We all use umbrellas. Getting drenched sucks. Carrying a weak and flimsy umbrella also sucks. Now take a look at these umbrellas that will surely amuse your friends or family and make great gifts for colleagues.
Comes with a 1 year warranty for manufacturer's defects.
Virtually unbreakable!
Uses 4 AA batteries (not included) & comes with 2 x 6V Krypton Bulbs.
Ships in ultra-cool tube.
Sterling Silver umbrella clasp.
Customer reviews are satisfying on Amazon as they mention it being "well built", "good quality" or an "aspect of safety" as you can be seen easily in the dark.
If being flashy is not your thing and being more professional is, the next umbrella may suit your taste.
NOW $119 + Free Shipping
The Unbreakable Umbrella is very sturdy and durable and can be used as a self defense weapon. "The Unbreakable® Umbrella works just as well as a very sturdy walking stick or cane but does not make you look funny or feel awkward. This umbrella protects against rain and everything else.... Whacks just as strong as a steel pipe but it weighs only 1 lb. and 9.2 oz. (715 g)."
You can feel safer walking home late at night when it's rainy and take attackers by surprise as they'll think it's a normal umbrella.
An essential accessory for men (and boys) is a watch. Watches vary from style to style and each style presents a different definition for its owner. Popular brands include Seiko (entry/mid level men watches from Japan) or Casio (G Shocks, technical but popular among sportsmen and youths. Also Japanese.) Guys don't get much opportunity to accessorize so the watch we wear, if any, is very important in combination with the rest of our outfit.
For the sporty guy or trendy teen the G Shock must sound familiar. I present you my three favorite models! (+Bonus)
A small list of recommendations for PC gamers and another list for great college gifts.
Although not relatively well known or widely advertised, Pay Day 2 is doing surprisingly well and highly regarded by gamers. This fun co-op experience is definitely worth having. Check it out:
Nova and his goons are freaking hilarious
The game is $30 currently, if you've got gamer friends you can purchase a pack of 4 for $90. (Saving you $30. It's extremely fun with friends, although soloing is just as great.) *Game is activated on STEAM. Also available for the PS3 and XBOX 360.
The ironic part is: a game full of bank robbers surprisingly have a kind and helpful community.
Another game that was recently released and is an abundance of fun and laughs is Saints Row IV. Check it:
Available for purchase now for $50. This game has proven to be unique and spectacular. Lastly a game available for pre-order (Not GTA V) and you should keep an eye on is Watchdogs.
I'll be sure to purchase this game as the date draws closer.
Going to college? Friend, relative or family going to college? Here are some wonderful presents to gift them. (Or yourself. You can gift yourself something nice too, you know.)
For a dorm without AC, the warm days are hard to bear. Instead of investing in an expensive gaming computer (are you in college to play video games or get an education?) get yourself the newest blade-less fan technology. Not only does it look bad-ass it's superb quality.
That blue one man...
The Dyson "Air Multiplier" fans come in different variations. This is the table version and costs about $200. Although on the pricey end, you pay for quality. It's an investment. The bigger tower version costs $300.
Don't get a new laptop, get a tablet computer instead. Tablets are so much more convenient to bring around and very helpful in learning/studying. In our modern educational institutions, technology is frequently being utilized in place of traditional tools. I recommend the new Nexus 11 by Google. It's a huge improvement from its older self and cheaper than ipads.
(I recommend the 32GB for $289) Quad Core + 2GB RAM Wireless Charging 9hrs Battery
Lastly, BRITA water filters are amazing and will save you lots of money versus bottled water (and they taste a lot better than fountain water).
They also come in bottles and slimmer pitchers. Definitely a must. You will save money (college is expensive) and feel a lot healthier. Plus it encourages water intake.
In this posts I'll be sharing a little bit of things I like and perhaps you'll enjoy as well.
"So avoid using the word 'very' because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don't use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won't do in your essays." -John Keating, Dead Poet’s Society
Need a monitor? Want dual monitors? Maybe several? The ASUS VS line is the perfect option. I personally plug it into my laptop for when I'm at my desk but it's awesome for a desktop too.
Personal Image, Taken 2013
What did I look for in my monitor?
-Price. The ASUS VS monitors from 21in to 24in are under $200!
