Technology

The European Union is fearful that 5G networks could cause “security challenges” if they’re exposed to state-backed companies.

In a statement, the E.U. said that “security challenges” are likely to be more “prominent” on 5G networks, but did not single out any companies from China, including Huawei.

“Among the various potential actors, non-EU States or State-backed are considered as the most serious ones and the most likely to target 5G networks,” the E.U. said in the release.

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The U.S. has explicitly cited Huawei as the most serious threat and a state actor. Earlier this year, the U.S. government put Huawei on an entity list saying “there is reasonable cause to believe that Huawei has been involved in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.”

Earlier this year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee and warned about the “risk of having network systems co-located with Huawei systems.” And in April, former House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Rogers spoke at a discussion hosted by the Heritage Foundation and described Huawei as “a functioning subservient enterprise to Chinese intelligence and defense services.”

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Huawei, which is a leading supplier of 5G equipment, has caused concern among U.S. government officials, who say that depending on the Chinese company could increase exposure to security risks. The E.U. said more or less the same thing in their report without naming any names.

The promise of 5G is great but so are the risks

Upcoming 5G networks, expected to be more widely available across the U.S. in 2020, promise much higher speeds than 4G. In the U.S., major carriers such as Verizon and AT&T are doing limited rollouts in select big cities now.

For consumers, 5G is likely to bring a lot of technological advancements, including the potential to replace home Wi-Fi networks, smarter artificial intelligence on phones and self-driving cars, among other products.

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Despite those potential benefits, the 33-page E.U. report says, “the likelihood of the supplier being subject to interference from a non-EU country…[and that] such interference may be facilitated [by the]…the third country’s legislation, especially where there are no legislative or democratic checks and balances in place.”

In order to level the playing field, the U.S. is moving to fund rival companies, according to a report from The Financial Times.

For its part, Huawei has denied any clandestine intentions. “There is absolutely no truth in the suggestion that Huawei conceals backdoors in its equipment,” a Huawei spokesperson said to Fox News earlier this year.

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Less than 24 hours after Apple received criticism from a state-run media company in China for reinstating the HKMap app in the App Store, the tech giant has pulled the app again.

The app’s developer, HKmap.live, tweeted that it disagreed with the decision to pull the app, stating it does not “endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong.”

The account followed that up with several other tweets, adding that it believes the decision to pull the app to be a “bureaucratic” decision, but one that is also “clearly a political decision to suppress freedom and human right in Hong Kong.”

APPLE ATTACKED BY CHINA FOR KEEPING CROWDSOURCED POLICE ACTIVITY APP IN HONG KONG

In a statement to Fox News, Apple said that it found the app was being used in nefarious ways.

“We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps. We have learned that an app, HKmap.live, has been used in ways that endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong. Many concerned customers in Hong Kong have contacted us about this app and we immediately began investigating it,” a spokesperson told Fox News.

The spokesperson continued: “The app displays police locations and we have verified with the Hong Kong Cybersecurity and Technology Crime Bureau that the app has been used to target and ambush police, threaten public safety, and criminals have used it to victimize residents in areas where they know there is no law enforcement. This app violates our guidelines and local laws, and we have removed it from the App Store.”

Earlier this week, an article in the state-owned media China Daily accused the tech giant of “helping [Hong Kong] rioters engage in more violence” after it reversed a decision to ban the app and reallow it, following a wave of public criticism.

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“As a company with international influence, Apple has always enjoyed a high reputation,” the article reads. “A company has its own standards of conduct, but should also have its social responsibilities. If Apple abandons its responsibilities and let violent acts get worse, it puts more users at risk.”

The article continues: “Business is business, and politics is politics. Nobody wants to drag Apple into the lingering unrest in Hong Kong. But people have reason to assume that Apple is mixing business with politics, and even illegal acts. Apple has to think about the consequences of its unwise and reckless decision.”

China is an extremely important market for the iPhone maker, as the tech giant looks to offset slowing sales in its home market. In its most recent quarter, Greater China, which includes China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, accounted for $9.15 billion of its $53.8 billion quarterly revenue, or approximately 17 percent of quarterly revenue.

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The U.S.-based gaming giant Activision Blizzard — which made a player forfeit $10,000 in prize money and banned him from a game for one year after he voiced support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong — was slammed by critics Tuesday who accused the company of prioritizing its pursuit of business in China over supporting free speech.

