Electronics
“Buying the right computer and getting it to work properly is no more complicated than building a nuclear reactor from wristwatch parts in a darkened room using only your teeth.” Dave Barry
"For almost every program you purchase, there is a free alternative that is just as good or better. I have been in the IT business for over 20 years, and I use free programs at home. Using free software has saved me thousands of dollars over the years. And each new version and updates to these programs are also free." Clark Howard
TIPS:
Do comparison shopping before you buy. Try InvisibleHand which is a browser plug in that automatically pops up an alert while you are shopping if a better price is available on another website.
PHONES:
Buy an Android instead of an iPhone
Buy a protective case for your phone
Cancel your traditional phone contract and use pay as you go or a no contract plan that will allow you to shop around and switch anytime you find a better deal
Use Internet messaging and calling apps instead of your phone and text messaging
Use a comparison tool: phone and plan comparison tool.
TV:
use and over the air antenna for local channels in combination with streaming services
Find free streaming TV content
Go to the library and borrow free movies
Rent movies or series to supplement the above
MUSIC:
Use free streaming music
COMPUTERS:
Buy refurbished. Best deals are for a refurbished Chromebook.
BOOKS/NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINES:
Library lets you borrow books, newspapers, magazines and also you can get books from other branches. You can also download eBooks and audio-books and magazines from home.
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Get Chrome OS Flex for PC or Mac: Chrome OS Flex is a free and sustainable way to modernize devices you already own
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7 Free Video Call Services to Keep You Connected: Feeling disconnected from friends and family? Give one of these free services a try and stay in touch with your loved ones!
7 Best Free Cloud Storage Options
21 Ways to Tame Your Tech Budget - Consumer Reports
Android user switching to Apple or vice versa? Here's how
Video Streaming Services That Let You Cut Cable TV - Consumer Reports
InvisibleHand gets you the lowest price on shopping and flights. Automatically. InvisibleHand shows a discreet notification when there are lower prices available on the product or flight you are shopping for.
How to Lower Your Internet Bill | Money Talks News
hotspot plan from your cellphone. Tmobile and Sprint have good deals.
it's free ....simple video calling app that brings you face-to-face with all the people that matter most.
Apple and google are offering games based on subscription basis. You pay a monthly fee and you get a number of games you can play for free with no adds: check Apple Arcade - Apple and Google Play Pass
It offers Video chatting across different devices.
Electronic Store buying guide from Consumer Reports
with unlimited local and long distance calling, caller ID, call waiting, voice mail)
you can get a prepaid cell phone and data plan with no hidden fees or contracts. ... Total Wireless's no-contract plans let you pay for what you need and no more. ...
Google Voice gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail as easy as email, free US long distance, low rates on international calls, and many calling features like transcripts, call ... is a free service that allows anyone with a Gmail address to make phone calls, get voicemail, and send texts for free. Users aren’t just confined to their laptops either, thanks to Google Voice’s support for iOS and Android. How to Get a Google Voice Number for Free in Seconds
high speed internet with phone service)
Looking to save $ and ditch cable? Look into digital antenas over the air.. go to
antennaweb.org. Put the street address were you live and this site will tell you
what kind of antenna you need. Also look for reviews online before buying a
specific antenna.
Stay on top of deals by checking DealNews,a comparison shopping website for consumer electronics, apparel, and other products
To buy used refurbished computers go to www.usedcomputer.com.
To buy refurbished or used electronics go to Microcenter a retail chain with a vast stock of computers & parts, plus software, gaming supplies & electronics or go to Cowboom, a Best Buy company offering closeout prices on brand-name new, pre-owned and refurbished electronics. Make sure to check its warranty in case you need to return the merchandise.
www.bestpriceink.com has great discounts on printer ink cartridges including all major brands.
www.gotapex.com is a portal to hot deals mostly on electronics, computers and software.
Find free software like antivirus programs or software to edit your photos at www.thefreesite.com
Recycle your electronics. The Consumer Electronics Association created the website http://greenergadgets.org where you find a recycling resource in your area.
There are also some companies and organizations (refurbishers) that will take computers that are less than five years old that are still in working order and will donate them to a school or non-profit. To find a refurbisher near you go to www.electronicsrecycling.com. Also many manufacturers will recycle previously used computers regardless of their age or origin.
Save 50% on a computer laptop or desktop by getting a used one that’s been refurbished by a major manufacturer. Find them at www.dell.com and www.apple.com or www.hp.com You may get refurbished flat screen TV’s too at the above dell or hp website too.
Get a refurbished apple iPod saving 38% at www.apple.com and go to store and then click or refurbished iPod under special deals heading.
Since 1997, Silicon Solar has been a family-run business delivering high-end and affordable solar solutions to more than 140,000 customers in more than 82 nations around the world. Go to www.siliconsolar.com for more information.
The Trevor Bayliss Eco-media player is an MP3 and video player that does not use batteries. You just turn up the hand-crank for a minute and you will get 40 minutes of power. Get it at www.ethicalsuperstore.com
Get all kinds of electronics at the affordable way at www.tigerdirect.com and www.amazon.com
More about green technology at www.localcooling.com
Log on to www.fixya.com for free fix it advice to fix anything. Just ask. If your problem is not listed just post a new query.
Find cheap phone services or cheap ways to call to and from the USA, check these options:
1) Ooma
2) magicjack.com - Official magicJack® GO
3) International Sim Cards | Data Sim |GO SIM
4) Pingo.com - Pingo™ Official Site
WhatsApp Messenger or simply WhatsApp is an American freeware, cross-platform messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) service owned by Facebook, Inc. It allows users to send text messages and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other media.
Check best home phone services by Clark.com
Adobe's Photoshop CS3 is the premier image-editing application, but its $650 price tag is practically a king's ransom. Fortunately, there are several free alternatives available. For simple image editing, Paint.net more than suffices. Originally developed as a senior project at the University of Washington, Paint.net has since grown into a simple, yet effective image editor. If your picture editing needs are fairly straightforward, get Paint.net at http://www.getpaint.net. If you need something more powerful, you can try the famous GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) image editor. Like Paint.net, it originally began as a student project at the University of California. While it lacks some of Photoshop's more esoteric features, the GIMP is nonetheless a powerful and complex image-manipulation tool. You can obtain it from http://www.gimp.org.
Pixlr X is a powerful, free photo editing tool
Photoshop too expensive? Use these free alternatives instead
You can submit any question about a computer problem or question at www.protonic.com and you will get a prompt answer from a volunteer expert.
If you need assistance with computer problems go to http://forums.techguy.org and for any other computer problem try also www.5starsupport.com
You can play computer games at no cost if you go to www.freegames.ws You can find games for young for older kids go to http://yahoo.com (search for games)
You may be able to trade old electronics for new ones (like cell phones, computers or digital camera) at some of the best known electronics retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Circuit City, Tiger Direct and Staples. Just ask!
Find the cheapest computers and electronics by using www.reviewgist.com for free reviews and price comparisons.
www.hulu.com offer access to TV shows and films
www.spamfighter.com can help you your e-mail filter out unwanted mail.
This free tool bar at www.siteadvisor.com will help you thwart phishing.
Destroy deleted files by using file shredding software like Eraser which is free at www.eraser.heidi.ie
How to turn an old laptop into a chromebook