How To Make Your PC Last Longer

As a gamer, you will know how important it is that your computer lasts as long as possible at it’s best performance. There’s nothing worse than running through a game and your computer is only managing to kick out around 10 frames a second. Computers are expensive, so it’s understandable that you want to make it last a long time so that you can really get your money's worth out of it. Even if you’re not tech savvy and wouldn’t be able to tell a motherboard from a graphics card, it’s not difficult to make sure your PC lasts as long as you need it to. Take a look at these tips on making your PC last longer.

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Photo by Simon Abrams on Unsplash

Clean it regularly

The side of your computer should be able to be taken off with a simple unscrewing by hand. You will more than likely find a very thick layer of dust inside your computer, which actually slows it down. If the fans can’t turn as fast as they need to, they can’t power the computer as fast; therefore making it slower over all. Gently dust inside your computer and the fans (obviously have your computer unplugged for this) and make sure that you’re doing this once every few months to ensure that it’s running as fast as it can be. Be careful with the components inside too!

Let professionals perform upgrades

It’s always a good idea to upgrade certain parts of your pc rather than buying a completely new one. Many computers these days have removable graphics cards and many other components too, so why not upgrade every once in a while to keep it running as it should? Check out this website that specializes in computer and technology repairs. It’s always a good idea to let the professionals carry out repairs and upgrades so that you can be sure that you’re not going to accidentally break your computer.

Keep drivers updated

Another main reason for your computer running slow might be because your programms and software isn’t up to date. Most applications and installs will alert you when there is a new update available, so make sure that you’re letting them update so that they can run faster for your pc. If you’ve got a graphics card like Nvidia, you will usually get a notification from that too when an upgrade is available, so keep an eye out every time you log on to your computer.

Have security on your computer

Finally, there are millions of viruses all over the internet that can be very harmful to your computer. Make sure that you’ve got an active anti virus on your computer so that you don’t put your computer at risk from attack. You can download free versions of antiviruses which work just as well against viruses and trojans.

 

Use this advice to make your PC last longer and your gaming experience even better than you’d imagined!

Reasons Grown Ups Should Play Games More

Gaming has often been as a past-time of teenagers or older children. Sometimes for adults is can be seen as a bit of a guilty pleasure and not something that we want to own up to. They are the recreational equivalent of consuming empty calories, or so it can be seen. But in reality, there are many benefits to gaming, and adults need to do it more, if they’re not already.

Video game design is getting better and better, and they can almost be movie-like in the stories that they tell. So as long as you’re able to control and limit the time that you’re on it, much like the livedealer.org site, then a little isn’t going to hurt. Here are some of the reasons why gaming could be good for you.

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Economical

Like you might do with an item of clothing, the price per use of games is pretty high. There is an upfront cost, similar to that of a concert ticket or a couple of movie theater tickets. But the game goes on and on, for as long as you want it to last. Even if it is a game that you can do until completion, you can do it again and again if you’d like. So the value for money with gaming is low, as far as a recreational activity goes.

 

Social

Back in the day gaming was seen as quite an isolated activity, with images of loners sitting alone in the dark playing games. But in fact, these days, it is a pretty social activity. Most games have a multiplayer function, so you can invite people round or have other family members join in the fun. There are even games like guitarhero.com that allow you to be a little more active, and interact with others. Those kinds of games are only going to be fun with other people around.

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The Future of Technology

The gaming industry is always changing, and it can give us an insight into technology and what is changing. If you’re a gamer, you’ll see just how much of an impact virtual reality is having on us, and you can look at the possible opportunities for using that in everyday life. Even games that are traditionally seen as games for children, like Minecraft, are being used in testing for AI Bots. The future of banking and retail could be going along the lines of chatbots, so gaming offers insight into those kinds of thing.

 

Escapism

After work or college, when your mind has been so focused on certain things, it can be nice to come home at the end of the day and relax. Gaming, like movies or television shows, can offer an element of escapism. It can be a way for some people to relax, while still using your brain in a different way. When you combine gaming as a hobby, alongside reading, exercise, and other things, it is important to remember that it is OK to play from time to time.

How To Secure Concert Tickets, Every Time

‘Sold out’. Two words you never want to face when you’re trying to get tickets to see your favorite artist! Failing to get tickets to something you really want to go to is beyond disappointing, but fortunately for you, that doesn’t have to be the case.

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With some handy tips, you can beat the system to make sure you get your dream tickets. Take a look at how to secure concert tickets, every time.

