Tech Tip Of The Day – This one’s for you Chrome users!

So, if you’re anything like us, you have, like, a bajillion and 8 tabs open in your Chrome browser. Because there’s just so much stuff on the internet that you need to remember to look at and everything is important!

Sometimes you open a bunch at once and everything’s going great. Then suddenly- an ad starts playing. A news story, music clip, or worse (depending on what kind of tabs you’re opening!)

It’s something you DON’T WANT TO HEAR AND YOU CAN’T FIND IT AMONG ALL THE BAJILLIONS OF TABS OPEN!

Oof. It’s like

Well, rejoice. No, seriously, rejoice.  Because now, with version 32 of Chrome, which can be updated or downloaded now, you will see a little, beautiful speaker icon on the tab from which that heinous sound is bellowing!

Chrome 32 also includes a red recording icon for tabs that are using your webcam, and a little TV icon for tabs that are being cast to your TV with Chromecast. It’s pretty sweet.

Download Chrome here if you haven’t got it yet and this has tipped your we browser preference scales, or update by clicking ‘About Google Chrome’ in the Chrome drop down in the main menu.

Images courtesy of Knowyourmeme & Imgur.

iPhone Tip Of The Day! How to lock your screen orientation!

Sometimes, we wanna look at the world like this:

Horizontally! ( Cos it’s like the horizon, see?)

Sometimes, we wanna look at the world like this:

Vertically! (Coz, it’s, like, vertical)

Your iDevice does both! Magic! Your device should switch from vertical to horizontal orientation depending on at what angle you’re holding the device, and it should choose the view based on what is best for you at that point in time.

But.

It does get it wrong, sometimes. Sometimes you’re lying in bed and reading and it decides that BAM NOW YOU SEE THINGS THE OTHER WAY.

Except sometimes looking at life from a different perspective is just realllllly annoying, stupid orientation moving the wrong way.

So here’s what you do! In iOS 7- simply drag the control centre from the bottom of the screen. Three quarters along to the right you’ll see a lock symbol. Like this:

Angle your iDevice so it’s vertical/horizontal- however you want it to be for task you’re doing (playing mushroom wars does SO count as a task). Press the lock and it will say Orientation Lock on. Press it again and it will say Orientation off.

In iOS 6, press the home button twice. This will bring up the dash, which, if you swipe to the right you’ll see the same lock as pictured above. Press it on and off to turn the orientation on and off.

CAKE!

mmmm cake…

Images courtesy of  Gizmodo.com.au, imore, findyourmiddleground.com, osxdaily.com & Solofoods.com

Website Overstock now accepting bitcoin

Bitcoin, Bitcoin, Bitcoin. What are we to do with you? Not a lot of people know about you, far less understand you or how you work, you’re super unstable and yet you’re growing. You’re the new in thing to talk about in media and that somehow continues to be the new in thing to talk about as if you know what you’re talking about.

Honesty corner: We don’t really know what we’re talking about when it comes to Bitcoin, but this is what we do know: It’s a cybercurrency that is created, distributed and authenticated outside of banks or governments.

People mine for them using their own computers by assisting other people’s Bitcoin transactions. And then they have them, and they can spend them. Right? We’re learning! We feel like it might be a thing we really need to learn, because it’s moving from a thing that you read about on the internet, to a thing that people are using as proper currency on the internet quite quickly.

Case in point: Online discount retailer Overstock.com is now accepting Bitcoin. In fact, more than 800 purchases, equaling $130,000 were made in the first 24 hours the company was accepting the cybercurrency.

Patrick Byrne, the company’s chariman and CEO had this to say:

“Digital currency will be an important part of the future and Overstock is excited to be the first major online shopping retailer to accept it,” said Patrick Byrne, Overstock.com chairman and CEO. ”As one who believes in limited government, this attracts me because it is a form of money that no government mandarin can will it into existence.”

More retailers are saying they will be accepting Bitcoin – most recently the Sacramento Kings, making them the first professional sports franchise to accept them starting on March 1st this year in the team store and in ticket sales.

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive says accepting Bitcoins is the next step in allowing fans to leave their wallets at home. Solving situations like this one, at the very least;

Other companies such as Paypal are considering making the move to accepting the currency in the future. In the meantime they are perhaps waiting for it to stabilize, perhaps they too are unsure of what the consequences are of accepting the currency. On Thursday, one Bitcoin was worth approximately $850.

Meanwhile, Kanye West has sued, and won against similar cybercurrency Coinye for using his image. Silly Fish Sticks. Doesn’t he know it’s the way of the future? We could’ve all been using Coinye!

Images courtesy of Watchdog.org, Fundaminer.com, Quickmeme & Dailymail.co.uk.

iPhone Tip Of The Day!

