First Virgin Galactic Flight Could Take Off in 2013

January 11th, 2013Tech News No Comments

We may have enjoyed hosting the Olympics in 2012, but it seems 2013 could hold it’s own treasures too. Virgin has indicated that the first Virgin Galactic space flights will take off in 2013!

Virgin Galactic has spent years developing a shuttle craft to take passengers around 100km to the very edge of space. According to aviation news website, AV Web, initial test flights are likely to be this year, with Virgin boss Richard Branson taking off alongside his children before any tourist flights are launched in early 2014.

Virgin Galactic pilot, David Mackay, said, “The view will be fantastic. And of course you’ll be able to experience weightlessness.”

More than five hundred people have already bought or reserved tickets on the Virgin craft. And in a recent poll published by AV Web, it seems around 64% of you reckon that if money were no object, you’d be on that list in a jiffy. Shame about the $200,000 price tag!

Still, if you want to start saving, you can sell camera, mobile phone, tablet or console devices to us for great rates (we hesitate to write “out of this world” rates in the hope we can avoid an eye-roll!) Top rates for 2012 helped us reach thousands of folks looking to sell mobile phones or sell iPad tablets, so let’s send 2013 rates stratosphe… stop rolling your eyes! 

YouTube Soon to Be Accessible in Pakistan Under New Filter System

January 10th, 2013Tech News No Comments

Pakistan has implemented various internet filters since around 2008, when YouTube was briefly banned for the first time. Mobile carriers in the country are also required to block certain text messages containing content from a list of banned words.

At the end of 2012, Pakistan’s government attempted to lift the complete ban on YouTube by implementing a filter system that would block blasphemous or pornographic content. Unfortunately, their first attempt failed when much of the offensive content was shown to breech the filter. The video streaming website was subsequently blocked within minutes of it’s reinstatement.

According to Pakistan newspaper, Dawn, the Prime Minister spoke to members of the SAFMA (South Asia Free Media Association) at the beginning of this week on the subject of internet freedom and the YouTube ban.

“We believe in access to free information. The only reason not to unblock YouTube is the presence of blasphemous material on it. We will open it as soon as we have a filtration mechanism.”

It’s hoped the new filter could be up and running within weeks.

Internet freedom is very important to us. It’s important to everyone, really. When you sell cameras or sell your iPhone through Money4Machines, you’re able to do it because of internet freedom, because the UK is pretty good on the whole freedom of speech thing. 

Skype in the Workplace – Less Fun, More Effective

November 16th, 2012Curious Stuff No Comments

 

Microsoft recently announced the intention to retire Windows Live Messenger (WLM) everywhere except China by March 2013. For many businesses, this is going to mean finding a different IM platform for employees to communicate. But what if they could access more than just instant messaging?

WLM has been a mainstay of the office environment, particularly for small businesses, since the early days of the internet. Microsoft say they intend for the recently purchased Skype platform to cannibalise WLM users, but isn’t Skype a bit fun – to many bells and whistles – for the average business user?

Microsoft certainly thinks so. Six months in beta being tested by 500 companies and it’s now finally time to meet SITW – Skype In The Workplace. The platform has been designed specifically for SME (small and medium sized enterprise) clients to communicate and promote their services globally and locally.

Users sign in via their usual Skype account (Microsoft are also providing software to migrate all WLM contacts and information to Skype) and follow the options to connect to the Skype business hub – SITW.

SITW allows users to connect with business partners, consultants, experts, existing customers and potential clients. The service is designed to be 100% business focussed, something Skype desperately needed to show.

Money4Machines, a UK gadget company, said it’s great to see this kind of tailored service in the wake of the WLM announcement.

“If you want to sell iPhone models or old Xbox 360s etc, we’re here to offer great sell for cash rates. But we’re a small business and quick, reliable communication is the beginning and end of our success. WLM has been a standard platform for us, and it’ll be sad to see it go, but we’re definitely excited about SITW.

SITW is free to use. For more information visit Skype’s official SITW website.

