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Last-minute gadget gifts for holidays
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The Amazon Echo Dot. - photo by Amy Iverson
Are you at a loss over what to get that one person on your list? You know, that one person for whom it is so difficult to find the perfect gift?

Well, everyone loves gadgets, and you have a few more days to pick up the years best for this holiday season. After scouring reviews across the web, here are four no-fail presents for those hard-to-please loved ones or for yourself.

For anyone: Weve all dreamed of walking into our futuristic home and ordering the lights on and the music to play solely with our voice. Dream no more because Amazon made this a reality a couple of years ago with the Amazon Echo.

This home assistant was a small cylinder that could control smart home devices, and millions of people paid a couple hundred dollars to try it out in their kitchens and living rooms. But now Amazon has released a smaller, budget version called the Amazon Echo Dot, and tech reviewers everywhere are raving.

Set this hockey puck-shaped gadget down and it will hear your voice from anywhere in the room, even if the TV is on. It can work with any phone. Just download the Alexa app and then sync it with iOS Reminders or Evernote using an IFTTT applet. Now youre ready to tell Alexa to do all sorts of things like set alarms and timers, answer questions, manage your calendar, play music and read news headlines.

Without ever having to touch a button or know where your phone is, you can also tell Alexa to order a Dominos pizza, add eggs to your shopping list and run most smart home appliances. Amazon is adding new options all the time, with recent ones including a partnership with AT&T for its users to use talk to text with Alexa, and Vivint home security system capabilities. Heres the kicker: the Amazon Dot costs just $39.99.

For the Gen Xer: Remember the days when you were the king of Kong? Im talking "Donkey Kong." So does every one of your friends born in the '60s or '70s. Now is the time to give someone the biggest nostalgia trip of all time by gifting them the Nintendo NES Classic Edition game console. For $59.99, this mini NES comes with a full-size controller with a too short cord and has 30 built-in games. Now whoever receives this awesome throwback can share their love of "Zelda" or "Galaga" with their kids; and probably beat them in a one-on-one competition (extra controllers cost $10). These are tough to find right now, but a few stores are getting more in stock in limited quantities this week.

For the teenager or kid at heart: If you have someone on your list who loves Legos and also loves drones, you are in luck. Flybrix has combined those worlds and created their dream toy. Buy the basic kit for $189 and it comes with everything you need to build a flyable drone out of Lego bricks. This is perfect for the tinkerer in your life because its infinitely tweakable, and its crash-friendly. Once your kid slams it into the side of the house, you can just rebuild it. You use an app to fly the drone in the basic kit. The deluxe kit priced at $249 comes with a controller, but is sold out now (you can add a controller to the basic kit for $80). Flybrix products have one-day shipping.

For the woman you want to spoil: First-hand reviews from dozens of websites have one sole complaint about this revolutionary hair dryer from Dyson: the price.

Maybe there is absolutely no way you would ever spend $400 on something to blow air onto your hair, but if you know someone with a thick mane who complains about the time it takes to dry their hair and about the damage to their hair from prolonged hot air blasting their tresses the Dyson Supersonic may be worth it.

The tiny motor is positioned in the handle so its much quieter than other hair dryers, and theres no chance of getting your hair caught and ripped out by the fan. Heat dries out hair and strips it of its shine. The Supersonic has a sensor that measures air temperature every 20 seconds and lays off when it gets too hot.

That doesn't mean it won't dry your hair quickly. Most reviewers reported the time it took the Dyson model to dry their hair was about one-third of the time it takes a regular hair dryer. The Supersonic comes with three extensions that attach with super strong magnets, and a filter that lets you know when you should change it. Is it worth $400? Buy me one for Christmas and Ill let you know for sure.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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