Friday, September 27, 2013

Easy Ways to Get Lots of Money in GTA V

Lets face it, everyone playing GTA V wants to get super-rich in a short amount of time. That was much easier to do in GTA IV because of all the cheats available, but in GTA V you are able to make loads of cash all the same. Here is a collection of some of the best videos on the web describing how to make money quickly in the newest Grand Theft Auto:















Comment with which ever way of earning lots of cash worked best for you!

Saturday, September 21, 2013

The New iPhones are Awesome but is it Time to Upgrade?

If you haven't already heard, the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C were released yesterday (September 20th) and they are pretty cool.

First, lets talk about the iPhone 5S. Apple took the liberty of appealing to both techies and the average consumer. The new fingerprint sensor on the home button allows you to get into the phone without entering a passcode. In reality, unless you are carrying very sensitive data on your iPhone, this feature is more of something that is just awesome than absolutely necessary. Still, you can add support for multiple fingers and other people's fingers just in case you want to let your friends or family get into your phone whenever you are not there. Also, the color gold has been added to the traditional black and white colors. For techies, a 64-bit processor, a better camera, and a longer-lasting battery have all been added.

The new iPhone 5S backside
The iPhone 5C is the first new iPhone to be released for under $199. The true reason for this is is that it is cheaper to manufacture because of its plastic casing. With this new casing comes five different colors (maybe the C in iPhone 5C stands for 5 colors?): White, Pink, Yellow, Blue, and Green. The iPhone 5C has all the same specs as the iPhone 5 except it has a longer battery life and it weighs 0.7 ounces more (due to the plastic casing).

All of the colors of the iPhone 5C are shown above


So now comes the question, is it time to upgrade? If you have an iPhone 5 and it is working fine, waiting till the iPhone 6 comes out (rumors say it will be released in early-mid 2014) to upgrade is the smartest thing to do. If you have an iPhone 4S or iPhone 4, you should absolutely upgrade to either an iPhone 5C or iPhone 5S. The real decision when choosing which iPhone, 5C or 5S, to buy is whether you want one of the bright new colors or you want a much faster iPhone with a fingerprint sensor. You can check out the hands-on videos of both below, and if you choose to upgrade, comment with which one you decided to go with!





Tuesday, September 3, 2013

iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C to be Announced on September 10th

Apple has officially invited the media to a keynote presentation on September 10th. Like all of the previous iPhone announcements, people have been buzzing for weeks about the fact that an official revealing would occur on September 10th, so even though the secret was not well kept, it is now confirmed. It is expected that Apple will reveal two different types of iPhone: iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S.

The iPhone 5S is said to have a faster processor, improved battery-life, a fingerprint sensor on the home button (for added security and the fact that it would be awesome), and will come in a new champagne-gold color.

Leaked photos of the iPhone 5S
The iPhone 5C is rumored to be the more affordable iPhone. Its exterior will be made of plastic and it will come in a variety of different colors (blue, green, white, and yellow). Most analysts believe the iPhone 5C will be put on the market to replace the older, but still selling though in low-demand, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s.

Leaked photos of the iPhone 5C
Amidst all of the rumors one thing is for certain, we are all eagerly awaiting Apple's September 10th announcement!

Monday, July 29, 2013

Chromecast will be Google's Next Hit Product

Chromecast, in simplest terms a flashdrive-sized device that you plug into your TV to turn it into a "smart" TV, is the newest contender in the field of devices that allow your television to stream content from the internet. Let me say one important thing right now, Google will no doubt hit it big with this product.



At only $35, Chromecast is definitely the cheapest internet-streaming device on the market (Roku's cheapest model is $49.99 and you can find it here). For most of us, it provides everything we could want added to our TV: Netflix, Youtube, Chrome (Google's internet browser), and Google Play (where you can buy movies, music, TV shows, and more). If you have an Android device, you can display your device's screen right on the screen of your television (similar to Apple's Airplay). Also, for both Android and iOS users alike, you can browse what to watch, adjust the volume, and control playback straight from your phone and/or tablet). If you are looking to enhance your TV experience, then Chromecast is definitely for you.

