Gadgets & Toys | blankPixels : Technology, Gaming and Social Media Blog

The Many Uses of Two Way Radios

Posted by Mhel Ignacio on July 27, 2013

It used to be that only law enforcement and military persons carried two way radios. Businesses started to catch on in the early 1990s. In particular, large department and small retail stores found the devices handy for all sorts of reasons. They could relay information, look for items in the back, call for help or just communicate important issues of the day. Two way radios are still important for businesses today, but they’ve been getting more advanced every year. However they’re still simple to use and have an incredible battery life. For example, TechWholesale.com Motorola CLS1410 offers one of the longest ranges of over 100,000 square feet to communicate, tons of business frequencies, separate channels and even voice activation.

Coverage of two way radios has really gotten advanced. There are radio sets out there that can communicate at 250,000 square feet away. The quality of the radio really determines the amount of coverage and clarity that you’ll receive. That’s why it’s so important to pick a two way radio that has guaranteed quality and lots of features to ensure that you don’t get any interference. For example, the set should have privacy codes to reduce the amount of static and listeners on your frequency. You can also purchase two way radio sets that have voice activation, which makes it easy to answer problems hands free. As a business owner, this is undeniably one of the best features in the two walkie talkies.

Categories: Gadgets & Toys, Technology, Uncategorized

Multiply is Closing Down by May 6, 2013 : A Look Back

Posted by Mhel Ignacio on April 26, 2013

Ever since I experienced the convenience of shopping online, especially for cosmetics that I already trust, I never looked back. My first ever online shopping experience was through Multiply.com back when you have to manually contact the online seller for the transaction. Now that Multiply is closing down on May 6, 2013, it’s a sad day, but I completely understand this business decision.

Many people were saddened by the news that the social networking part of Multiply was closing down. I was one of the many Multiply bloggers and users who enjoyed connecting with people on their site before the social media giant Facebook opened its doors.

When I learned that they were transforming their website to a local online marketplace, I was excited. I was even one of the bloggers who went to their press event where they made the announcement. When they went through a redesign, I thought they’ll continue to grow from there.

I remember buying my first gadget online from DB Gadgets – my Canon IXUS 220HS (I lost it just this year 🙁 ). Since then, we bought 2 more gadgets from them.

Yeah, I WAS one of those people who name their gadgets. 😀

I was introduced to my top favorite online beauty store, Digital Traincase, through their Multiply store. Thankfully, they have moved on to their own e-commerce site after the recent issues.

Multiply has helped many online sellers and internet shoppers at the same time. They provided a venue for both to connect in a secure and comfortable (familiar) environment. Before the server issues in the past weeks, transactions went on smoothly on my end.

Multiply Marketplace closing down is a huge opportunity for online stores, but a setback for many online sellers who depended on Multiply for their business to run. I’m sure they’ll find a new venue to sell their products.

To everyone at Multiply, thank you and we wish you all good luck! 🙂

You can read more about this news here.

Categories: Gadgets & Toys, Geek Shopping, Internet / World Wide Web, Product Launch, Announcements, News, Shopping, Social Media News, Tech News

Printers Are Forever

Posted by Mhel Ignacio on March 9, 2013

Today, when smartphones and other mobile devices seem to have rule over the world, you would think that people have lost interest in printing anything on paper. Some would say it’s more convenient to save everything on your mobile devices. But, the truth is, I don’t think I’ll ever let go of my printers because they’ll continue to serve their purpose for the years to come.

Keeping Memories Alive

You might already know that I have a computer shop business. In my experience, even when people have photos digitally saved on their phones or computers, they still come to us to have the images printed – in multiple copies! A printer capable of producing photos of magnificent quality is truly a must-have.

And I believe we share the same sentiment about keeping actual photographs that we can store in an old school photo album. Nothing beats the nostalgic feeling of flipping through a photo album, filled with your own personal captions, written in your own script. It makes storing those photos more worthwhile, if you ask me. This is why I have printed photos of some of the best events and moments of my life, and the places I’ve been.

Reading on Paper

Though I enjoy reading on my smartphone or PC, I remember never having the same intimate feeling of reading a printed love letter. I also use it to print tickets and itineraries when I travel ’cause I feel better knowing I have a copy of them printed on paper.

Security

Funny you might think, but I feel more secure knowing that my important notes, photos and documents are printed. It’s like no matter what happens to my computer – it may crash (knocks on wood) or my files may get corrupted – I have a safe copy of documents and files that are important to me.

Those are just three reasons why I think printers are still important to us. And with the technological advances to-date, printers like Konika Minolta have outstanding capabilities that’ll provide you with the speed and productivity you require, may it be for personal use or in the office.

If you find that one perfect printer, you’ll know what I mean. I’ve got two. 😉

Categories: Gadgets & Toys, Technology

5 Black Friday Tips for Gadget Shoppers

Posted by Mhel Ignacio on November 11, 2012

One of the most anticipated shopping day of the year is coming – Black Friday 2012 is on November 23rd, a day after Thanksgiving! This is the BEST time to shop for those highly coveted gadgets like laptops, desktop computers, gadgets and other electronic devices.