Find out all the details

To make sure you’re prepared, you need to note down all of the key details. What date and time do they go on sale? How much will it cost? Which websites can you buy from? Make sure you know all of the answers and put some reminders in your calendar to stop you from accidentally missing the sale. Giglist is a good website to find out about the latest ticket sales, while Ticketmaster and Live Nation also send out regular mailers about concert announcements.

Keep an eye out for pre-sale

Pre-sale tickets can be much easier to get, so try to find out if there’s one happening in the days leading up to the main sale. Check out the artist’s website for fan club sales and sign up where possible. If you try to get tickets this way and fail, at least you’ll have the main sale to fall back on.

Create accounts in advance

If you don’t already have accounts with ticket vendors, create them in advance. This will save you a lot of time on the day and means you can log in before the sale starts so that all of your details are there. It will only take you a few minutes, but it will save you time and stress when trying to secure your tickets.

Get multiple devices at the ready

You’ll stand a better chance of securing tickets if you try on more than one device. Aside from your computer, try using a tablet and a phone to help you try for tickets. Apps are still relatively underused for buying tickets, so you could stand a better chance of getting to the front of the queue this way. Get everything set up around 15 minutes before the tickets go on sale to avoid last minute stresses.

Take advantage of auto refresh

Auto refresh tools can help you to get to the ‘Buy’ stage of the sale, but you need to be sensible with it. You can get an auto refresh extension for Chrome, which you should set to refresh every 10-15 seconds while you’re waiting for the tickets to come on sale. Keep an eye on the page, and as soon as you’re in - turn it off so that you don’t lose your tickets when it comes to the payment stage. Don’t hit refresh if you’re placed in a queue, as this will mean that you lose your place!

Bypass the CAPTCHA

Did you know that you can bypass the CAPTCHA codes at the checkout stage? This can save you a lot of time and hassle so that you don’t miss out on your tickets through not being able to identify all of the vehicles in an image on time!

Have payment details ready

Once you’re in the ‘Buy’ stage of the process, you’ll be given a bit of breathing space to finish the transaction. However, in some cases this might only be up to five minutes, so you need to check out as soon as possible. If your card details aren’t already stored in your account, have everything ready to make the payment simple and straightforward.

Check back later

If despite your efforts, there are no more tickets left, it might not be game over. Plenty of people abandon their baskets while some sellers will stagger the ticket allocations. Check back after half an hour and an hour to see if there are more tickets available - many people will have already given up so you’ll have fewer people to compete with.

Choose the resale option

If you’re unable to secure tickets at the time, there’s always the resale option. Resellers are focusing on creating safe, secure websites that guarantee your tickets and provide a better alternative to shady sellers. TicketOffices reviews put the site as one of the best, with tickets secured and validated and delivered in time for the gig. Always check out reviews before you buy resale tickets to make sure you’re not getting ripped off!

 

Now that you know how to master ticket sales, you can be the king or queen of concerts. Bookmark this page ready for the next gig announcement to make sure you’ve got all the help you need right in front of you. With all of your ticket successes you’re going to need some extra income for gigs, so check out this guide to earning some extra income online.

Share your ticketing tips with friends so that you can all try together - it’s much easier to get the tickets you want with a trick or two up your sleeve!

Paying Your Way Through College From Your Computer

Everyone knows that college is an expensive time. It costs you money to get there, and you can find yourself still paying for it long after you’ve left. In addition to the tuition and textbook costs, you also need to live.

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Image: Kaboom Pics

Going to college is a key life event that impacts your future. First you’ll need to choose which type of college you’d like to attend, there are so many different types of colleges from a sports university to a Christian university. Naturally, the major you’d like to study will largely influence your decision. Making big decisions like these can feel stressful, and you might be worried about how you’re going to financially support yourself. Luckily there are so many easy ways that you can make money.

Many students tend bar or waiter their way through college, but have you thought about the different ways you can make money online instead?

Whether you need beer money or a bit of help to pay your rent, check out the different ways you can pay your way through college from your computer.

Complete online surveys

Online surveys are one of the simplest ways to make easy money online. You may be wondering whether or not you can make money from online surveys, but the truth is you can. Depending on how much time you’re willing to put into it, you could make money hundreds of dollars each month, while still binge-watching your favorite shows on Netflix. Completing some online surveys can be a great way to make some additional cash that could substitute a part-time job.