Activision Blizzard, based in Santa Monica, Calif., banned Ng Wai Chung, who plays remotely from Hong Kong, from competing in the company’s online multiplayer card game Hearthstone E-sports for one year. The 21-year-old known online as “Blitzchung” had just won $10,000 in the Hearthstone Asia-Pacific Grandmasters tournament when he declared in a livestream video interview in Mandarin: “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.” He was wearing a gas mask and goggles, the same equipment worn by Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstrators, when he made the statement, The Guardian reported.

BLIZZARD BANS HEARTHSTONE PLAYER FOR SUPPORTING HONG KONG ‘REVOLUTION’

U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle tweeted Tuesday that Activision Blizzard’s decision to censor one of its players’ political views speaks to a wider concern about China’s market power being used as leverage to stifle free speech worldwide.

“Recognize what’s happening here. People who don’t live in #China must either self censor or face dismissal & suspensions,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote on Twitter. “China using access to market as leverage to crush free speech globally.”

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said: “Blizzard shows it is willing to humiliate itself to please the Chinese Communist Party. No American company should censor calls for freedom to make a quick buck.”

The Chinese tech company Tencent owns a 5 percent stake in Activision Blizzard, which earned $173 million, or about 12 percent of its total revenue, from the Asia-Pacific region last quarter, according to the company’s public earnings report.

China’s government has targeted an array of U.S.-based organizations, including the NBA, for perceived support of the Hong Kong anti-government protests. Apple Inc. became the latest on Wednesday when the ruling Communist Party’s main newspaper criticized the tech giant for a smartphone app on its App Store that allows activists to report police locations and use of tear gas.

Chung addressed the controversy Tuesday in a livestream on a different service called Twitch, the New York Times reported.

“Today, what I have lost in Hearthstone is four years of time,” he said, referring to the time and energy he’s dedicated to play the game professionally. “But if Hong Kong loses, it would be the matter of a lifetime.”

“I didn’t expect my comments would make a huge impact,” he continued, according to The Guardian. “This is my freedom of speech. … I shouldn’t be scared. I hope my act can inspire other gamers like me, to continue to support the movement in Hong Kong.”

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Activision Blizzard said in a statement that Chung had violated a tournament rule that prevents players from engaging in any act that “brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image.”

“While we stand by one’s right to express individual thoughts and opinions, players and other participants that elect to participate in our esports competitions must abide by the official competition rules,” the statement said.

A small group of Activision Blizzard employees gathered outside headquarters in Irvine, Calif., on Tuesday in support of Chung, The Daily Beast reported. Fellow gamers also called for boycotts of Activision Blizzard gaming sites, which include other multiplayer hits like World of Warcraft and Overwatch, and voiced support for Chung in a popular Cantonese-language online forum called LIHKG, The Guardian reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Russian social media campaign against the United States targeted no single group more than African-Americans, a new federal report has concluded.

The report from the Senate Intelligence Committee’s probe into the 2016 election comes as social media companies attempt to prevent further disinformation and disruption of  American democracy.

Moscow’s efforts — led by the Internet Research Agency (IRA) — were sophisticated and multifaceted, targeting the black community and sowing division across a range of platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Google-owned YouTube and Instagram. The shadowy effort aimed to support the Trump campaign, denigrate opponent Hillary Clinton, suppress the vote and attack various public figures.

According to the report, more than 66 percent of Facebook advertisements posted by the IRA contained a term related to race.

Posts with titles like “Our Votes Don’t Matter,” “Don’t Vote for Hillary Clinton” and “A Vote for Jill Stein is Not a Wasted Vote” were specifically aimed at black voters, the report says.

Oxford’s Computational Research Project, which is cited in the Senate report, captured a number of images of posts from that time.

Some of the posts deliberately did not contain certain racial slurs, to avoid being flagged by content moderators, while others mimicked existing social justice movements in America in order to sow division among different ethnic and racial groups.

Facebook claims to have doubled the number of people working on safety and security, and met with federal officials recently on election security matters.

“We have stepped up our efforts to build strong defenses on multiple fronts. … We have also invested in technology and people to block and remove fake accounts; find and remove coordinated manipulation campaigns; and bring unprecedented transparency to political advertising.” Facebook said in a statement to BBC News.

