Access Your Computer From...Anywhere!

Have you ever rushed out of your house, late to work or to class, forgetting to save the presentation, document, or paper to your favorite cloud drive? If so, there is a way to connect to your laptop or desktop (PC or Mac) from your mobile device and save your job or college career. Actually, there are lots of ways to do this but most will cost you through the nose!

Teamviewer is a totally free remote desktop application that allows you full control of your PC from any mobile device with an internet connection. I've been using it for over a year and it is amazing! Even if you are not as forgetful as I am, you can use Teamviewer to access all of your PC and Mac software that you wish you had on your tablet or phone. You can download the app to your Android or iOS device and another application to the desktop or laptop you want to control. The guided setup is quick and painless, even for the want-to-be techie. 

FREE Cell Service! No, REALLY!

My last post introduced you to FreedomPop, an up and coming Internet Service Provider (ISP) that borrows (legally of course) Sprint's 3G and 4G WiMAX network to provide FREE and low cost home internet service. As of October 1st, FreedomPop made an announcement that will blow your mind!

FREE talk, text, and web is now a reality and not just a gimmick. It is pretty basic but offers 200 minutes, 500 texts, and 500mb of data per month for absolutely nothing. You do have to buy their HTC handset but its only $99 for a limited time and runs Android 4.0. If you want a little bit more, you can get unlimited talk and text and 500mb of data for $11 a month.

Ok, so its pretty limited but if you are not heavy on your data when you're away from a WIFI connection, this would be a perfect low cost/free solution. If you're ready to take the leap and give your kid(s) a phone so you can reach them at any time (yeah, RIGHT!), this is an incredible alternative to adding a line to a traditional family plan. If you run a small business and want a separate phone just for business use, there is no better deal out there. The possibilities are endless so check it out!

FREE Home Internet???

What do you pay for your home internet service? $40-$50 a month is pretty typical if you don't have a TV/Internet/Phone bundle from one of the big guys. Most of us stream movies and TV shows often on our home service so we need significant bandwidth but if you are more of a casual streamer, there is an incredible option for you!

FreedomPop is an up and coming internet service provider (ISP) that uses Sprint's 3G and 4G WiMAX netowrk to provide

decently fast internet to a home or mobile router. You purchase the router from them for around $100 and anywhere that they have a tower, you can get internet. For very light users who mostly use the internet for email and simple browsing, they have a completely FREE 1GB/month plan. If you want more data for streaming, they have an 8mbps plan that includes 10GB/month for $18.99/mo. Think that's not enough for you? Consider how much time you actually spend on your home internet in a day. A casual user who streaming roughly 10 hours of video a week and spends 3-4 hours a day surfing the web uses around 9 GB of data a month. If you are a heavy user, this may not be the option for you but if you are more casual in your data sucking habits, FreedomPop may be a great option for you!

Tree Hugger Deals

Fall is in the air and many of us are getting the urge to explore the great outdoors. Whether you are a true outdoor geek and your second home is in a tent far away from civilization or you simply enjoy the occasional mountain bike ride or hiking trip, you know how much descent outdoor gear costs. If you love buying camping and outdoor gear but have noticed the hole it burns in your budget, check out Sierra Trading Post. They offer awesome "Barn Burner" deals every day where you can get fantastic deals on high end gear and clothing. You can save 10%-20% off retail prices over most of the site but Barn Burner's typically offer 50%-60% savings.

Streaming On The Cheap

By now, most of us are aware of Roku, Apple TV and other little devices that allow us to watch our favorite Netflix and Hulu movies and shows on our TVs. The sweet spot in price for these set top boxes is right in the $100 range with some options from Roku between $60-$80 but have you heard about Google's recent venture into the set top box market segment?

Google introduced the Chromecast several weeks ago and so far it has had pretty stellar reviews from users, despite the fact that it is still lacking in the subscription services it supports. Currently, Netflix and YouTube are the only services officially supported but you can stream some content from your mobile web browser as well.

The super small device plugs right into any free HDMI port on your TV and draws power from your TVs USB port with the provided cable. If your HDTV does not have a powered USB port, they also include a wall adapter. You then control the device through an app downloaded to your Android or iOS device and it can even be controlled through your Windows or Apple computer. Unlike Apple TV, Chromecast uses your mobile device like a remote and directs content from the web instead of just mirroring whatever you are seeing on your screen. Best of all, this little device is just $35! Keep an eye on this as they will be supporting many more subscription services in the coming months.

UPDATE (10/2/13): HULU just released an update for iPad and Android that includes Chromecast support. It does not yet have iPhone functionality but expect it to come soon. I assume other streaming services like Amazon, VUDU, and Redbox Instant will be close behind in providing support. Time to buy one!

Where did I put my keys???

If you are like me and have to constantly ask your wife if she remembers seeing your wallet, there's a tiny little gadget coming out soon to help. Tile is a brand new product hitting the market later this year that uses GPS to help you locate your lost item. Just attach the little Tile to anything that you can't live without. Let's say you dropped your keys somewhere on your route out of the office and you have no idea where to even begin your search. Use the free Tile app for Android or iOS to find an approximate location and as you get closer to your keys (within 150 ft) your phone will help guide you to its exact location. The Tile also has a tiny speaker built into it to alert you to its location when you are within range.

Tiles cost $18.95 and are good for one year which may seem like a drawback. They'll send you a notification when it gets close to time for a new one and they'll provide an envelope for you to send the existing Tile(s) back to them for recycling. The upside is that it can save you a lot of time and heartache (and potentially money) searching for your precious belongings. Tiles can attach to anything that is valuable and likely to be lost or stolen. You can drop it into a purse, place it inside your wallet, attach it to your keys, laptop, backpack, whatever! I plan on ordering a couple to see how they work and will update this post with a review.

Travel Plans Made Easy

Trying to find the best deal for an upcoming vacation has driven many to the edge of insanity. Fortunately there's really only one site you need to check whether you need a plane ticket, hotel accommodations, rental car, or all three!

Kayak.com pulls the best prices from all the major players in the travel industry and puts them in front of you with the cheapest option first. If you're looking for the best round-trip airfare, they even show what they call "hacker fares" where they pull the best price each way even if it's from different airlines so you get the absolute best price. The only downside with airfare is that they do not include fares from Southwest so you would have to look at their site separately.

They also have a great App for iOS an Android so you can search for and purchase everything you need right from your phone. If you've planned way ahead and don't need to buy tickets right away, you can even set alerts so you know when your fare drops to a cheaper price. Check it out!