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Smartphones assist buying decisions for 36% of shoppers
Posted by Ariel Levin-Waldman Categories: Smartphones, Misc. Tech,
The customer service of online shopping. The convenience of a physical store. It might not seem like a winning combination, but the number of people turning away from sales representatives and towards digital apps is rising-- even in brick and mortar stores.
A recent study conducted by financial analytics firm Deloitte has found a massive jump in in-store sales conducted with or aided by mobile and digital technologies. From 2012 to 2013 mobile devices jumped from playing a key role in 5 percent of sales to 19 percent. The use of digital devices in these transactions leaped from 14 percent to 36 percent.
When people go into stores today with a smartphone, they can look up products, reviews, prices and competitors. In the past, you had to make do with a sales representative, and with that the dealer's agenda- to push a product. Half the time I go into a store I do all my research on the spot, whipping out my iPhone to aid my shopping trip.
Click to continue reading Smartphones assist buying decisions for 36% of shoppers
Hi-Reflective Umbrella keeps you safe in dark storms
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smart Home, Misc. Tech,
Walking around in the rain under an umbrella may seem pretty romantic, but getting hit by a motor vehicle while placing your sport coat over a puddle for your lady isn't. How can you avoid such an unfortunate mishap? You can start with the Hi-Reflective Umbrella. In bright hours, it serves as a dark gray mild-mannered umbrella, but when darkness falls, you get what is essentially a blinding spotlight-esque circle that shouts out "Don't hit me!" to the motorists of the world.
Read More 
| Hi-Reflective Umbrella Product Page
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Universal Studios Orlando opening The Simpsons Springfield replica this summer
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Design, Misc. Tech,
If you've ever wanted to take a trip to Springfield, the city where The Simpsons live, you'll have your chance beginning this summer. Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida, is set to open up the new Springfield section in just a few short weeks, giving visitors the chance to check out famous landmarks from The Simpsons, including Moe's Tavern, the Duff Brewery (with Duff beer,) Krusty Burger, Luigi's Pizza, the Kwik-E-Mart, and even The Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop. Seriously, book us on the next flight to Orlando, because this is the height of awesomeness.
Read More | Universal Orlando
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Redesigned blue stripe $100 bill enters circulation on October 8th
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Misc. Tech,
The newly redesigned $100 bill is set to go into circulation in the US on October 8th, 2013, according to the Federal Reserve Board. The new bill note was first shown off back in 2010, with the design being focused on making the Benjamins more difficult to counterfeit, including a new blue 3D security ribbon and a Liberty Bell that disappears depending on how you hold the note. The new $100 bill was originally slated to go into circulation back in February 2011, but the 2 year and 8 month delay is due to an "unexpected production delay."
Read More | Federal Reserve
Blue Bathing Bad bath salt inspired by Breaking Bad
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smart Home, Misc. Tech,
The super-pure, blue-hued crystal meth found in television hit Breaking Bad may be a myth, but for fans of the show looking to relax without breaking the law, these Bathing Bad bath salts are the closest thing to the "real" thing. And they're brilliant. The blue bath salt is "cooked" in Albuquerque, New Mexico using all-natural ingredients. You can get yourself an 8 ounce supply for $15.99 on Amazon.
Click to continue reading Blue Bathing Bad bath salt inspired by Breaking Bad
Read More | Bathing Bad Bath Salt
French authorities nab Android Trojan horse maker
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Google, Misc. Tech, Mods / Hacks, Software,
Yet another case of malware found on Google Play. A 20-year-old man suspected of an elaborate Android Trojan SMS scheme was arrested in France. The alleged hacker tallied over 17,000 Android users that installed malicious software posed as copy cat apps. The scheme works by sending SMS messages at a premium cost. The hacker then earns a micro-transaction fee, leaving the unsuspecting user with an unexpected hefty monthly bill.
The hacker informed French authorities that he was more motivated by the technical aspect than monetary gain and had goals of becoming a software engineer. Cyber criminals have made inroads into making malware in the Android platform partly because the Google Play Store is open and is not curated and vetted for security like Apple's App Store. Hackers have created clone malware of popular apps like Skype, Instagram, and Angry birds. Some of these apps steal personal information and passwords and can capture pretty much anything you type.
Computer venders Security, like Sophos, strongly advise Android users to be vigilant and also install their free anti-virus security suite.
Read More | The Register
Lexus CinePrint ad uses iPad to merge print and digital to promote 2013 Lexus ES (video!)
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Misc. Tech, Transportation,
Lexus calls it CinePrint, we call it brilliant. The luxury auto maker has created a very nifty interactive marketing ad, which utilizes a user's iPad to bring a 2013 Lexus ES to life in a magazine. From a marketing standpoint, the illustration is very impressive and gets the reader involved in the process of merging print and video. This is surely lacking when just reading a static page or watching a traditional car commercial on TV, at which point we usually just turn the page or tune out. It's still an ad, but it's pretty freaking cool. Check out the video after the break.
How to make your own LEGO Superhero Halloween costume
Posted by Taylor Peterson Categories: Design, Features, Smart Home, Misc. Tech,
It's October, and that means that there are many people looking for a great Halloween costume. Rather than buying a cheap costume-in-a-bag, why not get creative and build something awesome? That's what we did when we became LEGO Superheroes last year, and we ended up getting non-stop compliments when it was time for tick-or-treating. Wanna know how we did it? Read on!
Click to continue reading How to make your own LEGO Superhero Halloween costume
DIY LEGO Superhero Halloween costumes gallery
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Design, Features, Misc. Tech,
Last year, my family took the time to build our own Halloween costumes from scratch. We chose LEGO Superheroes, and It was a daunting task. We put in the time, though, and in the end, we had some amazing costumes when it was time to party. We're working on our full tutorial of how you can build your own LEGO Superhero costume like ours, and you don't even have to be Batman, Spider-Man, or Supergirl--this works for any character you can think of! While we put the finishing touches on that one, why not check out our LEGO Superhero Halloween costume gallery, where we captures each step of the process?
Has anyone else tried anything like this? Hit us in the comments!
Gallery:
StoryBundle launches its next e-Book pack focused on crime and thrillers
Posted by Ponzi Black Categories: Hot Deals, Misc. Tech,
We talked about StoryBundle back in August, when their first bundle launched with 7 Sci-Fi indie books. Now they're back with 7 more crime and thriller books.
The concept is still the same as last time. They take the indie game bundle model and bring it to ebooks. You can pay whatever you want for five DRM-free books, but if you pay more than the bonus price of $7, you get two bonus books. You decide how much to give to the authors, how much to give to StoryBundle to keep the business going, and you can choose to donate part of your purchase to one of two charities. That's good enough to make it our Deal of the Day.
Click to continue reading StoryBundle launches its next e-Book pack focused on crime and thrillers