You can buy Chromecast for only $35 here: Chromecast by Google

The Cheapest Way to Buy Chargers

Did you happen to lose your iPhone charger again? Don't worry because you will not have to spend $19 to replace it through Apple. Odds are, before seeing this, you have never thought of using Ebay to buy an iPhone/iPad/Mac/any other device charger. Well you are in luck because on Ebay the cost of an iPhone 5 charger is only $4.99 (or some cases $5.99). Shipping is almost always included in the price and sometimes even a car charger is included.

Now are you ready to get another charger?

iPhone 5 chargers on Ebay

iPhone 4 chargers on Ebay

Mac Chargers on Ebay

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Candy Crush Saga is Not What it Seems

By this time, if you have an iPhone, iPad, or are a member of a Facebook, I am sure you have heard of Candy Crush Saga. For over a month now, it has been in the top 5 apps on Apple's App Store and is popular among people of all ages. Its addictive gameplay, cute graphics, and amazing price (free) makes everybody want to download it. Even the icon (shown below) makes you want to have it on your iPhone's home screen. All of this is true until you really start playing.


You beat the first 15 levels easily, no retries needed. Then you start losing sometimes and have to retry some levels. Eventually you come to the point where it says you have to wait 30 minutes before retrying, or you can ask your Facebook friends for more lives, or you can buy more lives right away through an in-app purchase. Well, you decided to wait the half-hour and keep playing and all is fine and dandy, right? Wrong! At some point, your addicted mind will keep you involved in this game until you reach level 35. Why did I specifically mention level 35? Because that is the last level that you can play unless you get your Facebook friends to help you out, or you pay $0.99 to unlock the next episode through an in-app purchase. So already you can see the scheme that is going on, but still it get worse... you have to keep paying or getting your Facebook friends to help you if you want to keep on unlocking new episodes (sets of levels).

King.com (the creators of this game) know that out of the millions of people that play their game, some will pay to unlock the episodes. How did they get these millions of people to play their game? Through the players who went through their Facebook friends to get extra retries or to unlock new episodes. By sharing that you are playing Candy Crush on Facebook, the whole world gets to see the game and learn about what Candy Crush Saga seems to be.

You keep playing the game, despite the whole money-making purpose of it, and eventually you see the charms in the top-left corner (inside the Yeti Shop). They look all cute and very helpful, and they only cost a merely $16.99, $24.99, and $39.99. Once again, out of the millions of people who play this game, some suckers will pay for these charms.

If you couldn't already tell, I will make my point plain and simple. King.com is like a meth dealer. They start you off for free, but once you are addicted, they get you to pay. So if you are smart and don't want to risk being a sucker for King.com, stay away from Candy Crush Saga.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Roku 3 vs Vizio Co-Star vs Apple TV

You have a Netflix account and you are tired of sitting in your bed to watch movies on your iPad, right? Well your top three options for being able to watch Netflix, use Pandora, and more in your living room are the Roku 3, Vizio Co-Star, and the Apple TV. Though Roku does offer cheaper models, these three devices all cost $99, so the price will not be playing a major factor in which is more worth buying. Below you can see the details about each device, and a video of each one in action. Before anything though, you should know that all the devices allow you to use Pandora, Netflix, and Hulu Plus. Also, all the devices have a smartphone/tablet app that lets you control them if you don't have the remote handy.

Roku 3:

-Plug headphones into the Roku remote so you can watch TV without disturbing others in the room
-Access and play music through your Amazon Cloud Player and Spotify accounts
-Play games such as Angry Birds using the remote with motion-control
-Can stream a movie using less power than a nightlight



Vizio Co-Star:

-Turns your TV into a "Google TV"
-Access to thousands of Apps (including Youtube and Wikipedia)
-The Co-Star's remote has a keyboard so it is easy to type in names of movies/shows you would like to watch
-Play video games on demand through OnLive
-Search the web right on your TV


Apple TV:

-Play music and movies from your iTunes library
-Play Youtube videos
-Very simple remote
-View the game/movie that you are playing on your iPad on your TV using AirPlay
-Access to iCloud


Right now, for $99, the Vizio Co-Star seems like the best option for the ultimate TV experience. If you are looking for a cheaper device that does not much more than play Netflix movies and songs from Pandora, than Roku offers cheaper versions of their device called the Roku LT ($49.99, 720p video) and Roku HD ($59.99, 1080p video).

