Deals of The Week Wednesday!

Welcome to our first Deals Of The Week Wednesday for 2015!

* First up, make sure to check out Best Buy’s outlet clearance for up to 60% off a selection of clearance, open-box, refurbished and pre-owned items. Get in-store pick up unless your items are worth more than $35, in which case you get free shipping, however some items are only available in-store. Sale ends January 17th!

* Get yourself a nice new TV for 2015!  Get a LG 70″ LED  1080p 3D Smart TV for $1999.99 from Groupon.

*Like deals all the time? Like lots and lots of bulk items? Get a  1-Year Sam’s Club Membership PLUS a $25 Sam’s Club Gift Card (with a Facebook share) for just $45 (In-Store Only). Deal only live until January 31st.

*If you’re gonna get sh*t done in 2015, you gotta have sh*t charged!  Get 3D Luxe 10 Ft. MFi-Certified Apple Lightning Charge and Sync Fabric Cables for just  $13.99 from Groupon. 

* That 70 inch tv too expensive? How about a 50″ Vizio  1080pSmart LED HDTV  for just $499.99 PLUS Free Shipping or Free Store Pickup at Best Buy

*Get your language on with Rosetta Stone Level 1–4 in English or French for $179.99 from Groupon. 

* Get your good self to Staples for  $30 Off $150+ Orders using Visa Checkout, Limit 1 per customer. Expires 1/31/15

*Get your game on with a Wii U 32GB Black Deluxe Set PLUS Super Mario 3D World & Nintendo Land for just $270 with free shipping from eBay

There you have it! 2015 deals are looking pretty good so far, and we hope to bring you some STELLAR deals in the months to come! And if you’re in need of any cash to get your hands on these deals, how about selling that stinky old iPhone that’s lying in that bedroom drawer? We’ll take it off your hands and exchange it for cash in no time!

Tech of the week! Check out Charitweet!

Right now at iPhone Antidote, we’re all about creating good in the world, and here is a great way to contribute to that.

Charitweet is a fantastic way to empower your social network as a force for good in the world, providing you with a simple way to give to your favorite charities, whilst encouraging others in your social network to do the same.

The Boston based company is making it possible to give 100% of your donation to your chosen charity through Twitter.

Skip the middlemen, give in 140 characters, spread the word, and you’re done. Giving is good. Simple giving, where 100% of the donation goes to the charity is great.

All you need to do is tweet, making sure you include the following :

@CHRTWT
@CHARITYNAME
$(AMOUNT)

For example: “I’m donating $10 to @helpkids with @chrtwt!”

After your first Charitweet, you’ll receive a notification on your Twitter account. You’ll complete a billing form (asking only necessary information that will remain completely confidential). After that first tweet, you’ll never have to do more than tweet to donate again!

Here’s a list of the Charities that Charitweet are partnered with currently. You can also contact them to request that another Charity you might have affiliation with could partner with Charitweet in the future.

The only caveat is that in order to donate, your Twitter account can’t be private in order to process your donation, but that is something the company is working on getting around.

If you’re looking for a way to give in 2015, do yourself a favor and check out Charitweet. Spread the word! 

How you listened to music in 2014

Apple intends on releasing it’s revamped Beats streaming product in 2015, and it looks like they got the timing pretttty perfect on that, as the guys over at Nielsen SoundScan have just revealed their year-end stats for the music industry, and streaming gets a big ‘ol thumbs up.

There was a 54% growth in on-demand streams of audio and video content and total streams were up to 164 billion from 106 billion in 2013.

Sad face for the regular old retro (can we say retro yet in regards to this?) album, as digital album sales fell 9%, and digital song sales fell 12%. Physical and digital album sales fell 11%.

Happy face for the actual retro music format here, though – vinyl album sales in 2014 grew 52%. Fifty-two percent!  In fact, although vinyl sales have been increasing every year, 2014 was the best year for vinyl since 1991, and possibly only because that’s when Nielson SoundScan started keeping track of music industry stats.