Sell things

Selling things online can be easy if you’ve got a knack for it. If you have a fashion habit, for example, you can always sell-on the clothing you no longer want to help you afford new items. While you have your classic selling sites like eBay to get rid of your unwanted goods, new tools like Depop are a great way to make money from selling online. If you can source a good bargain and resell to make money from your investment, you could have the makings of a great online business!

Write

Copywriters are in high demand online, so you could make some good money doing anything from writing product descriptions to writing social media copy online. It’s easier than you might think to get started with copywriting, with websites such as eLance, Copify and PeoplePerHour offering some excellent ways for you to build up experience and hone your skills. If you’ve got a passion for words or you want to write something other than essays for the next couple of years - copywriting could be a good little earner for your college years and beyond.

Sell your services

If writing isn’t your thing, there might be other talents that you have that you could sell online. People offer all sorts of services from proofreading to voiceover work and even tutoring - whatever your talent might be; you could make some extra cash online. There are some inspiring stories of people who make thousands from websites like Fiverr, so it’s worth exploring to see what sorts of services you could offer others from your computer.

Online games

While it might not be the most recommended way to make money online, online games like online casinos can be a way for you to make some money online. If you stick to free trials and stakes, you won’t risk your own money and could help you earn some extra income if you know what you’re doing.

Start a blog

Blogs can be a fun way to make some money online while also indulging your passion. If you have something that you’re interested in, such as beauty, sports or food, you could easily make money from blogging. Blogging requires commitment, but if you’ve got the time to write and promote a couple of posts a week, it could be a good venture for you. Having a blog is a great way to boost your career prospects post-college, demonstrating that you have other interests, as well as expert knowledge on a particular topic.

Start a YouTube channel

Having a YouTube channel is another popular way to make money online. A vlog is a good companion or alternative to a blog, allowing you to share ideas, how-tos and more. The more subscribers you have to your channel, the more money you can stand to make from it - with YouTube offering monetization options after you reach a certain amount of views and subscribers. If you have something good to say, say it - it could be a great money-making opportunity for you.

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing can be a good way to make money online without much effort required. In short, affiliate marketing involves making recommendations to people through links or referral codes that lead them to products and services. You can make money through affiliate marketing using your social media pages, Pinterest, your blog and other methods. Shopstyle Collective, RewardStyle, Amazon and Target have some good affiliate marketing programs that are worth investigating.

Make money from gaming

Do you enjoy gaming? Why not make some money from it? There are different ways to make money from gaming, including having subscribers follow you on Twitch, writing how-to guides and walkthroughs for different games or publishing podcasts with advertisements and sponsorships. You’ll need the right streaming setup to make it work, but it could be a good investment if you’re serious about earning while gaming. If you already spend hours of your day gaming, this could be a good way to keep up your hobby while also making some money from it.

Micro-tasking

If you’ve got some free time and want to get paid for menial tasks that others can’t be bothered to do, you’ll be surprised at how much money you can make from doing this online. Websites such as Taskrabbit, Swagbucks and others can pay anything for completing small tasks which could range from posting a review to using a search engine. Ideal for when you need some extra dollars here and there, this could help you make some easy money and fast.

Become someone’s virtual assistant

It can be tough to get a job after college without experience, so looking for ways to make money that also boost your skills can help. Becoming a virtual assistant is a good way to develop some skills that will be useful for your career such as administrative tasks, developing your communication skills and working to deadlines. You could be a virtual assistant for a day or for a certain number of hours a week depending on how much time you have and what the requirements of your client are.

Invest

Investing is something you can start during your college years to help you grow your savings. The College Investor is a great website to teach you all about the ins and outs of investing to help you get started. Investments can come with risks, but if you set out a plan for yourself and start off slowly, you can make some wise choices that will boost your existing and future financial situation. If you’re unsure of how to get started with investing, you might want to consider a micro-investing app to get you started using the spare change from your card purchases.

Teach your skills to others

Do you have useful information that you can pass onto others? Why not teach an e-course? People make money teaching courses on everything from improving your blog to social media basics. Provided you can create a suitable marketing strategy to promote your e-course or book, you could make some decent money by sharing your knowledge with others.


 

Making money online is much easier than you think. Unlike generations before you, you can find more flexible ways to earn money for college that will help you get by and without impacting your studies. How will you make money online from your computer? Find out now by exploring the different options to help you pay your way through college.