-LED. Although not that important, I spend a lot of time with my computer on and would like my monitor not be burning hot. LED lit monitors generally do not get very hot and are more efficient.
-Slim elegant design. The VS line is the definition of slim and elegance of all the ASUS monitors.
-No extra fluff. I didn't want built in monitors, etc. I had my own Razer Ferox speakers.
-HDMI. My laptop only supports HDMI but my ASUS also came with other ports.
-1080p. High quality!
-IPS. These panels allow a greater viewing angle which I wanted cause I tilt my screen a bit and I generally want to use this as a movie show monitor with friends as well. However I hear other panels have better movement while IPS excel in color, it is negligible.
-Great contrast/color
-Wall mountable
Aren't these features incredibly enticing for the price? They easily beat out competitors like Dell (overpriced).
Slim!!!
Also if you're viewing this article near the day it was posted, you're in luck! ASUS is offering rebates on several of these monitors. That's more savings for you!
The only headphone I currently own is the Razer Electra. Although old, it has served me well and still continues to serve me flawlessly. Purchased from Amazon on May 2012 there is not a speck of dust on them.
Personal image, taken 2013
The Razer Electra has great bass and comes with two removable wires, one with a mic and one without. You'll need a jack that supports audio+mic for the mic to work otherwise you'll need a splitter. The large headphones provide good noise cancellation letting you enjoy your music or concentrate on your game. The audio and mic are both very crisp. Razer also provides a nifty software that simulates surround sound.
These come in full black or green+black.
However Razer has released a new line of headphones that may be a better alternative than the Electra. Meet the Kraken.
(WARNING: When purchasing, please look towards the right at the buying choices for the lowest price, usually by Amazon, and choose that one to add to cart. SAVE money!) *As of this review there's a special offer going on that will save you $35 off this purchase. Scroll down to Purchase to find out!
The CM Storm QuickFire Rapid is an entry level mechanical keyboard that offers you the best quality for the lowest price without all the extra fuss. If you have never used a (good) mechanical keyboard before, this is the perfect start. Once you go mechanical, you'll never go back.
Why Mechanical?
Mechanical keyboards are expensive but offer superior quality, tactile feedback and can increase reactiveness, typing speed along with accuracy. They use physical switches rather than cheap membranes that your average keyboards have. They often feel great to the touch and are excellent typing or gaming keyboards.
Also mechanical keyboards use (CHERRY MX brand) switches denoted by different colors. Each switches vary for different functions.
For example: Blue = Tactile/Clicky for Typing, ok for Gaming Brown = Quiet/Tactile hybrid for Typing, Gaming Red = non-tactile/non-clicky/light, some preferred for Gaming
These are just examples and whether you like that particular switch or not and for what function it's completely up to you. I use the blue switches (which usually is the cheapest).
My CM Storm:
I bought my precious keyboard this year actually, on July 13th for $60, ($20 off orig $80) and I absolutely cannot go back to normal keyboards anymore. The feel, the touch, the sound is magnificent and although I haven't tested my typing speed I feel as if it's increased. I'm a PC gamer and since switching I feel faster and more fluid in my games. This keyboard feels very strong and expensive the moment I took it out the box. I've since changed my arrow keys with the spare keys included and plan to buy custom key caps to personalize it.
Personal Image, Taken 2013
Warning:Mechanical keyboards are loud, especially the blue switches. I recommend brown switches if you wish not to be yelled at by your peers or significant other. If you live/work alone then it'll be an non-issue. Most users actually fall in love with the elegant clicks and clacks. Consider installing O ring dampeners under keycaps to reduce noise. They are very easy to use.
Purchase:
This keyboard is currently on sale for $60 (standard price is $80) and eligible for a $15 rebate. $45 for a mechanical keyboard is ridiculously cheap! (Click for rebate form) LIMITED TIME! Buy Now! (Blue Switch Only). This keyboard is also available in a stealth edition (also available in different key types) in which the keys have no markings. This is prefered by those who wish to memorize the keyboard themselves or add personal markings, etc. If you wish to have backlighting or a number pad consider the Pro or TK alternatives. *Purchase also includes extra key caps for your customization and keycap tool to remove keycaps with ease.
Alternative: If you're rich and prefer to get the best I recommend trying the DAS keyboard. They're fairly well known in the upper end and are very high quality.