Apple’s other streaming product, iTunes radio, has had a smaller than expected impact in the streaming music market, and is currently only available here in the States and in Australia.

So. The old big thing is Vinyl, and the next big thing is streaming. Which Apple knew, and is set to take a bigger advantage of the latter by revamping Beats Music, probably as a native iOS app in the first quarter of this year. It will either be entwined with iTunes or they’ll be looking to take another segment of the market with iTunes.

Beats Music will, of course, have some competition, with very loyal subscribers to Pandora and Spotify as well as other players in the market.

Currently, you can subscribe to Beats Music for $9.99 per month, or $99.99 for 12 months.

Future Tech Of The Week

It’s the future! Kind of.. so let’s take a look at some future, in-the-works tech that we’re looking forward to!

So, there’s a company called Scanadu. Initially their products were part of an Indiegogo campaign, they’re rocking it with their proposed tech by building a bunch of products that are health oriented.

With these products, they’re looking to do what a lot of impressive and inspiring tech companies are trying to do – improve your life in a significant, impressive and historic way.

How?

By making collecting accessible data about your and your families health easy and intuitive. Take, for example, their product Scanadu Scanaflo which will test your urine and be able to tell you important details about it – i.e. Pregnant or Urinary tract infection. Always important to make a distinction between those two.

Or, take their product the Scanadu Scout which, once pressed to your forehead, will read health data such as your temp, blood pressure, blood oxygenation etc etc and send it to your phone.

Check out their blog here, to keep up with how their product developing is going and be excited about the future prospects of stuff!

Apple’s ‘Start Something New’ Campaign

Apple introduced a new global campaign just before NYE called Start Something New.

The campaign is featured on both their website and in physical retail stores (NY, Toronto & London so far reported), and is showing off pieces of art from Twitter customers and artists such as Oz Hall, Matt Pyke and Craig & Karl. All the art pieces are created wholly on Apple Products.

Apple is pushing creative Apps for iOS such as  Procreate, Brushes 3, Slow Shutter, VSCOCam, Waterlogue and iDraw in their ability to create beautiful pieces of art.

“Every piece in this gallery was created on an Apple product. Every brushstroke, every pixel, and every frame of film was brought to life by talented Apple users from around the world. As you explore their work, we hope it inspires you to create something new.”

Go check it out – It is definitely inspiring and a perfect message for this time of year!

Apps to help you keep your new year’s resolutions!

Welcome to 2015 guys!

How many of you guys have made or are making New Year’s Resolutions? Resolutions are pretty great things in our book, if only for the chance to evaluate and examine your life and understand how you might like to improve it, looking for ways to inspire you to become a better person. Even if that’s all you do, that’s success.

But if you want to really stick to your goals for 2015, here’s some apps to help you out. And remember – one slip up is not a breakage, it can be a way to strengthen the resolution!

Coach.me (previously known as Lift) is a motivational tool that uses in-app professional coaching (for an $14.99 in-app purchase), community support and providing you with data that makes it easy to track, analyze, and celebrate your progress. It also includes features goal inspired plans, challenges and guides to help you achieve anything you’re up for achieving.

Free from the App Store (with in-app purchases).

StickK is an app that’s all about goals and helping you reach them. So, perfect!

When you begin, you customize and sign a contract. The contract lists the things you will do in order to achieve your goals. As part of the contract you get a ‘Referee’ , someone to report to, to motivate you and someone  to hold you accountable. You also have the option to include cash incentives to your contract. With the cash, a good example is that if you commit to $10 a week that you’ll go to the gym every day, and you fail, then that $10 goes to a charity or person of your choice. If you succeed, you get the money back.

The app also provides social media networking and weekly reports. You can sign up for free and get the app here.