A shooting near a German synagogue on Wenesday that left two people dead and was motivated by anti-Semitism was livestreamed on the online streaming platform Twitch.

“We are shocked and saddened by the tragedy that took place in Germany today, and our deepest condolences go out to all those affected,” a Twitch spokesperson told The Verge. “Twitch has a zero tolerance policy against hateful conduct, and any act of violence is taken extremely seriously. We are working with urgency to remove this content and permanently suspend any accounts found to be posting or reposting content of this abhorrent act.”

A “heavily armed perpetrator” tried to force his way into a synagogue in the city of Halle, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said in a statement. Wednesday is Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, in which worshippers atone for their sins.

It’s not known how many people watched the initial stream on Twitch, which is owned by Amazon. One researcher on extremism said that the video was also posted on Telegram, with clips being seen by more than 15,000 accounts.

TWITTER ALLOWS ‘DIE TRUMP’ TO TREND IN TURKEY, THEN APOLOGIZES

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This isn’t the first time that a mass shooting has been livestreamed on various Silicon Valley platforms.

The horrific massacre of 51 worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, was streamed on Facebook and found its way to other platforms as well, including Google-owned YouTube. Even five months after the shooting, the footage was still available to be viewed on Instagram.

Part of the reason why YouTube struggled to remove the Christchurch shooting video is because the company was no match for the countless versions of the despicable footage that were uploaded in real-time and avoided detection by the tech giant’s artificial intelligence.

Fox News’ Nicole Darrah and James Rogers contributed to this report.

If land-based precision artillery, maneuvering Air Force fighter jets and Navy destroyers were all able to seamlessly share sensitive targeting information in real time during high-intensity combat, the Pentagon would be closely approaching its currently-envisioned concept of modern joint multi-domain warfare.

While elements of this kind of information sharing, of course, already exist, the Department of Defense is currently refining and expanding its concept of joint attack with the intention of reaching an entirely new level of modern operational effectiveness. This not only includes incorporating previously less-impactful warfare domains, such as space, cyber and electronic warfare, but also envisions new dimensions of land, air, surface and undersea integrated attack.

U.S. Army Futures Command has created two multi-domain task force units, addressing threat scenarios in Europe and the Pacific, geared toward advancing a warfare synergy between otherwise disparate spheres of attack, such as air, land or sea. Gen. John Murray, U.S. Army Futures Commander, told reporters several months ago that the Army is rapidly adapting to how multi-domain combat continues to inform preparations for future war. This, according to Murray, includes efforts to… “start modifying structures, organizations and TTPs (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures) regarding how you fight based upon multi-domain-capable formations.”

For instance, what if a submarine-launched undersea Navy drone used sonar to find an enemy submarine lurking near vulnerable allied coastline — and then instantly transmitted location data to submarines and surface ships, which could then cue fighter jets to destroy the surfacing enemy submarine from the air? What if these integrated nodes were able to span vast distances beyond the horizon forming a mesh of integrated attacking systems? Thinking this scenario through, cuing a stealthy, fast fighter jet might be essential should torpedoes or other modes of attack be out of range, more challenged or not possible… or, perhaps, sub-hunting air assets could not operate due to the threat environment – requiring a need for a stealthy fighter jet to attack.

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Should this happen, it would signify the emergence of a force well-suited to face sophisticated, well-armed enemies across multiple theaters at one time. Extending this thinking even further, perhaps, the sharing of this kind of threat information could quickly transmit to land-based commanders able to mobilize defending forces and activate land-based radar to detect incoming enemy fire closer to launch. The idea is to shorten sensor-to-shooter time, transmit target information across domains, share radar returns and launch coordinated attacks across air, land and sea. What if the discovered enemy submarine was conducting covert reconnaissance missions in advance of a planned enemy amphibious assault? Early detection of this enemy sub could help land forces prepare to repel an air-sea-ground enemy invasion and activate ground-based radar and interceptor missiles able to knock out incoming enemy missiles. Networked domains

Emphasizing the importance of these kinds of dynamics fundamental to joint service attack, Murray cited previous Army-led joint- service, multi-domain tabletop wargame exercises at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.

“We had the lead for the Air Force in terms of combat development, a 3-Star Navy Admiral and a 2-Star from Quantico (Marine Corps),” Murray added.

