Google Unveils New Pull-a-Face Password Plans

June 7th, 2013Electronics Industry Chatter, Tech News, Tech-y Life Advice No Comments

We all make them. Funny faces. We often make them at our smart devices, consoles and laptops whilst using them. And now the lovely Google has stepped forward and created an app that makes great use of your funny face pulling skills (not the ability to pull people with funny faces!) for purposes of security.

Google recently filed a patent for a security app that requires users to pull any of a series of faces to verify their identity. Designed for Android phones, it’s hoped the new feature will be less easily duped by things like photographs.

The app seems to work in two steps – verifying the owner’s face and then verifying that they carry out the correct funny-face request, e.g. wiggling their eyebrows, sticking their tongue out, closing their eyes, wrinkling their nose, etc.

Loads of our customers love to sell mobile handsets to fund an upgrade to the latest Android handset. So, when can our sell my mobile customers expect to see the new Google Andr0id security feature? Well, not in the near future, that’s what the experts say. At the moment, there are too many issues with biometrics technology to make the app an effective weapon, but we’ll keep you posted on any new developments!

 

Enable Two-Step Authentication on Facebook and Twitter

May 30th, 2013Electronics Industry Chatter, Tech-y Life Advice No Comments

There’s been a buzz around the idea of two-step authentication for a while, especially in the wake of social media giants like Twitter and WordPress suffering the attacks of various bot networks. Bottom line – the web isn’t just somewhere to chat to your mates, sell your mobile and post your hoiday snaps – it’s a mine of valuble personal information, and that goes for your mobile too!

Here’s a bit of quick info on how to activate the new two-step authentication features on Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook

  • Renamed “Login Approvals” and stored in the Security section of your Account Settings.
  • Review all the options on the page – Facebook can be sneaky about changing settings without being clear!
  • Activating Login Approvals means you’ll be sent a code to your mobile phone each time you try to access Facebook from a new location/device. Once a device/location is approved, you won’t need to enter a code again unless you disconnect that device with you account.
  •  If you sell your mobile and upgrade, you can reconfirm with your new handset.

Twitter

  • Renamed “Login Verification” and stored on your Account Setting page.
  • Very simple – just one click in the box and you’re done.
  • A code will be sent by SMS to your mobile each time you log in freshly to your account.

Will the Samsung Note III Be AT IFA 2013?

May 29th, 2013Electronics Industry Chatter, Tech News No Comments

 

Engadget UK is one of our first stops each morning, and there’s nothing better than coming across titbits about new handset releases! And today’s treat is all about the Samsung Note III, a handset we can’t wait to meet!

So, when will you need to sell Samsung Note IIs to upgrade? The best guess we can offer is that we could see an autumn/winter release before the end of the year (we hesitate to use “winter” to mean the end of the year, what with last April still exhibitng the symptoms of winter!), especially since Samsung have now confirmed the existence of the Note III.

The Korean firm have a June event planned in London, but it’s Berlin’s IFA 2013 that seems the most likely unveiling party. Both previous Samsung Note handsets were first shown off at IFA, so the buzz around the current Note device is that we could get a sneak preview or a full launch at IFA in September.

Want to sell your mobile to fund an upgrade? If you’re set on the Samsung Note III, hold your horses and we’ll let you know as soon as the handset is on the market. In the mean time, you can sell Macbook, Ipad, Surface, One and any other gadgets you’ve got lying around to fund… oh, I don’t know…. a holiday? A puppy? Some vintage spats? Whatever!

Will the Yahoo/Tumblr Deal Be Good News for Users?

May 20th, 2013Electronics Industry Chatter, Tech News No Comments

Like a kid trying to convince their parents that the garish trainers in the shop are definitely the ones they want, and that they won’t get bored/change their mind in twenty-five seconds, Marissa Meyer had to convince the Yahoo board that buying Tumblr is the way forward.

And it appears she pulled it off. Yahoo has confirmed a $1.1 billion (£725 million) cash deal to take over Tumblr and bring the social media site into the Yahoo family. It marks Meyer’s most significant deal since taking over as Yahoo CEO and is likely a savvy play to access younger, newer markets.

But what does it mean for folks like you who are sat browsing Tumblr on your iPhone or filling your commute with a tablet of Tumblr faves? We’re not saying anyone’s going to sell iPhone or other smart devices if the Tumblr/Yahoo deal doesn’t work out, but let’s look at it for a second. Tumblr is a runaway success on the mobile smart device market, can Yahoo help it stick?

