Lifestyle

Best Buy - badges

14 Feb: A Future as Bright as their Badges

When most people vow, “to have and to hold, from this day forward,” they’re not usually talking about their Geek Squad badges.

But for a pair of newlywed Best Buy employees who are also Agents, the promise of forever applies to their shiny shields as well as their gleaming wedding bands.

“We both value this company and the work we have done over the years,” said Mona Gilbert, a market admin serving several Best Buy stores in Florida. “So, we thought it would be interesting to bring our Geek Squad badges to the wedding for photos, to remind us of the great memories and people we have met throughout our careers.”

Best Buy - bank

05 Feb: Tech Talk: Innovations That Have Changed How We Bank

Going to the bank used to be as routine as running to the grocery store or stopping for gas, but modern technology has dramatically changed the way we manage our money.

Today, much of our banking is done digitally. Our paychecks are deposited directly into our bank accounts, we withdraw cash from ATMs, and we pay our bills online. We can even deposit checks and transfer funds instantly from an app.

To learn more about how tech is changing the banking industry, the Best Buy Blog chatted with Dominic Venturo.

Best Buy - flu

05 Feb: Fight Against Flu Includes Keeping Your Phone Clean

You’ve made it this far into winter without succumbing to a fever, the chills and the aches. Don’t let your guard down yet, though — we’re still in the heart of flu season.

You got your flu shot, and you heed the warnings about washing your hands and covering your mouth. But have you thought about that germ cesspool you touch a thousand times a day? 

Yes, it’s your cellphone (and other tech devices, for that matter). 

”Your cellphone can get pretty dirty,” says Agent Nick Karakatsoulis, who manages the Geek Squad at the Best Buy store in Mobile, Alabama.

Best Buy - TV tipping

02 Feb: These Tips Will Help Keep Your TV From Tipping

As what some consider to be the biggest TV event of the year approaches, we want to make sure your Big Game-watching environment is safe. Saturday is National TV Safety Day, where we help build awareness of the dangers of TV tipping.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 17,000 kids visit the ER each year for injuries suffered from TV tip-over accidents1.

We don’t want this to happen at your house, so take a quick look around and see if your space passes the test.

Best Buy - game

31 Jan: It’s Big Game Time, Is Your TV Ready?

The Big Game is this Sunday, and thanks to today’s technology, you can feel like you’re in the stadium from the comfort of your home.

To show fans what’s possible for enjoying the game, Best Buy brought Tech Zone, a traveling trailer featuring today’s top tech, inside. It’s parked in the Mall of America in Minneapolis, home of this year’s game.

We chatted with former pro linebacker Ben Leber and Geek Squad Chief Inspector Nate Bauer for advice on how to be a pro when it comes to watching football.

Best Buy - recipe

30 Jan: 7 Tasty Recipes for Your Big Game Bash

There are three main ingredients for the perfect Big Game bash — good friends, good football and, of course, good food.

With the Big Game in our backyard this year, we teamed up with fellow Minnesota company General Mills to whip up a full lineup of  snacks for your gameday get-together. These tasty bites are sure to have your partygoers coming back for seconds (and thirds).

Each recipe is quick and easy to throw together with small appliances from Best Buy — and we’re not just talking about slow cookers here.

Best Buy - viewing

29 Jan: How to Create A Winning Big Game Viewing Experience

You’re having friends over for the Big Game, and you want to make sure everyone has the best seat in the house.

So, before you start the slow cooker, make sure your living room is ready for action. After all, your TV is sure to be the real MVP of the game.

We talked to Greg Hodur, a Best Buy In-Home Advisor in Philadelphia, to get some tips for creating the perfect football viewing experience. 

Is bigger always better?

One of the key factors to consider when choosing a TV is screen size.

Best Buy - wedding

21 Jan: Employees Tie the Knot Inside Indiana Best Buy Store

There’s that old wedding saying about something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Well, this couple had plenty of blue. They got married in a Best Buy store.

Caleb Mace and Taylor Spurlock exchanged vows Thursday evening in the warehouse of the store where they both work in Muncie, Indiana.

Why there? “It is special. It is where we met,” Taylor said. “We like it here.”

The couple admits they’re not traditional and didn’t want a big wedding. “We’re young, and we don’t have a lot of money,” Taylor said.

Geek Squad Heros_blog

22 Dec: Geek Squad Heroes Reunite With Woman They Saved

 

As soon as Geek Squad Agents Thomas Willis and Lucas Wilt entered the hospital room, the woman’s face lit up with excitement.

“My heroes!” she exclaimed. Then she asked for a hug, and the Agents were more than happy to oblige.

The last time they saw one another, the Agents were saving the woman from a fiery crash on the back roads of southwestern Virginia. She was badly injured and had to be airlifted to the hospital. Now, she’s expected to make a full recovery.

Best Buy - secure

14 Dec: How to Shop Online in A Safe, Secure Way

Doing a lot of digital holiday shopping this year? Then you’re among the estimated 40 percent of holiday shoppers going online who are likely to spend roughly 70 percent more than their in-store-only counterparts.

Those estimates from a retail research group are big news to retailers — and to hackers looking to steal your credit card number, merchandise or identity.

So you’ll want to protect yourself while you’re shopping online.

Geek Squad Agent Rob Duve of Phoenix has some tips that will help keep your personal and payment information protected.

Best Buy - connected

12 Dec: Technology Keeps Us Connected, Especially at Holidays

When Friday evening arrives, Rusty Lutz knows it’s going to be a great night. With his iPad in hand, he waits for a virtual tradition to begin: a video chat with his granddaughters, who live twelve time zones away.

“Their Saturday morning is pancake weekend, so they make the pancakes and throw in lots of chocolate chips,” he said. “We get to watch them put the ingredients in a bowl and stir them.”

That weekly connection means a lot to Rusty and his wife, because they live in Maryland and their granddaughters live almost 10,000 miles away in Singapore.

IMG_8637

07 Dec: National Safety Council, Best Buy Provide Holiday Safety Tips

The holiday season is one of our favorite times of the year, but unfortunately, it’s also a time when home thefts and accidents tend to rise.

On Thursday, Maureen Vogel from the National Safety Council and Pedro Melendez, a Best Buy smart home security expert, talked to media outlets around the country to educate consumers about common holiday safety hazards and how to prevent them.

 

Let’s start with thefts.  What’s the best way to keep those online gift purchases from getting stolen?