Wargames, according to senior Army officials who take part in them, pit friendly “blue” teams against “red” teams acting like major adversaries. The exercise can involve maps, intelligence data, terrain and geographic factors as well as specifics regarding whatever populations or countries are involved. They are often literally on a table top with nearby computers, simulations and methods of data analysis, or in some cases they can be as large as moving structures on the floor of a gymnasium.

Battle damage assessments are of great significance in wargames. For instance, what happens if large portions of a force are wiped out by an attacking enemy? What kinds of options does that leave a commander?

The wargames are designed to encompass the full range of cultural, economic and geographical factors, senior Army officials have told Warrior. For instance, some wargames take place in the arctic, whereas others are in the desert. A Pacific-theater wargame, for instance, would likely take up challenges presented by vast ocean areas and geographical variables such as the so-called “tyranny of distance.” A European wargame, by contrast, might explore cross-continental mobility, encountering mountainous terrain and attacking large land formations.

Wargaming offers two distinct theoretical models for decision-making, according to an essay from the School of Advanced Military Studies, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. “One model is based upon enemy capabilities and the other on enemy intentions,” according to the essay, titled “The Manual Wargaming Process: Does Our Current Method Give Us The Optimum Solution?”

Some of the current multi-domain thinking is often discussed in terms of a modern, or new iteration of the Cold War-era “AirLand Battle” strategy. AirLand Battle, which envisioned air-ground warfare synergy to counter a Soviet threat on the European continent, was intended to provide air cover for advancing land attack units confronting a larger Soviet Army.

Flying in close proximity to land forces, air assets were intended to attack advancing ground units, weaken supply lines or destroy troop fortifications, clearing the way for offensive ground operations. While these objectives are of course still important, the currently emerging cross-domain doctrine is based upon the reality that modern air and ground forces are more dispersed – and therefore more threatening in some respects. Ground forces are now more vulnerable to longer-range air and missile strikes, drone attacks and guided weapons able to strike from high-altitudes.

Given this, newer multi-domain concepts, when it comes to technical application, involve a fundamental shift toward using information itself as a principle weapon in warfare operations. The tactical use of information to organize and enable effective combat involves a range of tactics — such as using air-assets as “nodes” across a larger air-ground-sea combat scheme, firing ground weapons to attack enemy air defenses and leveraging the altitude and range of surveillance aircraft to pinpoint targets for land-based attacks.

Of course the Army and the Air Force already have a history of successful warfare integration, including air-ground coordination in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. US Special Forces, the Air Force Special Tactics Squadron and strategically placed Joint Tactical Air Controllers have long identified ground-target coordinates for air attacks, often using land-based laser rangefinders to “paint” targets for fighter jets.

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While explaining some specifics of the Air Force contribution to this initiative, retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula -Dean of The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said establishing a dispersed, multi-domain, inter-service warfare network presents a “difficult concept for an enemy to attack.”

This concept, placing information itself as indispensable connective tissue to networked cross-domain warfare, is further developed by Deptula in a Mitchell Institute policy paper called “Evolving Technologies and Warfare in the 21st Century: Introducing the “Combat Cloud.”

“The ‘combat cloud’ inverts the paradigm of combined arms warfare— making information the focal point, not operational domains. This concept represents an evolution where individually networked platforms—in any domain—transform into a “system of systems” enterprise,” the paper writes.

For example, many land weapons such as Guided Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems, and artillery often max out at ranges of 70-to-90 km in many cases. Land-fired High Mobility Rocket Systems(HIMARS) are reported to have a maximum range up to 300 km. However, having a 300 km range for HIMARS does not mean targets can always be quickly identified at that distance.

Many fighter jets, bombers, drones and surveillance planes, however, can travel as far as 500 nautical miles in some cases without needing to refuel. These ranges for air platforms, when networked or integrated with land-weapons, can exponentially increase the sphere of potential air-ground attacks and reconnaissance missions. The vision with this, Deptula explained, is to form an expanded “self-healing” warfare network.

“If an enemy takes out a few aircraft, the information is already re-routed to the rest of the elements,” Deptula said in an interview with Warrior earlier this year. Within this conceptual framework, the “combat cloud” can use dispersed, long-range air assets as “sensor nodes” operating in tandem with land weapons.