According to US media, Tumblr will continue to function as an independent company with founder David Karp at the helm. Tumblr’s massive global following is very much based on mobile devices and encourages up-to-the-second update formats and mobile reading. Tumblr can sell mobile use so well thanks largely to the semi-blog/social media/image-friendly layout that made it a hit not long after its launch in 2007.

Yahoo’s role will likely be one of mentorship, although last year’s introduction of paid ads on Tumblr means we could see a marked increase in advertising once Yahoo takes the reins. This is a point of much contention for Tumblr, who have so far managed to keep adverts to a minimum. Experts believe Tumblr needs to remain “pure” in order to sell mobile use – reducing browsing joy with heaps of ads would be a mistake, and it’s unlikely Yahoo would miss that.

 

 

Dell Profits Slump 79% As Buyers Opt for Tablets and Smartphones

May 19th, 2013Curious Stuff, Electronics Industry Chatter, Tech News No Comments

The laptop is by no means dead. We buy laptops and plenty of other personal computer staples that prove folks are still looking to have a personal computer that does the heavy stuff. Who wants to sit around trying to use Photoshop on a Microsoft Surface tablet? Bottom line, sometimes nothing beats a laptop or a PC.

Try telling Dell that.

The former no.1 of the personal computer industry recently reported a 79% drop in profits in three months – February to May –  to £85 million on revenue of £14 billion (down 2%) The hardware giant blames people making the switch from PCs and laptops to smartphones and tablets.

Personal computing means something different to everyone. To our Money4Machines order processing teams it means whatever hardware does to the job quickly and efficiently, but to our CEO and the folks who run about a lot it means something portable, light, efficient and practical. And this is where Dell is falling short. Folks who once had no other option than the smallest laptop they could find now have access to hundreds of smart devices that fit the bill a lot better.

Dell is currently going through an in-house tangle between shareholders and Dell founder, Michael Dell, over whether to take the company private. Mr Dell says he can save the company’s PC division, which is performing poorly in contrast with the 12% rise in profits from the new technologies and software arm of Dell. Some shareholders insist new management is all that’s needed to make a difference.

Want to sell laptop hardware using our sell for cash service? Dell laptops are well-made, numerous and still a big brand name, so we try to keep great rates an option for folks looking to make a bit of cash on their old laptop.

No More Games for the Wii U, Says EA

May 18th, 2013Electronics Industry Chatter, Tech News No Comments

Here at Money4Machines we help you sell console boxes like the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. We’ll take a look at anything, though, including the Nintedo Wii U.

Released in November 2012 (a mere six months ago!), the Wii U was designed as a development of the Wii console. Supporting HD graphics, running 2GB of RAM and capable of video output of 1080p, the Wii was expected to be as successful as its predecessor. The touchscreen controller definitely had the “oooooo!” factor (that has to be read in the voices of the aliens from Toy Story!), but the dream just didn’t play out for Nintendo.

EA is one of the most significant players in the gaming industry, and a recent press release confirmed the company’s departure as a games developer for the Wii U. Will other’s follow suit? It’s never a great sign when the heavy-hitters walk away from your device, but since falling from the top spot in terms of market leadership, EA have become exceptionally cautious, opting to place safe bets and invest in money-spinners like the next Xbox and PS4.

Gaming blog, GamesIndustry, described the likely demise of the Wii U as “death by apathy” as the console experienced it’s “Dreamcast moment” The site also reported that although official figures cannot be reported by the press, the Wii U and it’s games are a dead duck, with developers only need to shift around a thousand units to hit the no.1 rank.

 

Tablets Will Die Out by 2018, Says Blackberry Boss

May 9th, 2013Electronics Industry Chatter, Selling Your Device, Tech News No Comments

Will the tablet live on? Let us know what you think in our comments section!

In the wake of analysts at IDC announcing tablet shipments are up by 142.4% in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2012, we came across a speech by Blackberry boss, Thorsten Heins, saying the tablet will likely be a dead weight round the neck of the tech world by 2018.

Speaking to Bloomberg, the Blackberry leader was clear about his belief the tablet format will fall in popularity over the coming years, being replaced by bigger smartphones and better laptops.

“In five years I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet anymore. Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model.”

