The GauchoBlog » iPhone

GauchoTV: Smartphones and Secrets

MarvPratt — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:00:53 +0000

Full disclosure: Marv is a dyed in the wool, double stamped, Apple fan. In fact, as you watch this episode he is probably STILL standing in line to pick up his iPhone4. But what if you don’t want an iPhone? What if you don’t want to get locked into an AT&T contract? Even though Marv cannot possibly understand what would motivate this kind of insanity, he respectfully offers up one of the more comprehensive Top 5′s he’s ever put together. If you want to get a smartphone, and for whatever crazy reason you don’t want an iPhone, Marv will show you the best alternatives available. While he would never want one for himself, he gives you a “pros and cons” of the best smartphones that don’t have a lower case I in front of their names.

Also in this episode, learn the secrets to getting the best clearance deals at Target. You may think you know when to get a good deal at Target, but Marv goes deep undercover to find the real deal. It’s the secrets that even the most secretive secret keepers have tried to keep secret. But they are secrets no more, because Marv will spill the beans in this episode. Beans will be spilled! I hope you’ve ScotchGuarded your carpets!

Daily Gift Idea: Bump, Bump, Bump!

James — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:20:06 +0000

Alright, so in the midst of this huge Apple iPhone 4 launch, we’ve been showing a lot of pretty cool gadgets you can use with your iPhone 4. Still, with the launch means the rumour of some pretty big flaws in the design of the iPhone 4. The biggest of which right now seems to be that the iPhone’s signal will drop to 0 bars when you hold it in your left hand (which most of us right-handed people do).

That sucks for people getting the new iPhone 4 – so if you know someone, why not help them out and get a Apple iPhone Bumper that is also rumoured to solve this problem? $29 in the Apple Store, and you’ve made an Apple-geek mega-happy!

Get Today’s Gift Idea!

Daily Gift Idea: Charger/Mount for Your Ultimate In-Car iPod/iPhone Experience!

James — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:00:03 +0000

Alright. So it seems I’m in love with my iPhone. Maybe it has something to do with the impending iPhone 4G release (did you preorder your’s yet?), but I always love a good accessory for my special gadget. I’ll probably be featuring a ton of iPad ones, as well (when/if I get one)! Still, for all you iPod Touch/iPhone users who drive around a lot, today’s gift idea is for you.

Similar to the car charger I featured a couple weeks ago, this gift idea will charge and mount your iPhone/iPod Touch so you can see it, charge it, and let it play in your car. All that for $16 and you’ve hardly touched your wallet. Pretty sweet, right?!

Get Today’s Gift Idea!

Daily Gift Idea: iPod Charging Dock

James — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:00:16 +0000

It seems everyone is getting an iPod these days. What with the iPod shuffles and old generation ones coming further and further down in price with the iPhone releases and more, the once expensive and seemingly unnecessary iPods are becoming a little more affordable – so much so that even my mom has a newer iPod than I do.

Working at home from my desk, I’m constantly getting messages and phone calls on my iPhone. Because of this, I end up needing to pick up my iPhone several times a day off my desk to check messages, et cetera. Today’s gift idea makes that a thing of the past and allows you to charge your iPod while it’s standing. Looks sturdy too, so when you need to hit anything on the screen, you can do so without taking it off the dock or anything.

Great gift idea for that iPod/iPhone lover on your list for only $20 that could use something to hold their phone up!

Get Today’s Gift Idea!

GauchoTV: Summer Fun Part 2

MarvPratt — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:00:47 +0000

As the lyrics to the Carpenters classic go, Rainy days and Mondays always get me down. Even though it isn’t Monday, I’ve had two days of continuous rain, which makes it really difficult to do any location shooting for GauchoTV’s continuing Summer Fun Series. So, on this week’s episode Marv talks about the number one activity you do on vacation when it’s raining. No, not ‘go to the mall.’ Although, that would probably be on the list. The answer is, watch a movie. Specifically, Marv breaks down the hubbub around Netflix streaming. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s a way to use the internet to instantly bring movies and TV shows right into your TV, computer, gaming console or internet connected kitchen appliance (preferably ones with screens). What better way to spend a rainy vacation day than watching a classic movie that you love, or a creepy horror movie that will make you want to lock the doors and not sleep. Either way, it’s fun.