Kickit is an app to help you achieve a SUPER IMPORTANT goal for 2015. Yup, we’re talking about quitting smoking. No lectures here, just take a look at the app, and see how it can provide you with the data, incentives, social media interaction and support to help you quit and let you know just how much money you’re saving and exactly how you’re improving your health.  

Get it free from the App Store. 

Want to get more in touch with yourself and your understanding of the world in 2015? Take a look at Headspace. It’s a mediation app that has been praised all over and is used by over a million people. It provides you with mindfulness techniques that work towards the creator’s mission of creating a healthier, happier world, one mobile device at a time. Sounds awesome.

You can sign up for free for their Take10 program (10 x10 mediation sessions) and download the app for free, with in-app purchases if you wanted to continue to subscribe to the Headspace material.

If you would like to give back more in 2015, check out Charity Miles.  It’s a way of turning your time and energy into Charity and giving back. After you get the App, choose a charity and how you’ll be moving about – i.e. walking, biking or running. For every mile, corporate sponsers will give  10¢ per mile for bikers; and 25¢ per mile for walkers and runners to your chosen charity.

Free from the App Store. 

Another charitable App to check out is One Today. A Google initiative, it presents you with a new Charity every morning, with the option to donate $1. It will also explain how your donation will work towards the Goals of that particular Charity. It’s a way of letting you ‘Give a little, and change a lot’.

Free From the App Store. 

Some websites to help you achieve your goals and feel inspired in 2015 –

For weight loss goals, we would recommend LoseIt! or My Fitness Pal (also available as Apps).

For saving money check out Mint.com.

If you would like to travel more, check out www.theflightdeal.com and MileValue.

Spend some time on www.freerice.com. For every quiz answer you get right, they donate 10 grains of rice to World Food Programme to end world hunger.

If you would like to feel good about the state of the world (we always do) check out the AMAZING things people are doing in technology and science at www.futurism.co

Happy 2015! May you achieve all your goals and may all your wishes come true! And teleportation. We think we’d like teleportation to become a thing in 2015.

Steve Wozniak to have his own TV Show?

According to the wonderful guys over at Gizmodo, Steve Wozniak, original co-founder of Apple and man of many talents, is going to be the star of his very own reality TV show.

But before you put him in the realm of the Kardashians, rest assured this is not a reality TV show about Wozniak’s crazy life or extended family, or even his business pursuits.

The show is said to be centered on the future in tech as well as looking at the latest and greatest gadgets, and will be co-hosted by awesome former Mythbusters star Kari Byron.

It looks like the show, likely titled ‘The Woz’ will possibly air on the discovery channel but nothing else has come to light yet. Even with this limited information we are looking forward to watching The Woz! 

Christmas App Guide!

It’s CHRISTMAS! iPhone Antidote LOVES Christmas.

And we love spreading all the joy and love and good feelings that abound around about now. Following is the best Christmas Apps so you can do just that! Also, the best Apps for Christmas shopping, countdowns, recipe’s and all things Christmas!

Enjoy!

For Christmas shopping :

Get the Gift Suggester – Gift Ideas for Every Occasion

Have no idea what to get anyone? Starting to freak out? Get this app! Free from the App Store.

RetailMeNot Coupons

The RetailmeNot App scours the web for deals and coupons for all kinds of shopping! Check it to see if you can get the perfect gift for a better price!

Free From the App Store.

For on-the-go shopping, check out: Amazon for iOS, Target for iPhone, Disney Store for iPhone, Staples for iPhone, eBay for iOS and Groupon for iOS.

The Christmas List

This is the all -time best Christmas shopping list app! Add pics of all the lucky family and friends you’re planning on buying gifts for, track your budgeting for gifts, keep a record of items you think people might like and which store it’s in, make sure you know all of your secret present hiding places, what’s been wrapped AND it comes with an app-specific passcode so no prying eyes can peek into your personal present guide.$1.99 from the App Store.