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The Army’s developing a Long-Range Precision Fires weapon, engineered to hit targets as far away as 500 km. It is a land weapon being engineered to support this concept and expand the Army’s strike range; this appears to offer an example of how land weapons could potentially be given targets over great distances by “networked” air platforms. Along these lines, senior Army weapons developers often refer to LRPF as a high-priority program now being accelerated.

A vastly expanded air-ground attack network, Deptula added, could very well extend to include weapons engagement authority implemented by air nodes at great distances. A more dispersed attack scheme, fortified by long-range weapons and sensors, can hold previously inaccessible targets at risk. An airborne F-35 fighter could, for instance, use its drone-like sensors to acquire a target seemingly out of reach for land-launched missiles and provide the Army weapons with target specifics. Even further, an F-35 might be engineered to cue or even launch ground weapons at a target it identifies. Deptula cited this example in terms of Air Force-Navy synergy.

“If an F-35 detects an enemy missile launch before an Aegis cruiser, the F-35 could engage and launch the interceptor missile that comes off of that Aegis cruiser,” he explained. “We can’t do this yet today, but this is where we need to be doing collective thinking about this vision as a common vision.”

— From the Mitchell Institute Policy Paper

— some background portions of this report were first published earlier this year —

— Kris Osborn, Managing Editor of WARRIORMAVEN (CLICK HERE) can be reached at krisosborn.ko@gmail.com–

Apple may be getting close to launching its long-awaited augmented reality headset, according to an influential analyst.

The report, from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and first obtained by Apple-focused website, MacRumors, says that the headset is likely to launch in the second quarter of 2020. He had previously expected the headset to launch in the latter part of next year.

Kuo did not mention the price of the headset, though the analyst did add that Apple would work with third-party brands for the wearable technology.

APPLE ATTACKED BY CHINA FOR KEEPING CROWDSOURCED POLICE ACTIVITY APP IN HONG KONG

The headset, which may be sold as an accessory to the iPhone, according to Kuo, has been rumored for several years.

In 2017, the iPhone maker filed a patent for a glasses-style device that harnesses augmented reality (AR), showing how the technology could work with a device and overlay information on real-world objects. In that case, the technology could be used in conjunction with a smartphone, but also with “semi-transparent spectacle or glasses” or both devices in tandem with each other.

Earlier this year, Apple also filed a patent for a mixed reality headset that could include sensors to track users’ facial features, eyes and hands. The patent, filed in March 2019 and known as Display System Having Sensors, indicates that Apple is researching how mixed (or augmented) reality might translate from cellphones to glasses.

Apple CEO Tim Cook made comments in 2016 that for a significant portion of the population in developed countries and eventually all countries, augmented reality experiences will be like “eating three meals a day.”

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

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Apple is under fire in China after an article in the state-owned media China Daily accused the tech giant of “helping [Hong Kong] rioters engage in more violence.”

The article criticizes the Tim Cook-led company for reversing a decision to ban the HKMaps app in its App Store, only to reallow it soon afterward, following a wave of public criticism.

“As a company with international influence, Apple has always enjoyed a high reputation,” the article reads. “A company has its own standards of conduct, but should also have its social responsibilities. If Apple abandons its responsibilities and let violent acts get worse, it puts more users at risk.”

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The article continues: “Business is business, and politics is politics. Nobody wants to drag Apple into the lingering unrest in Hong Kong. But people have reason to assume that Apple is mixing business with politics, and even illegal acts. Apple has to think about the consequences of its unwise and reckless decision.”

The app is being used by demonstrators to crowdsource information such as street closures and where police are located, using emojis. The app developer has previously denied it is being used for illegal purposes.

Last week, the Twitter account linked to the app noted that the app had been reinstated, writing the Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple “finally made the right decision.”

It followed that up with subsequent tweets noting that there would “not be any further comments on this matter.”

Apple did not immediately return a request for comment to Fox News.

China is an extremely important market for the iPhone maker, as the tech giant looks to offset slowing sales in its home market. In its most recent quarter, Greater China, which includes China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, accounted for $9.15 billion of its $53.8 billion quarterly revenue, or approximately 17 percent of quarterly revenue.

During the investor call to discuss the results, CEO Cook said the company “experienced noticeably better year-over-year comparisons for our iPhone business” in China, highlighting the “combined effects of government stimulus, consumer response to trade-in programs, financing offers, and other sales initiatives and growing engagement with the broader Apple ecosystem.”