All this, plus Marv’s Top 5 FREE iPhone apps for saving money on vacation. This was in part because it’s handy knowledge to have, and in part to celebrate the official announcement of the iPhone4 this week. I’m saving up already to get one. So excited!

GauchoTV: Laundry Day

MarvPratt — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:00:30 +0000

Aside from reality TV, the only thing that separates humans from animals is a desire for clean laundry. Oh sure, you may think your cat desires clean laundry, but really it just wants to jump in the basket of clean laundry to get some of that coveted dryer warmth.

This week’s GauchoTV is all about that most distinctively human of traits: laundry. Primarily it’s about what option makes the most sense for you. Should you break down and buy a washer and dryer even if you live in an apartment with no laundry hook-ups? (Spoiler alert: The answer is no.) Should you just keep going to the laundromat? Should you rent-to-own (Another spoiler alert: This answer is also no.) This week Marv employs some very low-rent versions of Alton Brown “Good Eats” camera trickery (putting the camera inside the dryer and shooting out from there), and also trespasses on his next door neighbor’s property to bring you the Top 5, which he loosely connects to the end of his favorite network drama. No, not Gray’s Anatomy.

Finally, with just a few seconds to spare, Marv tells you about the new Gaucho iPhone app which you can get for free right now from the iTunes app store. And it will also run on your iPad, if you’re so inclined. And a new feature added by billshrink.com that allows you to see if you’re getting the best cable or satellite TV deal right now. Both things are very cool.

So enjoy another installment in the show that fans call “the best short-form web show featuring a guy with weird facial hair wandering around yelling at a camera!” The critics agree, it’s better than those irritating Fred Figglehorn YouTube videos by a longshot.

17 iPhones Apps That Save Money

Max — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:14:55 +0000

In the wake of last week’s post on web apps that can save small businesses money, it only seems reasonable to follow up with one on iPhone apps.

However, let’s pivot to look at iPhone apps that anyone can use to save money.

Don’t worry — we’ll talk about iPhone Apps for Small Biz another time.

Save Some Bucks? There’s Some Apps for That.

Can you say OMG? There are just so many apps out there for the iPhone now. Some of them are great for scrimping savers.

I’ve waded through pools of apps to find some that maybe you didn’t realize you were looking to find for your frugal endeavors.

Around the House

Green Outlet — $2.99. The Green Outlet web page says, ‘In this rough economy everyone is trying to find ways to control their budget.’ Yeah. No duh, right? But, in truth, Green Outlet is double whammy of goodness. Find out what appliances cost you the most money in electricity. Cut back, save cash, and save the environment.

ecobee – Free. Okay, the app is free. The ecobee Smart Thermostat is one of those things that’s had a ton of press among Green Geeks and positive reviews from energy management experts. The ecobee Smart Thermostat is listed on the ecobee website at $469, which is a whole lot more than the $385 price tag engadget reported over a year ago. Other searches show the device selling for $349. Is it worth the money? Maybe. In the past, Ecobee claimed you’d recoup your investment cost in 12 – 18 months, now they simply say you can save up to 20% on energy use — depending on your local weather and usage behavior. It’s likely to save you money in the long run.

MeterRead — $.99. MeterRead lets you record meter readings and project your energy use. It doesn’t provide the web/iPhone access that the ecobee system provides. But, if you’re serious about saving money by cutting back on energy, it is the perfect way to find out how much money you’re saving by turning off those lights and turning down the thermostat. At $.99, it’s a great deal. If used right, it might let you save just as much money as ecobee.

Yoink! — Free. The Craiglist of iPhone apps, only with maps. Find free stuff being given away near you, or give something away yourself. Message members from within the app platform to make arrangements.

In the Car

RepairPal — Free. Your car breaks down. You take it to the shop. They say it needs a new alternator and that it’s going to cost you $2,000. You pull out your iPhone and RepairPal gives you the estimate range of how much it should cost, plus a listing of other local shops. The power of awesome in your pocket. Or purse. Hand? Whatever.

Trapster — Free. How much do you love speeding tickets? Take the opposite of that and that’s how much you’ll love Trapster. This app alerts you when you approach speed traps, red light cameras, police check points, and other things of like nature. (Available for a wide range of mobile devices.)