New LG Nexus Photos Still Looking Curiously Glittery

October 18th, 2012Tech News No Comments

 

Rumours say the LG Nexus could be with us as soon as 29th October. But it’s not exactly the release date of the latest Android smartphone many tech fans are paying attention to. Their interest is aimed firmly at the abundance of freshly leaked photos of the device.

According to UK gadget company, Money4Machines, the LG Nexus’ leaked shots now include high quality photos from every angle (verifying the initial suspicion that the back of the device is a bit sparkly) and even a couple of examples of what you can expect from 8MP camera quality.

The original source of the leaks isn’t clear, but the first online publication of the shots came from Russian language website, tech.onliner.by. The shots show LG’s first Nexus handset alongside an iPhone 5, up close front and back, sideways and – for reasons that may remain forever a mystery – next to a red toy parrot.

The Android Jellybean 4.1.2 (or 4.2 by release?) handset specs haven’t been fully released. What we do know is that it carries a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 quad core Krait with Adreno 320 graphics, an 8MP rear-facing camera with a 4.6mm focal length and 4.7inch display with 768×1280 resolution.

A downside to the device could be it’s rumoured tiny 8MB non-expandable storage and lack of Micro SD card slot. Internet buzz cites this decision – if true – it will mark a real step backwards for LG, perhaps leaving the LG Nexus dead in the water. However, if the LG Nexus performs well, it could be a step in the right direction for the LG Android fanbase who have waited patiently for a decent LG Android handset for a long time.

And as for the sparkly back, initial responses seem to brand this design choice the Marmite of the tech world – love it or hate it! But the questions is, will it sell mobiles?

Amazon Barely Breaks Even on Kindle Sales, Looks to eBook Sales for Profit

October 17th, 2012Tech News No Comments

Amazon has confirmed it doesn’t make money on the e-reader devices it sells. Both the traditional Kindle handset and Kindle Fire tablets fail to add revenue for the e-book giant, barely breaking even.

Jeff Bezos, Chief Executive of Amazon, told the BBC,

“We sell the hardware at our cost, so it is break-even on the hardware. We want to make money when people use our devices, not when people buy our devices. What we find is that when people buy a Kindle they read four times as much as they did before they bought the Kindle. But they don’t stop buying paper books. Kindle owners read four times as much, but they continue to buy both types of books.”

So where do Amazon’s mammoth profits come from? Predominantly via the sales of e-books, films and music. In what seems a strange tack when compared to the aggressive prices and revenue drives of the likes of Apple (which runs iTunes just above break even and makes profit from device sales), Amazon seems almost benign, more like a lending library than a global company.

The latest range of e-reader devices from Amazon, including the Paperwhite device, have been designed to work alongside a book lending scheme – the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

With Christmas on the way, Amazon is hoping users will consider upgrading or investing in a new device during the busiest consumer time of the year. The new tablets and e-readers are being released in October, giving fans plenty of time to use their favorite sell for cash website to sell tablets and offload old devices to fund an upgrade.

UK gadget company, Money4Machines, said,

“Kindle e-readers are always popular. They’re durable, simple and always desirable, even dated models. We buy first generation Kindles right through to the latest devices, and their popularity looks set to grow with the development of schemes like Amazon’s £49.00 annual subscription lending library.”

 

BBC Player Starts Mobile Downloads

September 8th, 2012Tech News No Comments

We’re big fans of New Tricks. In fact, we love the BBC and all it’s brilliant programming! We’re always felt that a real shortcoming that you couldn’t download old shows onto your old iPad or smartphone, and it seems the mind readers at the BBC have been watching our dreams because they announced a few days ago that all your favourite BBC shows will be available for download to mobile devices pretty soon.

According to the BBC, there were 30 million requests for a mobile iPlayer download service. It’s a great step in the direction of uber-mobile viewing, but don’t think you can watch shows indefinitely. You’ll be able to store a downloads for up to thirty days, but once you hit play you’ll only have a week to watch before the whole self-destruct thing kicks in (no fireballs though – boooo!)

