Apple Inc. Said to be Buying Beats Electronics

Apple Inc. is reportedly buying Beats Electronic for $3.2 billion, which would be the highest amount of money spent on an acquisition in Apple's history. The biggest question being asked at the moment is not whether the deal will fall through but, what is Apple's reasoning behind this multibillionaire acquisition? Many music enthusiasts or even Apple enthusiasts would answer this with a simple statement: Apple earbuds, or Apple speakers in general, are low quality and Beats earbuds, or Beats anything for that matter, are high quality. The real answer actually lies in the realm of products that Beats Electronic offers and what Beats Electronic has done to essentially revolutionize the headphone industry.

Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones (picture from prior to 2012). After 2012, Beats Electronic LLC started manufacturing its products in-house rather than using Monster Cable Products Inc. for manufacturing.

The Beats Electronic company was founded in 2008 by rapper Dr. Dre and Interscope Records chairman Jimmy Iovine. The company's first product, Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones, debuted later that year. Prior to the emergence of this product, mainstream headphones were becoming a thing of the past as earbuds began to take hold in the mass market. However, the company's promotional tactics relied on celebrity endorsements and product placement. Soon after this marketing approach took hold, the company's popularity skyrocketed. Headphones were no longer soly used by outdated techies and studio music producers/musicians. In 2011, Beats Electronic reached around $500 million in annual sales. A few months ago, the company released a Spotify-like payed music streaming service called Beats Music that Apple may also be taking an interest in.

An Apple Inc. acquisition of Beats Electronic means that most Apple products can be equipped with superior audio technology. This also means that Apple gets the rights to Beats Music and can therefore incorporate it directly into iTunes. For anyone who enjoys listening to music or enjoys using Apple products in general, this acquisition, assuming it goes through, seems nothing short of awesome.

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!

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!

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!

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

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.