7 Tips for Saving Money on Gadgets

A recent article here on The Gadgets Blog told you about ten gadgets that can help you save money. But how do you save money on gadgets in general? Here are seven tips for getting the gadgets that you want without spending more than you can afford:
1. Create a budget and stick to it. The number one way to make sure that you don’t overspend on gadgets is to make sure that you have a family budget and that you don’t exceed it.

2. Be a second wave adopter. It is certainly fun to be an early adopter of new technology (the new iPad anyone?) but this also means that you’re going to pay the highest price for the product. Wait a couple of months and most gadget prices will go down.

3. Don’t be afraid to buy used gadgets. Those early adopters that do pay a lot for their new products often try to recoup their losses by selling their gently used gadgets to others. You can often get a like-new item for a much lower cost. Always make sure that you shop with reputable sellers and get information on warranties when buying any gadget online.

4. Sell the gadgets that you aren’t using anymore. Every time that you replace one gadget with another you should sell the old one. This offsets the cost of the new purchase.

5. Choose gadgets that serve multiple purposes. Single-function gadgets are fun but they are often a waste of money. Get products that do more than one thing. For example, get a smartphone that doubles as a digital camera and a GPS and you don’t need to buy those other items separately.

6. Use promotional codes when shopping online. There are discount codes for most gadgets that you’ll want to purchase. Take the time to find one that will reduce the cost of your purchase.

7. Buy gadgets with a good rewards credit card. Get a good cash back rewards card and pay off the purchase immediately to avoid interest charges. Many cards offer higher rates of cash back on seasonal categories so hold out until the season when you get the most back on gadgets and do your buying then.

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5 Reasons Why Gaming Accessories are Right for Everyone in the World

It doesn't matter whether you're playing Hello Kitty Island Adventures, browsing the internet, or rocking hardcore World of Warcraft – you should take a serious look at gaming accessories and peripherals for your computer. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Gaming Accessories are Sexy.

Gaming accessories always look cooler. Just look at the image with this post. Does your mouse look that cool? I suspect, sir or madam, that is does not. Girls love a guy with a sexy gaming mouse. It's true. Guys will probably want to use it, too. Win-win.

2. Cool Features

Have you ever sat down at a desk and had a mouse jump around with the sensitivity way too high? Or have you ever used a mouse that was tuned so low that it crawled across the screen? Gaming mice usually have a feature where you can change mouse speed with the click of a button – no menus or setting needed.

Some mice also allow you to add weight cartridges, so you can fine-tune the weight to your liking. Others might allow you to play in either wired or wireless mode.

3. Durability

Gaming accessories are really made to last. Back-lit keyboards are designed to endure nerd rage! The back-lit keys never fade, can endure slamming, take multiple inputs, and hey... it's back-lit. (see reason 1) Headsets and mice are constructed with similar durability.

4. Ergonomics

Because gaming mice command a signifcant portion of the market, manufacturers are under pressure to make them comfortable over the long-term. Gamers demand something that won't wear their hand out after days of play.

5. Similar Cost

Gaming accessories like keyboards, mice, and headsets are not much more expensive than regular accessories. The Logitech G500, for example, can be found online for about $45. It lasts forever, tracks accurately, has a weight cartridge, and is amazingly comfortable.

Whether you're a gamer or not, I always strongly suggest starting with gaming accessories before wasting money on a keyboard or mouse that is uncomfortable and poorly constructed.

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Electronic Digital Signage Can Convey Information Efficiently

In this fast paced and busy world, people appreciate communication and information. Reliable information is often hard to come by and yet it can make life much simpler and easier. For instance, a person waiting for a train at a station platform appreciates information relating to when the train is expected, if it is late or running slightly early and if there are any delays on the track. Other appreciated information may include where the ‘quiet’ carriage is located for those who would like to do some work in a peaceful environment on their journey and for those who are suffering from hunger pangs, where the buffet cart is located on the train. However it can be difficult to convey such large amounts of information to a large group of people at any one time. This is why many companies today are investing in electronic digital signage.

Electronic digital signage allows information to be displayed to a large group of people with ease and efficiency. Electronic digital signage is used in a wide variety of places for a diverse range of reasons. It is used in train stations, post offices, cinemas, bus stations, shopping venues and large events grounds. Electronic digital signage basically refers to a digital sign which can be altered and changed by a main computer system. This digital sign can display relevant information to those people who will see the sign. This can be used in queue systems, for example, electronic digital signage may be used at a bus station to convey to people waiting in queue which bus will next arrive, its destination and perhaps even how long the next bus will be. Electronic digital signage may also be found in shopping stores at checkouts to convey which checkout is available to the waiting customers as part of modern and effective queue systems. Cinemas also employ electronic digital signage to show people which film is on next and when the next one will start, how many tickets are available and which screen the film might be showing in.