If you are interested in buying one of these TV enhancing devices, follow one of the links below:

Roku 3 (and other models): http://shop.roku.com
Vizio Co-Star: http://store.vizio.com/costar.html
Apple TV: http://www.apple.com/appletv/what-is/

Xbox One vs Playstation 4

Yesterday, both the Xbox One and Playstation 4 (PS4) had their big reveals at E3. Both of these consoles were announced earlier this year at separate events, but E3 is where they are really shown off. Of course now comes the dilemma that we as gamers face, which console is better and should we buy? The table below compares the two consoles side by side, so you can see which one you should get when they are released.


Xbox One Playstation 4 Which is better?
The Price $499 $399 PS4
How It Looks Rectangular VCR Slanted VCR PS4
Able to Play Used Games Some games (more details below) Yes any, with no restrictions PS4
Needs Internet Connection Yes, must connect to Internet once a day No PS4
Able to Use Netflix Yes Yes Tie
Able to Play Blu-Ray Yes Yes Tie
Able to use Voice Control Yes No Xbox One
Motion Sensor Kinect, comes with the console PS-Eye is sold seperately ($60) Xbox One

So as we can see, the Playstation 4 is better in the key categories. Regarding used games, some Xbox One games will come with a one-time registration code so that being able to resell them will not be possible. Also, when you think about it, odds are you will be connected to the Internet to play online or watch Netflix anyway, so the factor regarding connecting to the Internet at least once a day for the Xbox One is not as big as it may seem. The other key idea to remember is that Xbox One will get priority with certain games such as Call of Duty: Ghosts and Minecraft: Xbox One Edition.

So all in all, which one should you get when they are released? Right now, the Playstation 4 because it is one-hundred dollars less and does pretty much all the same things as the Xbox One. If however, the price of the Xbox One comes down, then the Xbox One is certainly the next-generation gaming console to buy.

You can see videos of both being revealed below: 

Xbox One:


Playstation 4:

Monday, June 10, 2013

Changing the Color Scheme/Background Image for Terminal

Sometimes, when you are in the middle of entering unix commands, the fact that Terminal is so bland hits you. It is just a boring white window with black text. Believe it or not, straying from this boringness is much easier than you would think. All you have to do is launch the Terminal app, click "Terminal" in the menu bar, click "Preferences", click "Settings", click "Window", and you are now at the menu where you can pick from the varying default styles, or you can create your own. To add your own color-scheme or background image, click the "+" in the bottom-left corner.
^^^^ The plus is right above those carets
Then you can choose an image from your computer or pick colors to make your Terminal window fit you. 

Finally, to change which style Terminal window is initially shown when the Terminal app is launched, go to the "Startup" section (with the green flag above it) and select your, or one of the default, custom Terminal style.


Using Terminal to Play Tetris

Being able to play the classic game of Tetris from within Terminal is much simpler than you would think. First, open up the Terminal app. Next type "emacs" (without the quotation marks) and press enter. Then press escape and type "x" (without the quotation marks). Finally, type "tetris" (without the quotation marks) in all lower-case letters, press enter, and enjoy playing Tetris!

iOS 7 Announced

If you weren't already aware, today marks the start of Apple's annual World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC). This is where, every year, Apple reveals what they have in store for the new operating systems (among other things) for their devices such as the iPhone and iPad. Today, they announce iOS 7, the next version of the software that powers your iPhone.

iOS 7 completely redefines Apple's trademark look for the software their devices run by changing the interface and adding a ton of new features.

Check out the video below to see a preview of iOS 7 in action:





Blogger or Wordpress?

This is the first question we all ask ourselves when starting a blog: Blogger or Wordpress?. As you are probably ready to start your new blog already, I will get right into answering it. 
    
Assuming that you are new to blogging, you probably would rather use a free service over a paid one (at least for the time being). Wordpress.com and Blogger are probably your two best options. The key difference between the two, and probably the ultimate reason why you decide on either one or other, is the customization. Wordpress.com comes with many beautiful templates that fit all styles of blogs, while Blogger has very few templates. This being said, Wordpress.com does not allow HTML customization (or ads that you put in), while Blogger does allow both HTML customization and your own ads. 
     
So for your first blog, if you are more interested in having a very nice-looking blog, I would go with Wordpress.com, but if you think you may be interested in having ads in your blog, your best bet is Blogger.

Both of the websites links are below so feel free to check these sites out and good luck with your blog!