The attack on Apple comes just one day after the Chinese government canceled a Brooklyn Nets event earlier this week and a Chinese state broadcaster reported that the country will no longer air preseason games played in China.

The decisions follow the recent controversy over a tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey that supported protesters in the Hong Kong riots.

Morey has since apologized for the tweet, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league “will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say on these issues.”

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Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. 

In 2018, Amazon’s share of the U.S. e-commerce market hit a whopping 49%. To put things in perspective, this amount is more than Amazon’s top three competitors combined, with eBay coming in at 6.6%, Apple at 3.9% and Walmart at 3.7%.

Why is Amazon so popular? All the perks that come with a Prime membership certainly help. Get free cloud storage, try clothes before you buy them, and download a ton of free movies and TV shows to watch on any device. Tap or click for 9 Amazon Prime perks you’re probably not using.

Many people are shocked when I tell them they have an Amazon profile that anyone can see. It’s automatically created (whether you want it or not) with your all your comments, ratings, wish lists, and other site interactions. Yes, really. Tap or click for step-by-step instructions on how to remove your public profile on Amazon.com.

As a society, we’ve use Amazon so much it’s now a verb. When you need something, you just say, “I’ll Prime it.” Everyone knows that means you’re buying it on Amazon. And here are 10 hidden tricks every savvy Amazon shopper needs to know.

1. Why is this delivered every month?

You’ve received an Amazon gift card that’s not for a whole lot of money, but you plan on using it someday. “Someday” comes when your budget is a little tight and you need to buy some mundane items.

Stop right there because this is where it gets tricky. Everyday items are often automatically set up to be purchased as a subscription. Diapers, vitamins and dog food are a few examples.

We’ve all been conditioned to think the gold button means an item goes into our cart or that it’s one-click buying. We’ve all made the mistake of not realizing we were actually setting up a subscription to get the product every month because Subscribe & Save is auto-selected.

When buying from Amazon, slow down and take a good look at the price box. If you only want it once, make sure to click “one-time purchase.”

Looking for even more pro tips to get the most out of your favorite gadgets and services? I can help! Try my free Tech Tips & How-Tos newsletter and get my trusted advice straight to your inbox.

2. Returns can be tricky

Let’s say you buy a sweater and it doesn’t fit, so you decide to return it right away. That’s easy — just click the Return or replace items button and follow the prompts.

If you return the product within the return window, shipping is sometimes free and you get a full refund or replacement. Or you can drop it off at a nearby Kohl’s.

But life often gets in the way and you forget to return that sweater. A month or two goes by before you remember, but this time there are no buttons directing you on how to return or replace the product. The return window has closed.

Don’t despair! Contact an Amazon customer service representative either by email, chat or phone. More often than not, unless a year has gone by or the product has been used extensively, Amazon will let you return it. You may be charged a shipping fee, but if you’re polite you may be able to talk your way out of it.

RELATED: Hidden fees can sneak up on your across the web — and on your next vacation. Those budget travel sites aren’t the only places taking extra costs onto your trip. Click or tap to see all the places buried fees add up.

3. It may not always be worth it

If the return window has been closed for a long time you may not be refunded the full amount of the item.  This is especially true if you purchased the product from a third-party vendor. So what are your options?

Your first step is to contact the seller to see if you can return the item with free shipping and a full refund or replacement. If you don’t get anywhere with the third-party, contact Amazon and let them know about the situation. Many times they can resolve the problem in a favorable manner.

At this point, you may be thinking this all sounds like a lot of work, especially if the item wasn’t very expensive. Why not consider gifting the sweater? At least you’ll save money on a birthday or Christmas present.

RELATED: Another ubiquitous name in tech? Netflix. If the streaming standby is feeling a little stale, try these new ways to search, view and organize its offerings to freshen up your queue. Click or tap for 4 secret Netflix hacks and 1 bonus tip you’ll wish you knew sooner.

4. Approach with care

Always remember and never forget: Amazon is flooded with fake reviews. ReviewMeta analyzed 203 million Amazon reviews and found 11.3% of them to be untrustworthy. Of course, with Amazon being such a huge marketplace, unverified reviews may still sneak in. You’ll find most fake reviews among no-name electronic products.

If a product only has all five-stars, steer toward a product with more balanced reviews. Fake reviews are big business,and that’s bad news for consumers. Click or tap for 3 warning signs to look for when browsing Amazon or any online shopping site.