There are many reasons to invest in digital signage for any business. Digital signage far surpasses hand written signs or permanent signs, as a digital sign can be changed as often as needed to display new information to people. Electronic digital signage also puts people at ease and leads to less frustration and anger when people may have to wait for a service. For instance, someone waiting for a train is more likely to become angry if they have not been told the train will be delayed, or by how long. If a person is informed beforehand that the train may be delayed and by how long they may feel more in control of the situation and become less frustrated. Without a doubt, electronic digital signage is a vital asset for any company or business in this fast paced and busy world in which we live and in which people of all sorts thrive off information and knowledge about events. Investing in digital signage may lead to happier and more contented customers.

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10 Gadgets to Help You Save Money

There are plenty of gadgets out there that will entertain and amaze you, but what about a gadget that can do something we’re all trying to do more of – save money. Plus, these 10 gadgets won’t just be able to save you money, they’ll also still be unique and amazing too.
1 – DIY monitoring system

If you wanted to have a video monitoring system set up to enhance security at your place, a professionally installed system could cost you up to $2,000. However, you can make your own video monitoring system with a few affordable gadgets, and save yourself that money.

To make a monitoring system you can use to view your house while you are away, or at work, you simply need enough web cams to capture the places you want to watch, some wiring and some free software which you can easily download from the internet. To allow you to monitor your home from wherever you are, and record the film for archiving, you will need to connect your system to a wireless router. This system won’t cost you more than $200 and could cost as little as $50 if you already have some of the equipment, saving you thousands compared to a professionally installed system.

2 – Digital photos

With digital cameras so small and easy to use, and high resolution cameras on most mobile phones, you undoubtedly have a lot of your family’s important moments documented photographically. Instead of just saving these photos to your hard drive and forgetting about them, let your digital camera save you money by putting those photos to work.

You can buy photo paper for your home printer relatively inexpensively, plus many department stores have systems where you can very cheaply edit and print your own images. You can then turn your family snap shots into birthday, Christmas or Mothers’ Day gifts for example, blowing up photos to poster size, framing photos or making cards.

3 – Computer entertainment

You probably think of your computer as a gadget which costs you money, rather than one which can save you money, but when you look at all of the entertainment options available on your home computer, you will start to find a myriad of ways to save. For example, you can go to the websites of your favourite television networks and watch TV shows and movies for free – and legally. You won’t have to pay for a cable connection and you can save on movie rentals.

4 – Internet calling

Get back on your computer to save even more money, this time on your phone bill. There are a number of free programs and systems which you can sign up to, to make calls over the internet for free. For example, if you sign up for a free Google Voice account you can send text messages and make and receive phone calls just by adding a headset. Skype may be better suited to your free calling needs if you make a lot of international calls, and you can also use a webcam with your Skype account. By using your computer for all of your calls, you may even be able to do away with a landline phone all together.

5 – eReaders

Gadgets such as the iPad or the Tablet are more of a significant initial investment, but if you look at the capabilities they have with regards to reading magazines, newspapers and books, you can cancel all of your subscriptions and purchase eBooks for a fraction of the price you’ll find in a book store. Plus, if you connect to a Wi-Fi network you won’t have to use up all of the data allowance on your phone plan to download your reading materials.

6 – Coffee machine

Anyone who needs a regular caffeine hit knows that they can make their coffee for less than $4 a cup, but when you pass that cafe on your way to work, the temptation is hard to resist. That is unless you pass the cafe with a coffee already in your hand – one you have made at home with your own coffee machine. You probably have a coffee machine, percolator or even a plunger at home somewhere, and even if you don’t as you save on bought coffee costs each day, your gadget will pay for itself very soon.

7 – Flash drive

You can purchase a simple flash drive, or USB memory stick for as little as $20 to save you on the cost of CDs and DVDs to use as backups, or the even more significant cost of an external hard drive. You will also save time with your files all easily accessible on one drive, plus you can keep using your flash drive by deleting the old backups and replacing them with new ones, unlike CDs or DVDs which can be burned to only once.

8 – Sensor lights

Many people have sensor lights in their driveway so they can find their way to the door safely when getting home late, but what about inside. Adding an automatic lights out switch to your internal lights can save you yelling ‘who left the lights on in here’ when you walk into yet another empty, but flood lit room. Sensor lights can be set to turn off in 1, 5, 15 or 30 minutes after detecting movement so that you truly only use the lights in the rooms which are being used.