Hello everybody! I've noticed the recent trend in low priced SSDs (or Solid State Drives) and realized a lot of people may be looking to upgrade from their old hard drives but didn't know which to pick from as there is an overabundance of brands. I will be recommending 3-4 SSDs ranging from 120GB-128GB in size. (I personally believe this is the best size as only the most needed/required files/programs should be installed on the SSD.)
Firstly what is an SSD and why should you consider getting it? Ever felt your computer was slow and frustrating? Assuming you have enough RAM and processing power retrieving data from your drive may be a bottleneck in your performance. Ever saw someone else's computer startup incredibly fast and elegantly while your computer takes forever to load? Get a SSD and your computer will boot up in matters of seconds and your programs will run almost instantaneously. Another perk of having a SSD is that a SSD has no moving disk so it generates little to no heat and will keep your laptop (or desktop) a lot cooler (lighter too). To sum it up upgrading from a hard drive to a solid state drive will increase your speed unbelievably. Also don't worry, setting up a SSD is fairly easy.
Let's get to the drives. These drives were picked for their fair pricing, reliability, performance and usability. (Click on the green text to view the drive on Amazon for more information and buyers' reviews)
pic from dvice.com
By far the most popular (and bit more expensive) is the Samsung 840 Pro. (128GB) The true successor to the previous glorious 830 (the normal 840 didn't match up). They claim to have exceptional professional performance, top security and low power consumption.
Another popular and famous one is the Intel 520 (120GB) which is very costly but were boasted by fans as the best consumer SSDs. Intel were pioneers in reliable SSDs.
pic from tomshardware
If the most popular and best isn't what you're looking for then the older Samsung 830 (128GB) should do just fine. The 830 was the most loved SSD of its time.
pic from cnet.com
At the lower/standard end you can choose between the Kingston HyperX 3K (120GB) or the Crucial M4 (128GB). Both are great companies/drives and fairly cheap.
pic from cnet
pic from dvhardware
Enjoy your new SSD and experience lightning speed performances!
Check the most frugal/cost-effective laptop out there today. The Lenovo IdeaPad 15.6in laptops is the ultimate budget gaming machine.
Specs:
Windows 8 Core i7 4th Generation (Haswell) 2.4GHz (NEW) 12GB DDR3 RAM! 1TB 5400RPM Hard Drive with 8GB Solid State Drive (SSD) NVIDIA GeForce GT750m (Play all modern games! SLI applicable!) 1920 x 1080 Resolution 15.6 inches Screen for HD Weight: 6.4lbs ONLY $800-$1000
You cannot get these specs for cheaper elsewhere!
Backlit keyboard
Chic keys
SLI or Optical Drive option, easy to remove graphics card
One of my favorite and most played game of all times, League of Legends, is a competitive online multiplayer game. For those who are unfamiliar they're currently having their regional tournaments for exclusive spots in the World Championship at the Staples Center (home to the NBA Clippers and Lakers) in LA. Before they battle for the Summoner's Cup and a handsome prize pool they'll have to win their eligibility first.
Let's first have a look at the stats of all the regions.
First from Singapore, The Legends Circuit concluded on 7/28 with Singapore Sentinels dominating the tournament and winning a spot to the South East Asia qualifiers in Vietnam starting Aug 17. With the Singapore Sentinels strong history, rivaling the previous Season 2 World Champions Taipei Assassins in the SEA region they will surely win the qualifiers without trouble and go to worlds.
In Taiwan the Taiwan Regional Finals is being held as Taipei Snipers await to find out who'll face them in the finals for a chance to go to worlds. My money however is on TPS taking it all as they're the spiritual successor to the former TPA, Season 2 Champions.
Now for the two strongest regions, China and Korea.
In China we currently have the LPL, Tencent LoL Pro League with OMG leading on top, however the competition is fierce there and I suspect WE, IG, RC and PE to all stand a chance. It is unsure who'll participate in the Chinese regional finals.
Korea's OGN Tournament is entering it's semi-finals. KT Bullets will battle CJ Frost for a spot in the finals while SKTT1 vs JAG Falcons and MVPO vs CTU haven't taken place. All six teams are incredibly fierce but I'm predicting a CJ Frost vs SKTT1 finals. It is unsure who'll participate in the Korean regional finals too.
Let's not forget the Wildcard tournament at Gamescom for regionals that do not have a premier league. Go Brazil!