?

The fourth-annual Privacy Not Included holiday shopping guide from Mozilla aims to arm shoppers with the information they need to choose gifts that protect the privacy and security of their friends and family while spurring the tech industry to do more to safeguard consumers.

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Well, folks, Christmas 2019 is now in the rear view mirror. Hopefully you and your family had a wonderful holiday. Following Christmas, there is one big important tradition -- Amazon's bragging! Yes, every year, the online retailer loves to brag about its successful holiday shopping sales. They are always the best ever, of course, and this year, things are no different.

Yup, Amazon is claiming that it had record-breaking sales during the 2019 holiday shopping season. While the company doesn't share actual sales numbers, I actually don't doubt its claims. This year, when I went to brick-and-mortar stores on Black Friday (and the days after), the stores were clearly experiencing a huge drop in foot traffic. In other words, Amazon has seemingly continued its trend of cannibalizing traditional retailers, but this year, it seemed much more dramatic. Hell, I ended up doing 90 percent of my own Christmas shopping on Amazon and I don't even have Prime!

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Santa Claus is absolutely real; he lives in the hearts and minds of all true believers of Christmas. Is it possible for one man to deliver gifts to every house in the world in one night? Under normal circumstances no, but Santa Claus is magic -- you must throw all logic and science out the window.

Need proof that Santa Claus is real? Every year, Google provides a way to track the jolly fat man as he makes his journey around the world. Yes, Google's official Santa Tracker is an annual tradition, and in 2019, it continues. As usual, the search giant delivers activities beyond mere tracking, such as an interactive Santa Village. This year, there is a holiday-themed bedtime story for kids called "Ollie Under the Sea." There is even a very cool augmented reality Santa Claus you can summon by searching for "Santa Search" on mobile and clicking the "3D" button.

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Christmas may technically be a religious holiday, but for many folks, it is more about enjoying family rather than worshiping. And you know what? That's fine. People have the right to celebrate however they want. Me? I like to do both of those things -- Celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but also, spend time with the people I love. Heck, I even like gift-giving -- it is fun to make someone else happy with a present they really want. OK, fine, I like getting gifts too.

One of my favorite activities to do in December is watch Christmas movies. These holiday films really help me to get into the Christmas spirit. It's a great feeling to be wrapped up in a cozy blanket on a comfortable couch and enjoy some wholesome, family-friendly, Christmas movies. This year, popular streaming media platform, Roku, is sharing ts top 10 most searched Christmas movies. While the films on the list are rather predictable, the positions are a bit surprising.

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Ah, Black Friday -- the day after Thanksgiving where people run to the store to score great deals on various items. Technology enthusiasts in particular love this day, as you can save a lot of money on computers, tablets, smartphones, and more. Over the years, however, Black Friday has begun starting earlier and lasting longer -- it no longer lasts just a single day. Hell, you don't even need to leave the house anymore -- many retailers put the same deals online.

Case in point, starting today, Microsoft is launching some of its Black Friday deals -- an entire week in advance! This includes both online and physical Microsoft Store locations. Not all of sales start today, however -- the company is staggering the dates a bit. And yes, this sale includes many of the the products you love, such as Xbox, Surface, and other Windows 10 devices.

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Santa Claus is real. While it is popular to think the jolly fat man is merely fiction, that simply isn't true. Don't believe me? Back in the early 90s, when I was a kid, I asked Santa for a Super Nintendo and I got it! How else can that be explained? Exactly.

If you want further proof that Mr. Claus exists, every year, Google launches a Santa Tracker that allows you to track his gift-delivering journey around the world. The search giant's offering is more than just monitoring Santa's route, however. Actually, Google also shares a fun interactive online "village" with cool games and activities. This year, the Santa Tracker village is better than ever, with such things as an "Elf Maker" which allows you (or your child) design a custom elf. Beginning December 23, users of Google Assistant can ask it "Google, where’s Santa?” to get live location updates.

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Earlier this year, I was on the fence about renewing my Amazon Prime account. Don't get me wrong, it's a great value, but I have been on a quest to save money. Then life happened, and I totally forgot about the upcoming Prime decision. In August, the service auto-renewed, and rather than fight for a refund, I decided to just keep it. Why? Well, besides enjoying the streaming video service, I love the "free" shipping aspect. I justified it by telling myself that with the holidays soon approaching, I would be thankful to have Prime for gift buying.

Well, today I feel sort of like a fool. You see, Amazon announces that all shoppers will get free shipping with no minimum dollar amount required. In other words, one of the biggest perks of Prime service -- not needing to spend at least $25 for free shipping -- is just being given away to all.

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