Technology isn't cheap, but it doesn't have to be a complete drain on your wallet, either. There are a lot of myths out there that'll cost you money—like buying expensive "gold plated" HDMI cables, or buying new gadgets when refurbished ones are just as good.
9. Know When You're Paying Too Much for a Product
Technology isn't cheap, but it doesn't have to be a complete drain on your wallet, either. There are a lot of myths out there that'll cost you money—like buying expensive "gold plated" HDMI cables, or buying new gadgets when refurbished ones are just as good.
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Over the Next Ten Days I will be listing the Top 10 Tech Habits. Follow along and keep up with everyone to become Tech Savvy Ready. 10. Regularly Audit Your Privacy Settings on Social Networks You probably already know that social networks like Facebook aren't the poster child for privacy. Unfortunately, the only way to keep your info private—short of quitting those networks altogether—is audit your privacy settings every once in a while.Learn what each of those settings does and tweak them accordingly. You might also check out sites like AdjustYourPrivacy.com to keep up with your privacy settings on all your networks. No matter how much money you have to spend, you can put together your own PC that will play games well now—and leave you lots of room to grow.
Of all the reasons to build a gaming-oriented desktop computer yourself rather than buy one from a manufacturer, the best of them might just be the control it gives you over your money. Sure, big companies may get bulk discounts that they can pass on to you, but you're still stuck with the components they want you to have—or a limited selection if they let you choose some yourself—and uncertain upgradability. If you decide later that you want a faster processor, a more powerful video card, or more storage, you might find upgrading too much of a hassle to bother with. The web is full of videos, but you don't always have an internet connection on your iPad. Here's how to download videos from YouTube directly to your tablet without involving iTunes. It's completely free, too.
Download YouTube videos to an Android tablet
It's pretty common knowledge that ISPs never offer you the kinds of upload and download speeds they advertise in the real world. So when you're gaming or downloading and want to know whether that lag is packet loss, what do you do? This enterprising DIYer hacked together his own network monitor that sits on his desk and feeds him data on the health of his connection.
Zak Kemble, the maker behind the monitor, wanted a way to keep tabs on his connection without logging in to his router to check, so he built this monitor. It uses a simple shell script and a low-cost microprocessor and Bluetooth module to communicate with the router, displays the information on the tiny LCD display, and is powered over USB. You can see it in action in the video above (turn annotations on, he includes descriptive notes as annotations to the video.) Under the hood, the monitor uses ATmega328P microcontroller (available for under $5 at SparkFun Electronics) at its heart to manage a 1.8" color LCD display, a Bluetooth module, and uses V-USB for USB support. It's definitely no beginner project, but if you're up to the challenge (and we've shown you how you can be), it looks really useful and a lot of fun. Zak has even provided all of the code and associated files so you can build your own, just hit the link below.
Myth #6: You Need to Pay for Cable to Watch All the Newest Shows
If you talk to pretty much anyone with cable TV, they're biggest defense for keeping cable is that they want to stay up to date on popular shows. But for many of us, that's easy enough to do without spending $60-$120 a month on a cable bill. With the exception of live sports, you can get almost any TV show a la carte from a variety of places. The most obvious place you get free TV is from the oldest source around: your TV antenna (and you can even build one yourself pretty easily). With an antenna you'll get all the network shows you want that are broadcast in your area.... Getting your music and movies from one computer to another computer across the house or across the world has never been easier. There are tons of apps designed to make the process simple and painless so you can watch movies on your smartphone when you're out, or just listen to the music on your desktop downstairs in your upstairs bedroom. Plex (Windows/Mac/Linux) We expected Plex to get some love in the nominations, but we didn't expect it to be as overwhelming as it was. It's true, Plex is a stellar media server and media center application, with mobile apps that let you take your music and movies with you on virtually any mobile device or operating system without worrying whether that system can play them. Plex transcodes on the fly, automatically adjusts its performance and quality for available bandwidth, and is a snap to set up. It works just as well locally on your home network as it does with your mobile device when you're out and about on 3G or 4G. If you have a supported set-top box, it's even easier. The desktop app is free, the mobile apps are $5, and the MyPlex media center hub gives you control over your files on the go. Myth #5: DIY Isn't As Good As What You Buy on the Shelf
The myth that DIY options aren't as good as products from a store goes far beyond tech purchases, but the idea that you'll get a better product from Best Buy than you can make yourself is just absurd. Of course, making something on your own takes a little technical skill, but doing so can save you tons of money. One of the most obvious examples of this accessories. A car dock for your phone is a perfect example. You could go out and buy one for $30 or $40, and it'll probably only work for one specific phone. Or you can make one yourself out of binder clips for a couple bucks and it works with any phone. Even a laptop stand can cost $20 or $30 in a store, but you can easily make one yourself with a $3 Ikea BRADA that works just as well. Essentially, DIYing is not only cheaper, it also lets you make something that fits your exact needs. DIY options are just as capable as their store-bought counterparts. Even if you're not sure what you're doing, you'll find a ton of guides online that walk you through the process to make your own gear. While your project might not end up looking as pretty as what you buy in the store, it'll likely work just as well and save you a lot of cash. The other benefit? You'll probably actually like what you make more than what you purchase. Watch out for the last myth!! Myth #4: Better Processors Make for Better All-Around Speed
Back in the early days of computers, processor speed was incredibly important. The difference between a 1 GHz processor and a 1.5 GHz processor was noticeable, even to novices. Over time, the importance of clock speed has become ingrained in all our minds. But nowadays things are a little different. As Ars Technica points out, comparing clock speeds between processors isn't as important as it was 10 years ago: In a nutshell, the Pentium 4 took many more clock cycles to do the same amount of work as the original Pentium, so its clockspeed was much higher for the equivalent amount of work. This is one core reason why there's little point in comparing clockspeeds across different processor architectures and families-the amount of work done per clock cycle is different for each architecture, so the relationship between clockspeed and performance (measured in instructions per second) is different. For the most part, we've reached the point of diminishing returns for clock speed on desktop computers. Which is to say, unless you're editing a lot of video or buying a laptop, you don't need to spend the extra money on more processor speed. For speed improvement, your money is best spent elsewhere: If you want to speed up your rig for gaming, you're best off buying a better video card, and if you want to just speed up general performance, a solid state drive will boost your speed more than a new processor. The point is that when you're looking to buy a new computer, or if you're interested in upgrading yours, the processor is likely the last thing you need to consider unless you have special, processor-intensive needs like video editing. |
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