Cheap Gas! — Free. Find the cheapest prices on gas near you.

Finance

Mint — Free. Use this app to keep money in your pocket. Mint lets you track your bank and credit balances automatically. See exactly what you’re spending money on, your income, and net worth. The mobile version let’s you stay on budget and check balances while on the go.

Gift Planner — Free. I don’t know why, but I always overspend on gifts when the holiday season rolls around. This probably occurs because I don’t plan for it. Gift Planner might just change that for me. Set budgets, make lists, capture gift ideas by saving gift locations to maps, organize events, import gift recipients from your iPhone or Facebook contacts, and even create your own wishlists. Seems like a great way to avoid overspending — and to keep from forgetting someone on your list.

Out and About

Drink Specials — $1.99. Find the best happy hour and drink specials deals. 45,000 deals in over 250 cities. You should be able to find a deal just about anywhere, anytime.

Google Maps — Free. If you’re trying to plot the quickest way to an event or circumvent traffic, Google Maps, pre-installed on your lovely iPhone, still can’t be beat. Save time, save money, save gas.

Taxi Magic — Free. Book a taxi from your iPhone. If you used the Drink Specials app, this should be the next app you use to save yourself the cost of a DUI and/or fender bender.

Kids Eat Free — $.99. Over 8,000 US listings of restaurants that have Kids Eat Free nights. Location-based to find the closest restaurants near you. Well worth the $.99.

Wi-Fi Finder — Free. Find free Wi-Fi hotspots.

Shopping

CardBank — $.99. You know all those endless membership cards that every store seems to offer now as a loyalty program? Sure, you can just give them your phone number, but phone numbers are so 20th century. Instead, store all of your cards on your iPhone and to make sure you don’t miss out on any savings.

CompareMe — $1.99. Compare the prices of products that come in different sizes to find out what’s really the best deal per unit.

Consumer Reports — Free. Get trustworthy feedback on just about anything you’re looking to buy.

Share Yours

We know there are many more great money saving apps out there. Let us know about them!

How to Save on Gas in Real-Time

Max — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Sure. We’ve all heard it before — you can save money on gas by making your car more efficient and driving less. Inflate your tires to the proper pressure, combine trips, tune-up your car, change your air filter, blah blah blah.

That’s not saving money on gas. That’s using less gas, which does save money. But how do you purchase gas at the lowest price?

Stop Being a Gas Snob

Some people, for whatever reason, feel a loyalty to buying a certain brand of gas. They think their car runs better on it, or that it will create less ‘gunk’ and better preserve the engine. This is marketing nonsense.

More than likely what’s happening is that people have an affinity for certain brand colors. This is what leads them to wheel into one gas station over another.

Of course, sometimes you don’t have a choice. You just need the closest gas station. Also, the high prices of gas in recent years has somewhat shattered the idea of loyalty to a certain brand.

Yet, people are creatures of habits. Whether its due to driving the same route or perhaps the what-you-know of brand colors, people often gravitate back to using a favorite gas station.

What’s the best way to get away from this? Data. Cold, hard, facts. I bet if you knew exactly what gas station had the cheapest gas in your city, you’d make a point of going there. But it’s hard to track, right? Gas stations are always changing their prices. A different gas station could have the lowest price on any given day. And driving around to find the best price, if you even have time for that, would defeat the purpose entirely.

You know what that means. Dust off your internet, because it’s time to go real-time.

3 Cool Sites and Apps to Find Cheap Gas

There are some really interesting — and dare I say fun — websites and iPhone apps devoted to finding the cheapest gas in your neighborhood.

GasBuddy.com is the best website I’ve seen for finding cheap gas. Like Gaucho, it relies on user-generated content. You can search by ZIP code to find the cheapest gas prices at stations near you. You can filter your results by grade and also find prices for diesel. Of course, you can also view maps for locations.

GasBuddy also offers an iPhone app. The app looks like a sweet mobile version of the site. The drawback is that it costs $2.99 at the iPhone app store.

If you really want to save some cash, just download the free Cheap Gas! app by David J. Hinson. It’s extraordinarily cool and free. I’ve used non-augmented reality version for awhile and it’s great. Plus, guess what? This app gets its info from GasBuddy. Win.