Wassup kids? IT’S ALMOST THE WEEKEND!!

Want an extra way to see all the phone calls and text messages you’re getting inviting you to awesome parties this weekend?

We got you!

Your iPhone can give you a visual alert for incoming calls and texts. Just go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on LED Flash for Alerts.

It’s like your phone’s already getting the party started!!

Image courtesy of Quickmeme.

Another Google secret!

Happy Humpday!

Wednesday is almost Thursday. Thuuuuursday is so close to being friday which is pretty much the weekend and the weekend means beers and the beach right? Or, wait, family quality time. That’s what we meant.

To help you guys out with some Wednesday afternoon procrastination for the nation, how about some time with the original ladies man?

No, not that guy! Pacman, duh!

Originally bought out by Google for the 30th anniversary of Pacman on May 22, 2010, the link is essentially an easter egg where instead of searching for stuff you need to find out about, you can play Pacman!

It was so greatly received and proved to be so popular, Google left it there on the internet. Just for you guys!

What heroes. Kinda like this guy!

Here’s the link! http://www.google.com/doodles/30th-anniversary-of-pac-man

Also take note: Clicking on the right and left arrows will also take you through a gallery of previous Google ‘Doodles’ celebrating various anniversaries and special dates.

Image courtesy of Simpsons.wikia.com, Fightersgeneration & Cattime.

iPhone Tip Of The Day

In iOS 7, swiping right to left will get rid of a notification without opening it!

Image courtesy of Quickmeme

Apple acquires small Australian tech company

What would you do if you were Apple; a super giant mobile tech company with millions of dollars and super smart employees and awesome products- stay with us- and some kid comes along with an App that makes your smartphone camera 100 times better? Well?

You buy it, dummies! Or, excuse us, you ‘acquire’ it.

And that’s what Apple has just done, although we may have slightly misspoken with all that ‘kid’ talk. Doctor John Papandriopoulos is the San Fransisco based Australian founder (and sole employee!) of Snappycam, an app which basically turns the iPhone camera super awesome by giving it the capability to take 20 photos per second, giving it burst shoot functionality.

He did this by rewriting the JPEG Algorithm. Obviously.

The acquisition has been rumored for some time after the App was taken out of the App store and all social media presence of Snappycam was taken down, but it was confirmed to the Wall Street Journal last Saturday.

Apple will most likely use the technology to improve their own camera capabilities and release them to us with future software updates.

Yay!  We like better camera stuff! We just can’t wait until you can take things out of photos, you know what we mean? Like cupcakes. And Beach holidays. And kittens. This guy should start working on that.

Images courtesy of Techradar & Petapixel

How cool is Amazon’s new Mayday button?

Kindles have always been pretty cool, but they just recently got a whole heck of a lot cooler.

They recently released new tablets which are awesome, BUT it is their massively increased customer service that is funneled directly from their understanding of their customers experience with the tablets that has us impressed.

We’re talking about the Mayday Button.

This is magic portal (other wise known as an icon you can press on screen) which connects you to a live Amazon representative through a video feed. Whoever you connect to can’t see you (hooray for Pajamas!) but they can talk to you, they can draw on the screen and they can take control of your device to fix any issues. These magical Amazon elves are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and they will respond within 15 seconds.

For free.

Very cool. See?

Uh, customer service win? Bye hold music!

Video courtesy of Kindle. Images courtesy of Geek.com & Fonolo.com

Deal of the Day! Friday the 13th Edition

Happy friday the 13th! Spoooooky.

Now grab this!

The FreedomPop Special Platinum Edition Photon 4G Hotspot (Refurbished) & 3GB Wireless Hotspot for first month only $24.99 with free shipping!

Whaaaaat!

Awesome.

Get it here.

Images courtesy of Themetapicture

Black Friday deals

Yay!

Here’s a couple of excellent, techy, exciting, WONDERFUL  Black Friday deals for y’all  to look out for!

1,

Walmart will have the 16GB Apple iPad Mini + $100 Walmart Gift Card for $299.00.

Apparently they will have stock guaranteed for 1 hour BUT you can’t use the gift card on the mini. Walmart says they will price match but you must have the ad and the store must be open with their sales starting when you try.

Walmart, opens at 6 p.m on Thanksgiving day.

2,

Target  will have the iPad Air 16GB w/ WiFi + $100 Target Gift Card for $479.00 for Black Friday.

Target opens at 8 p.m on Thanksgiving day.

It also seems that both online and in-store shoppers get a 20% gift card if they spend at least $75 between Thanksgiving and end of business on Black Friday. The gift card can be used Dec. 1 to Dec. 7.

It’s almost here!

Image courtesy of CNN & somepets.com