£5 Free Mobile Credit | Technological Thursday

Hello There!

Today I just wanted to sing the praises of GiffGaff the mobile network.

And if you want to get £5 free credit on Giffgaff and to order a SIM, just click the link below:

As far as the network coverage goes, everything's great - Giffgaff runs off the O2 network. There's great signal (even in the hills in Wales), and the internet is a great speed. 

They are such a flexible network, it's amazing. There are a variety of different rolling contracts that will suit anyone and everyone:

I'm a fan of the £5 hokey cokey goodybag - and it's just got even better! I've used it for the past year and it didn't have the internet included in it before. It's perfect for me because most people call me to talk to me so I get a minute back for every minute they call me - so I hardy ever run out!

And if you don't want a contract you can just add credit and it's still amazing value because they have the lowest rates for individual calls and texts. They also offer 20mb internet use for only 20p a day - way cheaper than the likes of Vodafone (£1 for 25mb).

There are also gigabags you can get - bags of data at low cost if you're an avid internet user, and for an extra £2.50 a month you can add on Blackberry services too, and there are micro sims available...

As long as you top-up once every three months you get free giffgaff-to-giffgaff calls and texts so it's great for families and friends to keep in touch - just spread the word.

I hope I've persuaded you to try GiffGaff - you won't regret it!

Ciao for now, G x

Technological Thursday | Get Rid Of ALL Ads & Pop-Ups On Chrome, Firefox, Android, Opera

Hello There!

It's Technological Thursday Again. 70% of the people that view my blog use Google Chrome to view it. As do I. So today my technological tip is about blocking the adverts on browsers (especially chrome).

This was one of my biggest bug-bears. I can't stand adverts popping up left right and centre. And when I got chrome I had to resign myself to living with adverts in order to get a faster browser. So I was stuck

Don't get me wrong, I tried to block them. The tips from Chrome are to turn on the pop-up-blocker. Except it doesn't block any pop-ups. Or, the amount that they do block makes no difference. So for 2 years I was constantly infuriated by the bombardment of adverts every time I click on a link.

And then my saviour came. Hallelujah. I learned about Adblock Plus.
It is an extension that you put on your browser with a click  and of a button, and just forget about because you're now ad free and you don't have to do anything else!

And it is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

I have been ad-free for 6 months now. And I've never been happier!

Ok, so maybe that's an over-reaction to a Chrome Extension, but if you have been plagued by the same infuriation, then you'll totally understand where I'm coming from.

And actually, this is available for other web browsers as well - Opera, Android & Firefox
Available HERE for all these browsers. 

I hope this post has helped with anyone out there who wants to be ad-free. 

It literally changed my life :)

Happy Technological Thursday

Ciao for now, G x

Technological Thursday | Mobile Phone / Gadget Handbag Essential

Hello There!

So today I hope to solve the ever-present problem of batteries dying - phones/ipods/tablets, the same problem is present in all technological gadgets. And if there's one thing that I excel above all others is - it's forgetting to charge my gadgets. 

This was the greatest invention ever made - seriously. I would be nowhere without it. 

So basically, you use the same charger as you would normally to charge your phone/tablet and attach it to the portable charger. When the light goes blue over FULL, chuck it in your handbag. It holds a full battery for my phone and so I never need to be without charge. 

It's especially good if you're going on a long journey and need that extra boost to make your charge last all day.

The beauty of android is that they use the same charging port on all their devices. So I can use this on my phone and my Google Nexus tablet. In fact, any android device that takes my fancy :)

Available from amazon.co.uk, ebay.co.uk   

And, if you don't have any Android devices there are also alternatives that do exactly the same thing for:

Blackberry, depending on device (Available from amazon.co.uk, ebay.co.uk)
&
Apple, all devices (Available from amazon.co.uk, ebay.co.uk)

And they're amazing value - just £4-7, absolute bargains!

Are you part of the 'I-never-have-any-charge' elite? 
I definitely should have the record for never having charge!!!

Ciao for now, G x

How Not To Be Scammed On Ebay (Or Just Online Shopping In General)

Hello there!

Welcome to Technology Tip Thursday - Hopefully once a fortnight I'll be able to share a technological tip with you, fingers crossed, hope it helps!

So today, it's all about ebay - yes ebay.  Before you say anything, I love ebay. I think it's genius. I've said it before. Especially for small businesses. And as long as you know how to exercise caution online you won't be disappointed. So here are my top tips for buying off ebay and online generally (and I've never been scammed). 

1. Check the delivery. - where it's coming from, how much the postage is, how long it will take. Check it will come to your country! And be realistic about delivery times. If it says 4 weeks don't expect it in 2 weeks. 

2. Check seller reviews - I would say that 99% upwards, don't hesitate. Anything above 95%,  should be ok. Anything below, approach with caution... Read any negative feedback to see if past buyer's problems could be applied to your product or not. But don't just take a bad review as everything - 95% is still a lot of happy customers. 

3. Check product reviews - Make sure that you've done you're research, even if you're not on ebay, for online shopping in general. If you're not sure about a product, check the seller's policy on returns, this will be in the returns section of the description, or in the description itself. Check the description - is it new/used/for spare parts. Make sure you know exactly what you're getting!

4. If you can - use PAYPAL. It is so much better because it provides security for you, the buyer, and if there are problems - Paypal will fight for you to get your money back. 

5. If in doubt, ask. There is a 'Ask a Question' section on every product page on ebay (and a Contact Us on other websites). It's very quick and should qualm any fears you have about a purchase. Lovely jubbly, job done. Simples.

6. Cause a Fuss  Ok, So that sounds worse than it is. If you are unhappy with a  purchase - DO SOMETHING. Contact the seller. Most sellers just want you to have a good experience. If something has gone wrong they'll probably want to help (especially if you haven't yet given feedback). Just use the contact seller option again. You'll probably be given the option of refund or replacement. Sorted. 
However, if the seller is not so accommodating, as long as you are still within 45 days after purchase, you can open a case with ebay against the seller. Then they'll have to do something to make it better. 

7. Google. Not ebay related. If you're buying off a new website that you haven't seen before, take 30 seconds to do a quick google. Yes, a google. Type in the name of the website into google and see what other people have said. There will usually be a unanimous decision - scam or genuine. Literally 30 seconds to avoid being scammed, definitely worth it I would say. 

Phew, that sounds like a lot of work, just to buy one thing. But if you get into good habits then it becomes second nature. And you should use these tips on other websites so you avoid scams. Then in the end, using these tips can only be a good thing. 

And, if you're super-excited about buying from ebay now, check out my posts on what you can buy off ebay: here

Hope this helps
Any questions just ask ;)

Ciao for now x