Google Chromecast

While the final frontier of technology dominance has been the TV in the living room, companies very rarely make a splash. Even the hyped Apple can't crack the code, as their Apple TV turned out to be a blundering failure. Enter Google and their Chromecast. As of the last year, Google released the product called Chromecast. It isn't a set-top box or a whole TV, instead, its an HDMI device with a Wi-Fi chip in it. The entire function of this tiny widget is to bridge the content and apps from your phone, tablet and PC over to your TV. The cost is a tiny $35 and is available everywhere [Staples, Best Buy, RadioShack and all over online].

Setup is a breeze. The hardest part is connecting it to your TV, just plug it in and change the input. If its wall mounted, it can take a little longer since you aren't taking your TV off the wall to connect it quicker. Takes 5-7 minutes after you have the app installed. During the setup from your mobile device, the widget has the Wi-Fi profile configured, gets the latest firmware update and configures itself for the format of your TV.

What you need

• TV with available HDMI and USB port
• if you dont have USB, thats OK the kit comes with a Wall Adapter for it
• Mobile device with access to an App Store/Google Play to download the Chromecast app
• Wi-Fi network coverage that reaches the TV
• the stronger the signal, the smoother the experience will be

Picture quality was outstanding, worked with my Droid Razr Maxx HD, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Samsung Galaxy S4 without a hitch. At times, I've noticed the device doesnt want to connect, but turning the TV on/off does the trick. It could be the USB port on my TV not putting out enough power to drive the Chromecast which using the supplied AC Adapter would potentially resolve that, but I didn't want to run any wires and it happens very rarely. Netflix, YouTube, Revision 3 channels looked great on my TV in 1080p and I could multi-task on my device while the chromecast was streaming either browsing the web, looking for the next video to cast or adding something to the playback queue. All in all, easy and it doesnt require its own interface to interact with, just adds a button that lets you Cast to the TV of your choice if you have multiple Chromecasts on the same network.

All in all, I would totally recommend these. They're a steal at $35, a breeze to setup and for about $100 you can add online content to 3 TV's in your home/office without additional subscriptions.

Check Out My New Credit Card Terminal !!!

We're used to things getting smaller, but usually the price doesn't follow. That is until you look at credit card processing...

I recently got the Square Card Reader over the weekend. Like all new technology, we have to take a grain of salt with it. This product though has blown away my expectations. Since spotting this a few months back, I was waiting to take the leap, and I'm glad I did!

Here's how it works....
Using your smartphone or tablet (Android / iOS), download the Square App and connect the FREE reader which they sent by mail. Plug the reader into the headphone jack, launch the app and you now have a credit card terminal! Punch in the amount to charge, swipe the card, hit the process transaction icon, done. You can even do manual card entry. You can even issue a refund right from your transaction history register on the device!

This is all great but how much does it cost? Simple: 2.75% per transaction (3.5% + 15cents for manual entry). Thats it. No minimums, no terminal fee or merchant fees, no tiered pricing, no guessing. I LOVE IT.

So what about the receipt and signature? No worries. The receipt gets emailed or text messaged to them on the spot! And the signature is entered right on the screen with their finger or a stylus.

Process the payment over 2G, 3G, 4G or WiFi, all the data is encrypted. They adhere to the highest industry standards (PCI Level 1).

The money is transferred within 1 business day via ACH, unlike PayPal which holds it in their account until you  initiate the transfer.

So what are you waiting for? Ditch the terminals from 1990 and get Square today! Available at Radioshack and Online at https://squareup.com/

You will need the following:

1. A Smartphone or Tablet
• Apple device running iOS 4.1 or higher (iPad iOS 5.0+ for register version)
• Android running 2.1 or higher 
2. A 3.5mm headset jack with microphone (audio jack adaptors are not supported)
3. A screen size specified as Normal or Large (Small screen sizes are not supported)
4. GPS enabled
5.  A data connection

This is a solid solution for anyone on the Go or even at a fixed location. They will provide you with multiple readers if you have several devices to swipe from, for free.