9 – Personal energy generator

Have you ever wondered how much energy you use running around all day at work, or after the kids? Well if everyone who owns a mobile phone used their own momentum to power their phones electricity needs would drop by 25.4 million kilowatts, which equates to the amount of power used by 21,000 households in a year.

With the Personal Energy Generator you can put it in your handbag, briefcase or backpack and the gadget will collect all of your kinetic energy, which you can later use to charge your phone, iPod or other mobile device. A Personal Energy Generator is an investment of around $150 but you will be saving on the power you use charging your devices, plus you’ll be saving the planet.

10 – Air purifying light bulb

We have all heard of energy saving light bulbs, and many people have made the switch already, but the newest money saving gadget is an energy saving light bulb which also purifies your air. The light bulb lasts up to 10 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb and also removes smoke, pet dander, odours and dust from the air. You will be paying around $20 for two bulbs, but you will be saving on your family’s health, and on power usage.

Athuor: Alban is a contributing author at Home Loan Finder, a home loan comparison website.

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Facts you must know about analog and digital TV

Television has become one of the most important gadgets in the modern world. It has evolved with time. From the analog TV sets to digital TV sets, these gadgets really have taken the world by the storm. You must know the basic details of these TV sets so that you can understand the difference between an analog television set and a digital television (DTV) set.

What are the difference between an analog TV and a DTV?
The DTV has really taken over the much basic analog TV broadcasting. The DTV provides much better broadcasting quality than the analog does. The digital broadcasting offers much better sound and picture quality. This allows the stations to provide better visual and audio quality. The digital broadcasting also allows a lot of other advantages apart from this. Apart from one analog program, a digital broadcaster can provide one very High Definition (HD) analog program and many other Standard Definition (SD) analog programs at the same time. A broadcaster can offer both video and data services that weren’t possible with analog broadcaster.

What one needs for a DTV picture reception?

A person can go for either of the two:

A TV set with a digital tuner

Or

An analog TV set which is connected to a digital-to-analog converter box.

You’ll need a suitable antenna that is connected to the TV set or the converter box. That can be external antenna or an internal one. So, it completely depends upon you. If you already have a digital set, you just don’t need any additional equipment except for the antenna. You must have all the equipments that you need for digital broadcasting. That can be integrated or may be available separate. The analog sets that have digital-to-analog converter box can very well help you give that digital reception but not that good as the real digital broadcasting.

Just remember that if you want to convert your analog TV to a digital one, get all the knowledge beforehand so that you don’t mess up later on. There are a lot of ways you can manage to do that and it’s not that tough. You can also ask your friends and relatives about these things.

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4 Awesome Wi-Fi gadgets that you should know about

In today’s world, having a Wi-Fi gadget is no more considered to be a status symbol. In the last ten years or so, people have grown a strong affinity for technologically advanced gadgets and the easy availability of the same has also increased their popularity among the masses.
Today’s electronic market is flooded with a variety of gadgets and it really becomes tough for an average person to make a choice. These devices are undoubtedly a geek’s ‘dream come true’, but at the same time the gadgets need to be selected with a little expertise and know how. Read on to know about 4 really cool and awesome Wi-Fi gadgets, available in today’s markets.

4 Awesome Wi-Fi gadgets

1. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ50S - Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ50S is a 9.1 mega pixel digital camera that comes equipped with a built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. Other features of the camera also include a 10X optical zoom as well as 1 year free of charge Internet access available at T-Mobile Hotspot. After you connect it to the Internet, you can use Google's Picasa Web Album so as to upload and/or edit photos and mail them to your pals.

2. Apple iPad – Since its inception in the second quarter of 2010, this amazing product, courtesy Steve Jobs, has taken the world by the storm. The Apple iPad has Wi-Fi connection and thus this touch screen tablet device has gained a considerable amount of fan following from across the globe.

3. Barnes & Noble Nook E-Reader – This is a fabulous gadget that surpasses its closest competitor, since it includes the Wi-Fi facility. The Barnes & Noble Nook E-Reader has a bright, colorful screen and you can access a million book titles as well as a total of 500,000 free books with this device. This is a fabulous gadget and the Wi-Fi application makes it even more special and more popular.
4. Sony PSP-3000 - Here is something that all the game enthusiasts would die for. You would be able to play all the latest games on this hand held gaming console. What more, this gadget also has Wi-Fi connectivity and therefore can be used as an access to a variety of online activities.

Wi-Fi gadgets are gradually changing our perspective of electronic gadgets and gizmos and at the same time they are making our imaginations into reality. Now that’s what should be called a modernized form of evolution!

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