5. Deals to become a Primer

Amazon Prime has a lot of perks, but let’s be honest, it is expensive. But remember, for about $155 a year you get free shipping, Amazon’s streaming service, deals on products non-Primers don’t have access to and much more.

Despite being a major conglomerate, Amazon is showing some heart. Students have long received some form of Prime discount. Currently, they get six-months free and then 50% off. Now, those with Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) or Medicaid cards can get Prime — and all its bells and whistles — for $5.99 a month.

6. Let your teen shop

Your kids eventually get to that age where you no longer have any idea what kind of clothes, books or music they like. So just let them have their own accounts. Kind of.

Under your account, your teen can set up his or her own sub-account so they can pick whatever they want. Don’t worry, you have the final say before an order is placed. Simply confirm your teen’s orders via text.

7. Find bargains on tech

Not everyone needs to get the latest smartphone or laptop in a pristine, unopened box. If a good deal is what’s important to you, shop the Amazon Warehouse for discounted open-box and refurbished tech. Not all of the products are used, either. Some may have been display models or review items. And you can get great deals on Apple products with the peace of mind that only Apple-certified technicians can refurbish a device. Don’t forget to take a look at Amazon’s Outlet section for deals on overstocked items.

RELATED: Amazon’s Alexa makes life convenient, but you don’t want her spying on everything you do or say. Tap or click for 3 essential privacy settings for your Echo.

8. Avoid porch pirates

Videos of strangers and even neighbors sneaking onto front porches to snatch Amazon deliveries that have just been dropped off are now common. You can avoid this by having your package delivered to a nearby Amazon Locker. Locations can be found when you select a shipping address during checkout or when you add a new address in Your Account.

Amazon’s Locker service operates in more than 900 cities and towns across the nation. Customers can pick up their packages or even return them at these self-service kiosks. Keep in mind that if you use the Locker option you only have three calendar days to pick up your package. If you don’t, it’s returned to Amazon and you receive a full refund.

9. Ask and maybe you’ll receive

You love the product, it’s everything you expected, but it took a long time to be delivered. You might be able to shave a few dollars off the price for the inconvenience.

Just contact customer support via phone, email or chat. Describe the problem and ask if you can get a few dollars back because it arrived so late. Hey, it never hurts to ask, especially if you ask politely.

10. No hurry at all

Unless you’re the kind of person who waits until the last minute, most of the time an item you buy on Amazon doesn’t need to be delivered the very next day — even if you are a Prime member. Prime members can take advantage of Amazon’s Free No-Rush shipping and get instant discounts or earn rewards that can go toward future orders. Patience is indeed a virtue.

BONUS TIP: 25 of the most useful Alexa skills you’ll use time and again

Like other virtual assistants, Amazon’s Alexa can provide you with basic information and features such as listening to music, checking the weather and setting timers for completing a task. But to expand Alexa’s knowledge, you have to enable apps, or skills. The goal is to make Alexa more personalized for its users.

You can also purchase products that are compatible with Alexa and Echo to raise your home’s artificial intelligence.

As the number of Alexa skills on Amazon explodes, so do the possibilities of what Alexa can do. Of all the skills out there, here are some that we think you’ll find helpful, fun and interesting.

Tap or click here for 25 Alexa skills you’re going to love.

What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to or watch the Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, television or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.

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Learn about all the latest technology on The Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com.

Twitter apologized on Monday after allowing a phrase that roughly translates to mean “Die Trump” briefly trend in Turkey.

“Mahvolursun Trump” began trending in the Middle Eastern nation after President Trump tweeted a threat that he would destroy Turkey’s economy if the country did anything “off limits” in Syria once U.S. soldiers withdraw from the area, according to Breitbart News.

The platform, which is led by Jack Dorsey, has come under fire from Democrats who claim it should do more to police hate speech and violent threats, and from Republicans, who claim it is biased against conservatives.

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A leader of Turkey’s liberal Patriotic Party responded to Trump, tweeting: “Mr. Trump you can destroy only USA” — along with the hashtag #MahvolursunTrump, which apparently started the trend on the platform.

Twitter aplogized for its “mistake” in a statement shared with Fox News via email on Tuesday.

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“This phrase should not have appeared in trends, and we’re sorry for this mistake. At times, we do prevent certain content from trending and we have done so with this trend,” the Twitter spokesperson said.