Here at Money4Machines HQ, we can’t help buy think there could be an element of sour grapes about the tablet markets. Folks who visit us to sell tablet devices from the Blackberry range – the Blackberry PlayBook – appear to be terminally underwhelmed with the devices performance, look, weight and overall usability. Bloomberg reports as few as 150,000 PlayBooks were shifted in the first quarter of their release in 2011.

So, would you sell Blackberry PlayBooks to fund an upgrade? The folks visiting us to use our sell for cash service are typically offloading their disappointing Blackberry device to change to another brand. The Kindle Fire and Apple iPad ranges are very popular, leading to great rate increases for our customers.

 

Is Apple Losing Credibility and Innovative Clout?

May 8th, 2013Electronics Industry Chatter, Tech News No Comments

“Am I death? Destroyer of credibility?”

Not too long ago we reported on Apple announcing the company’s first fiscal loss in more than a decade. But let’s set this in perscpetive. Apple still enjoys almost 40% of the global tablet market, and despite a lot of to-and-fro with Samsung to claim the global smartphone market crown, Apple doesn’t show signs of letting go of said piece of headwear.

The iPad Mini Debacle

According to Gizmodo UK, the iPad Mini could be heard as the death knell for Apple’s reign. If you already have an iPad, what’s the point? Few folks visiting our website said they wanted to sell iPad devices to switch to the iPad Mini. It’s not retina display, so why downgrade if you have a retina display device or why buy a non-retina display device new when you could opt for something like the Kindle Fire HD? Also, it feel un-Jobs-like as a product. Steve Jobs just wouldn’t have been happy with the clear revenue drive that seems to have been behind the iPad Mini. So, is this a sign Apple are on the out?

We saw it happen to Blackberry – they got comfortable, they got sloppy and they very nearly went under. The pitiful effort of the Blackberry PlayBook marked a real low point. Here at Money4Machines HQ the PlayBook is frequently cited as the worst investment in tech made by the folks using our sell for cash service.

The bottom line is that it’s not quite time to wheel out the pipe and slippers for Apple. A quick look at this performance graph coving the past fifteen years of Apple’s fiscal performance and it’s clear the giant still has some growing to do.

Is Google Glass a Gadget Too Far?

May 7th, 2013Curious Stuff, Electronics Industry Chatter, Tech-y Life Advice No Comments

You photograph your day and post it to Instagram. Bored, you write on Facebook about how you might sell your iPhone and give the new Samsung S4 a try in a bit. Tweet this and that throughout the day. And we want more?

Google wants to augment our reality and provide the first practical way to interact with the real world and virtual world on your own terms and in the most fluid way possible. But really, what’s the point? We came across a great article on Gawker all about how the absolute definition of an asshole is someone who requires all social interaction to be on their own terms, which is basically what Google Glass seems to be.

We can’t help but see the point. Our sell for cash gadget customers aren’t tech-mad folks embroiled in a terminal battle to have the latest technology. They’re folks who want their lives to be convenient and well connected. And that’s not what Google Glass looks like right now. Right now they’re walking the fine line between ridiculous and innovative (as Mark Wilson points out, they could easily fall into the Segway box of silly ideas!)

Google has followed us like a helpful little dragon of advice from our first tentative efforts at getting from A to B after passing the driving test to providing cloud storage for our first small business venture. As blogger Mark Wilson put it – Google never had to be pretty. It has always been smart. So far we’re not seeing anything that sets Google at the head of the design table, and we can’t help buy wonder, what’s the point of being “on” all the time?

 

Tablet Sales More Than Healthy in First Quarter of 2013

May 3rd, 2013Electronics Industry Chatter, Tech News No Comments

According to figures released by IDC, tablet shipments for the first quarter of 2013 are up on the same period in 2012. Way up. Analysts at IDC say shipments have increased in 2013 by 142.2% on the same quarter the previous year. So why is everyone suddenly out buying tablets?

Here at Money4Machines we believe it has a great deal to do with quality versus financial outlay. The gap is closing and it means you don’t need to sell your iPhone, trade in your PC and sell mobile devices harvested from the rest of the household and perhaps even sell your grandmother to be able to afford a high performance tablet.

We saw the release of the iPad Mini, which didn’t quite make the waves Apple had perhaps hoped, but it did offer a superb product at a cut price. The release of the iPad retina models also played well for companies like ours because we saw a lot of people using the opportunity to sell iPads and upgrade to the latest model after a bit of a drought on the Apple tablets front. Apple still enjoys a healthy share of almost 40% of the tablet market.

 

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