To get all of your Christmas shopping deliveries organized,  take a look at the Deliveries App. It tracks all of your deliveries, updating you with the status of your shipments. You can also use this to track Christmas gifts you’re sending to friends and family, making sure they arrive on time.

$4.99 for iPhone & iPad
$4.99 for Mac

Singing is an awesome part of Christmas. If you love singing carols loudly, off or on key ( doesn’t really matter, does it? Unless you’re Mariah Carey or that girl from Love Actually) then this App is for you! Sing Along Christmas Carols Free

Free from the App store

An old favorite, it’s time to get it back out so you can giggle ridiculously over you and your friends dancing as elves. It’s gotta be a christmas tradition by now, right?

Free from the App Store. 

NORAD Tracks Santa

The NORAD Tracks Santa App is the official mobile app of the NORAD Tracks Santa program. Watch the days countdown to Santa’s flight, follow Santa’s progress on December 24, play “Thin Ice” to help Santa’s elves deliver presents, and learn about NORAD and its mission. Free from the App Store.

Foodie Recipes

One of the best Apps for recipes period, Foodie recipes will give you tons of ideas for holiday cooking, including deserts, hors d’oeuvres, and the big feast itself. Do yourself a favor and download it now! Free from the App Store.

Although not starting until after Christmas on the 26th December, Apple’s iTunes 12 Days Of Christmas is another app to look out for, as Apple will be giving away one free App every day until the 6th January! The App isn’t available to download yet, but should be any minute now!

That’s our best Christmas App recommendations! Tra la la la! We hope you find some of them useful, and if you have any of your own app recommendations, please let us know!

We hope you’re enjoying this special time of year. Now, put on some Christmas music, take a big sip of eggnog, throw some tinsel around, hug some people, and keep an eye out for the iPhone Antidote Christmas Gift Guide – coming very soon!

Check out “Hour Of Code” December 11th

Code.org is a non-profit website which has a variety of tools for programming and coding education. Each year, during Computer Science Education Week (Dec 8th through 14th) they host what they call the “Hour Of Code”  which aims to reach millions of students and teach them basic programming techniques.

Apple has announced that they will be joining Code.org, hosting free, one hour lessons on basic programming for kids at their Apple Stores on December 11th. In select cities, Apple will also be providing special events and workshops with engineers and developers throughout the week that support Code.org’s mission and the ethos of Computer Science Education Week.

The Apple Store in Soho, New York will be starring the team behind Hopscotch, and the Apple Store on Regent Street in London will star NaturalMotion.

Check it out here to see if it’s going on in your local store!

Deals Of The Week Wednesday!

Deals, had enough of them yet? No? Well, it’s Wednesday, so you’re in luck! Here’s what we have for you the week after Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

*Get the Amazon Fire Phone (unlocked!) for AT&T and T-mobile WITH 1 year of Amazon Prime for just $199. Excellent deal.

* Looking to switch carriers? From this Friday, Sprint is offering defectors a pretty great deal –  bring a current AT&T or Verizon bill to a Sprint store, they’ll set up a new plan for you that is HALF of the service portion of that bill (the cost of calls, texting and data). In order to be eligible for the deal however, you’ll need to buy an unsubsidized device, either up front, through installments or using one of Sprint’s new leasing plans.

* It’s cold outside! Get some Aduro Touchscreen Winter Gloves; One or Two Pairs from $5.99–$9.99 from Groupon.

*Also from Aduro & Groupon, Get fancy with a  3-Piece Camera Lens Kit for your iPhone for only $9.99

* We found a pretty good deal on a Sony 40″ 1080p LED LCD HDTV for only $348 plus free shipping from Walmart.

*Get a Monster ClarityHD Bluetooth Speaker (refurbished) for $29.50 with free shipping from eBay.

*Planning on shopping at Amazon for Christmas gifts? Amazon will now donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to a charity of your choice when you shop at AmazonSmile. 

And there you have it! Happy Deals Wednesday!