With that said, I’m sharing some very useful tips for all of you who are planning on some Black Friday gadget shopping this year:

Black Friday Gadget Shopping Tips

1. Research for the best Black Friday deals and compare prices!

This is one of those days when retail stores mark down their items, even their most popular products, at surprisingly low prices. With that said, however, it is important that you do your research on the best deals you can find so you can maximize your shopping budget.

Also, it’s important to compare prices. This way, you can focus on that store with the best prices.

2. Know the store policies on returns and warranties.

For gadget shoppers, this is the most important tip of all. Make sure you’ve done your research. Most stores set a shorter period for return deadlines, so avoid the hassles by finding out about their return policy beforehand.

For warranties, don’t forget to check or ask. You might be rejoicing about a purchase that saved you a significant amount of money without knowing that the warranty policy is different from the regular priced ones. Well, this doesn’t really apply with popular gadgets, but just to be sure, ask.

3. Is it worth the hassle?

After comparing prices, it’s also important to know if the regular prices of the items you want are remarkably higher than the Black Friday prices the stores are offering. If it’s just a few bucks of savings, think about the hassle of waking up early, lining up and bracing the Black Friday crowds. Is it all worth it?

4. Look for early bird shopper discounts.

There are many stores that offer early bird shopping discounts as early as the week of Thanksgiving. Some offer early discounts online. Again, remember the importance of doing your research.

For Black Friday 2012, here are some of the popular retail stores that are offering early bird shopping deals:

Walmart starts their first Black Friday Sale at 8pm on Thanksgiving. They also announced a 10pm sale on electronics and another sale by 5am the next day.
Walmart also made an announcement that those who are in line by 10pm and 11pm on Thanksgiving Day will get their most popular items:
– Apple iPad 2 for with Wi-Fi plus a $75 Wal-Mart gift card for $399
– Emerson 32-inch LCD TV for $148
– LG Blu-ray player for $38
Sears stores will open at 8pm on Thanksgiving and will stay open until 10pm on Black Friday. Additionally, those who are members of Sears loyalty club Shop Your Way can avail of the early bird specials online as early as November 18, 2012!
Macy’s, Kohl’s, and Best Buy will open at 12 midnight after Thanksgiving.
Lord & Taylor will be opening at 10am on Thanksgiving.
Kohl’s announced that online shoppers will be able to buy all early morning specials on November 21, 2012 and all day on Thanksgiving.

5. Shop online.

Some stores like Apple have been known to give out the best deals on their products at their online stores than retail stores or official distributors. So, again, do your research and compare prices in-store and online. If the price difference is not significantly high, then why bother waking up early and lining up, right?

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Have fun shopping! I’m planning on buying a new laptop this year. How about you?

Related Black Friday Articles:

Categories: Black Friday, Contests, Giveaways, Promos, Cyber Monday, Gadget Promos / Contests, Gadgets & Toys, Geek Shopping, Product Launch, Announcements, News, Shopping, Technology, Tips & Guides

Developing a Successful Bring Your Own Device Program

Posted by Mhel Ignacio on September 21, 2012

Smart phones are getting smarter, and more people are starting to use their smart phones for business purposes. A smart phone is no longer a simple device for texting, it is now a powerful computer that can make it much easier for an employee to do their job. There used to be a clear line drawn in the sand that separated technology on a business and a personal level. This line no longer exists, and if it does, then personal devices have crossed that line and come into the business world.

Companies all over the world have noticed that employees who use their own devices are more productive with their jobs. Companies have also noticed that employees who use their own devices seem happier. Allowing employees to use their own personal device gives them a sense of freedom that they did not have before. Everything they use for work was owned by the business. Now they can use their own device to help them accomplish their daily tasks.

IT administrators now have a full plate. They must now deal with all of these mobile devices that are accessing the company’s network. In the past, employees had to ask permission before they used their own devices during work hours. This is no longer the case today. Employees just simply use their own devices when they want.

Companies must successfully come up with a BYOD program. The IT administrators must help companies determine how to create this program. They are the ones that are going to have to deal with all the mobile devices that are constantly accessing the company network. They will be the ones that can make the best suggestions on how to successfully manage all of these mobile devices at one time.

A successful bring your own device program should also include a very strict and constantly enforced policy. This policy should inform employees of their rights when they use their own personal devices during work hours. These policies should also inform employees of what they have access to, and what they don’t have access to. In case of emergencies, these policies must also include some sort of remote administration for all mobile devices. In order for these policies to be successful, every employee must read and fully understand the full extent of these policies. Many companies have chosen to make all of their employees sign documents stating that they fully understand the companies mobile device management policies.

These small devices are only going to get more powerful in the years to come. Establishing some solid ground work now, will help build a strong foundation in the years to come.

Categories: Gadgets & Toys, Mobile / Smart Phones

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