Beat Your Commuting Blues With These Techy Boredom Busting Ideas

There is nothing worse than being sat on a long commute on the train with nothing to do. Many people opt to read the free newspaper that they’ve picked up on their journey but as you know, these don’t last long. Long commute times can be tricky, especially if you’re someone who experiences travel anxiety or claustrophobia when on public transport. We are lucky however, to live in an age where you don’t just have to rely on a newspaper to help you get through your traveling woes. We now have a plethora of technology that is perfect for those long journeys, so check out how to beat your commuting blues with these techy boredom busting ideas.

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Photo by Stephy Miehle on Unsplash

Fight the anxiety

When you’re feeling cooped up inside of a train and you’re struggling with an anxiety attack, one of the best things to do is to accept what’s happening and tackle the problem head on. Luckily, technology can now help with such a thing, and you can now download anxiety hypnosis apps for you to listen to on your journey to help keep you relaxed. There are also apps that can help monitor when you’re anxious and try to help you pinpoint and resolve your issues. Try some anxiety apps to help pass the time and ease your travel anxiety.

Play a game

One of the best methods of distracting yourself from your anxiety, or even just to quickly pass the time is by playing a game. Going back a few years we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy such a luxury on our commute to work. But now, thanks to smartphones, tablets and laptops, we are able to enjoy games that thrill us, like biking games from smartbikegames.com/. Or, if you prefer a more gentle game, you could put your mind at work with amazing puzzle apps and games. Before you know it you’ll be at your stop!

Catch up on missed TV shows

Again, thanks to the progression in technology not only can we obtain the devices to watch our favorite TV shows, but we even have programs that give it to us in HD quality so that we can easily catch up on all of the missed TV shows. Work out how long your journey is and see if you can fit a certain amount of episodes into the journey. It’s a great distraction and allows you to keep up with trending conversations in the office!

Look up recipes

One really clever idea that people are doing loads these days is looking up recipes on their commute to work. Why’s this? Well, many people are already thinking about getting home and eating delicious food before it all happens again the next day. Why not save yourself some time when you get home and look up some recipes to cook for dinner. It will save you worrying about it, and also give you the chance to get any ingredients that you may need on your journey home from work.

It's Time to Get Involved in Spectator Sports!

Most of us engage with some sort of sport. Whether that’s a team sport such as soccer, basketball, or volleyball, or an individual sport such as archery, climbing, or kayaking. However, sometimes the intense physical aspects required to engage with them might put us off. Whether we’re feeling a little under the weather or simply want to kick our feet up and relax, there are bound to be a whole host of times when heading outdoors in a huge exertion of energy just isn’t something we’re interested in. However, you don’t have to cut sport out of your life entirely in times like this. In fact, you can engage with a sport in a completely different way - as a spectator. Here are a few different sports that you might want to try watching instead of physically engaging with at some point!

 

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Baseball

Baseball is one of the most popular spectator sports in the world. While the premise of the bat and ball game is relatively simple, the feeling of being a part of a particular team’s fanbase is all-encompassing. You really get drawn into the game as you cheer along and chant. One of the great things about baseball is that it’s relatively unpredictable. In most sports, you can take a look at individual sports people's track records and gauge the outcome of each match or game. However, with baseball, you can really be taken by surprise, with league champions falling and the underdogs having the day regularly. To experience baseball at its best, try to secure dodger tickets that will provide you with seats to some of the best games.

 

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Boxing

Boxing matches are thrilling - you get to see two athletes in their prime go head to head in a battle of both the body and the will. It’s not surprising that this is a sport that organisers really make a show out of. For weeks ahead of any big fight, you can tune into interviews, weigh-ins, and pre-match standoffs between the individuals lined up. On the night, you can either head along to a live venue or tune in on your television, with matches often being streamed worldwide for those at home. The music and entrances really get your adrenaline pumping! You then get to watch a highly technical sport, learning a whole lot about technique and statistics from the commentators along the way.

 

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Archery

Archery is a more obscure sport that not all too many people pay attention to. But this is simply because it isn’t as hyped up as many other major sports. Archery really can be brilliant to watch, especially if you’re looking for something that is more focussed on calculated finesse than pure adrenaline. It is perhaps most widely televised during major events such as the Olympics, but there are Youtube channels dedicated to providing access to all sorts of archery championships.

 

These are just three sports that are widely televised, or that you can attend in-person if you’re lucky enough to get tickets. So, choose one and get involved!