We buy heaps of different devices from all sorts of manufacturers, so what do our customer think of the latest BBC offering? One of customers said she loved that she could top up her old iPad and smartphone with plenty of shows to watch on the go. It’s a really great move for folks with Wi-Fi-only devices who have to rely on being close to a connection to watch their favourite BBC shows using the iPlayer application.

Word on the TV game show block is that ITV are also planning a similar service.

When you sell cameras and laptops and lions and tiger and bears and… we’ve lost track… old Kindles and stuff, leave us feedback on all your favourite bits of tech news – you never know, we might turn them into blog entries!

 

10 Unexpectedly Useful Websites

July 22nd, 2012Tech-y Life Advice No Comments

We’re not suggesting that the premise for any of these websites seems useless and then turns out to be awesome. Our point is that the internet is a rich sundae of websites and apps that can help you with things you never even knew you needed help for!

From the mind of a superb Indian tech blogger, Amit Agarwal, here are just 10 of his recommended 101 useful websites. We picked our favourites based on things like our own personal habits and what we reckon you lovely folks looking to sell cameras, laptops and other gadgets need most.

1. followupthen.com – A great way to set up easy email reminders for everything from work deadlines to posting your old Kindle to us!

2. jotti.org – Check suspicious files and attachments for viruses.

3. printwhatyoulike.com – Easy way to print websites without all the annoying adds and rich content that burn through the printer budget!

4. sizeasy.com –Compare the size of products online by entering the dimensions, then the site shows familiar items in relation to the size. Great for online shopping!

5. hundredzeros.com – Free bestselling ebooks. The list is updated regularly so your old Kindle will never be dull!

6. similarsites.com – Enter the URL of a site you love and similarsites.com will give you a nice long list of related sites you might enjoy.

7. privnote.com – Write and send text notes that will self-destruct after reading.

8. mailvu.com – An easy way to send video emails to anyone you like using your webcam; really simple and great for everything from backpacker’s updates to work memos.

9. tabbloid.com – Read your favourite blogs as PDFs on your old iPad, smartphone or computer.

10. google.com/dictionary – An incredibly easy to use and comprehensive online dictionary that includes work meanings examples and pronunciation.

Here’s where you can buy the Kindle edition of Agarwal’s book, The Most Useful Websites, for your old Kindle, old iPad or tablet. And don’t forget to visit our sell for cash main page to see what you could get for all those old gadgets once even the most useful website can’t convince you to hang on to your old iPad!

We’ve Got Gadgets Covered, So What Else Could Make You Some Cash?

May 19th, 2012Uncategorized No Comments

One person's trash is another's... cauldron... on wheels?

 

We can’t pop into your home and sort the trash from the treasure for you, but we can help you sell cameras, old iPads, laptops and other unwanted gadgets that are just taking up space!

While you’re visiting us to use our sell my iPad London service, here are a few moneymaking tips to help you make the most of unused parking spaces, a great imagination and bags of free time!

Your Home

Do you live somewhere interesting or unique? Media producers are always on the lookout for locations. There are plenty of online directories where you can register your home (along with plenty of photos and a thorough description) and maybe pique the interest of a location scout. Locations around London and Manchester are typically top of the queue.

Your Parking Space

Again, London and surrounding areas are going to be high on the list (it’s estimated around a million people commute into the city each day) If you’ve got a driveway in Greater London that’s vacant during the day, you can rent it out to commuters. Websites like www.yourparkingspace.co.uk and www.parkatmyhouse.com can help you find someone to rent on a short or long-term basis.

Your Mind

How’s your imagination? Feel like maybe you’ve got a book locked away in there? Mills & Boone novels number amongst the most read in the world, and nearly all of them are now sourced freelance on single novel contracts. Fiercely competitive but a great way to nab a few thousand quid if you’re successful.

Your Time

Mystery shopping doesn’t need to take up your entire weekend. Every retailer, restaurant, travel company and hotel wants to know what it’s like to shop, eat, travel and sleep under their brand. Register with an online company and just accept a few jobs when you’ve got the time. (You could even get a free weekend trip out of it!)

Your Junk

We buy gadgets in London and around the U.K, including folks wanting to sell cameras, iPads etc. But we bet gadgets aren’t the only worthy bits and bobs in your home that could make a bit of cash. One of our office team recently found out the book they’ve been using to make their staircase look more rustic is actually a 120-year-old biography of a famous minister and worth just over £100! The whole one-person’s-trash-is-another’s-treasure thing is true, especially at the moment when most folks are a bit strapped for cash.

5 Tips for Using Your Mobile Abroad (Without Mega Bills!)

May 12th, 2012Curious Stuff, Tech-y Life Advice No Comments

 

Have to sell cameras, consoles and the cat to pay your holiday mobile bill? Roaming is one of the most prolific ways service providers can add heaps of charges to your mobile bill. So before the whole sell my mobile to pay for a couple of international calls palaver begins, here are five tips our office teams swear by on their travels!

1. Use free calling services like Skype,

VoIP services can be a godsend for folks on the go, especially if you’re able to set up specific times to call home and so on. Download before you go and only use when you’re in free wi-fi spots. Great for folks who want to keep costs down and check in with people back home regularly.

2. Get a local SIM card

If you think you’re going to be using a mobile phone pretty heavily on your travels, think about investing in a local Pay-As-You-Go card. It means you won’t be charged for receiving international calls and can make plenty of cheap local calls/texts.

3. Turn voicemail off

… If you’re with O2! It’s now illegal for any network to charge you when someone leaves you a voicemail anywhere within the EU. Most networks apply this to their global services, but O2 are still rather dragging their heels and have a habit of pinning charges on folks outside the EU. Hopefully they’ll grow out of it soon!

4. Turn off data roaming

Don’t want to sell your old iPad, New iPad, old Kindle and beloved granny to pay the roaming bill? Turn it off and cope without it. One day the internet will hopefully be like a fully accessible cloud of information covering the globe – checking our sell for cash rates in the middle of the Gobi Desert, uploading travel photos from the tip of Everest etc will be simple – but for now it’s a luxury once outside your contract locale.

If you NEED web access on the go, look into what you’ll be paying before you go and consider investing in a roaming package so there are no nasty surprises!

5. Don’t open attachments or download anything

Downloading can really bump up that bill, so avoid unnecessary attachments etc until you get home (by “unnecessary attachments” we mean downloading, not holiday romances!)

You don’t need an excuse to sell cameras, old iPads and gadgets through our great sell for cash service, but how about boosting your holiday funds if you want one anyway!

Very Pinteresting

April 30th, 2012Curious Stuff No Comments

 

 


This is what happens when we leave the art kid in charge of blog topics for a day! Yes, yes, yes we all want to sell laptops and unwanted gadgets to upgrade to the latest tech, and we frequently choose devices based on things like business applications and detailed specs. But what most users want is an all-round device that lets them breeze through a budget meeting by day and play with social media by night. Enter – our new obsession with Pinterest over the morning coffee!

We buy laptops and smartphones to keep our business going, minimise e-waste and help you guys boost funds. Doing the whole sell for cash thing means we need to keep on top of things like trending social media, the latest gadgets (both real and imaginary!) and all the areas of life where technology treads. Well, that’s our excuse for currently being obsessed with Pinterest, anyway!

Our top Pinterest fan is also an avid reader of the Huffington Post, so here are some facts and figures from their U.S website covering the global spread of Pinterest.

We’ve left our Pinterest board in the capable hands of Pinterest’s biggest fan, so be sure to visit us at Pinterest.com/Money4Machines once we’re up and running. We’ll be covering things like what we buy, how to sell iPads, how to sell cameras for top rates, what fresh tech is on the way and probably some funny pictures of Office Cat and her meme buddies! 

Older Entries