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February 17, 2017

Powering Up the Star Wars Universe

We crunched the numbers to calculate how much energy it would take to power up the iconic weapons and ships from the Star Wars universe. So…just how many batteries does it take to power Star Wars? We’ll cover your favorites—lightsabers, blasters, X-wings and yes, even the Death Star.

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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there were lightsabers, there were blasters and there were ships. But all this cool stuff needed power. Lots of power. Let’s check out the power needs of some of your favorite “Star Wars” technology and what it would take to power up the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance.

To better understand power terminology, we took a look at the common energy usage of things in the world around us. One AA alkaline battery contains 3.9 watt-hours. A car battery contains 722 watt-hours. The Tesla Powerwall has 7 kilowatt-hours. One barrel of oil is equivalent to 1.7 megawatt-hours. A nuclear reactor yields 1,000 megawatts. And for comparison, the Earth’s annual energy consumption is 104,426 terawatt-hours per year.

Droids

We can’t forget about the droids that inhabit the “Star Wars” galaxy. They need power to function too.

We don’t have droids as complicated as R2D2 and C3PO just yet, but we do have ASIMO. Billed as “the world’s most advanced humanoid robot,” ASIMO, developed by Honda, stands 4’3” tall and is capable of walking, talking and helping people.

ASIMO is powered by a rechargeable 51.8-volt lithium ion battery that lasts only for an hour. That’s equivalent to 132 AA batteries or 1 car battery.

K-2S0

Droids would likely be as energy efficient as humanoids in the “Star Wars” universe, otherwise you would expect slaves or clones to replace them. Assuming a 2.14-meter-tall aluminum alloy body (or similar), we can estimate the weight is 470 pounds each.

To power a K-2S0, it would take 19,946 kilojoules, which is equivalent to 5,537 watt-hours. To put it into perspective, that’s 1,420 AA batteries which equals 8 car batteries, 1 Tesla Powerwall, 1.6 oz of oil per hour or 6 hundredths of a percent of a nuclear reactor.

BB-8

Assuming BB-8 has a similar energy efficiency as K-2S0 and knowing that BB-8 is 0.97 meters tall, calculation results are 7.92 x 109 joules, which is equivalent to 2,202 watt-hours. That is equivalent to 565 AA batteries, 4 car batteries, 1 Tesla Powerwall, 1 pint of oil per hour or 2 hundredths of a percent of a nuclear reactor.

Lightsabers

Lightsabers are powered by high-output diatium power cells, which are capable of recharging naturally. The blade neither radiates heat nor expends energy until it comes into contact with the solid item it is striking.

Qui-Gon Jinn used his lightsaber to cut into the thick blast doors of Nute Gunray’s bridge. The doors were 2.35 meters tall and over a meter thick. Qui-Gon’s lightsaber cut a circular area approximately 0.9 meters in diameter.

In order to melt 0.87 cubic meters of conventional steel, it would require approximately 1.69 gigajoules of thermal energy. That is equivalent to 469,482 watt-hours, slightly more energy than one lightning bolt.

One lightsaber has the equivalent energy of 120,380 AA batteries (that’s 6,000 pounds of batteries or 250 gallons, enough to fill-up a kiddie pool). It’s also equivalent to 650 car batteries (that’s 26,000 pounds, exceeding the 20,000-pound maximum weight of a single-axle semi-trailer). One lightsaber is also equivalent to 67 Tesla Powerwalls, 0.28 barrels of oil (5.5 gallons of gas), one nuclear reactor or 0.05 seconds of Earth’s power supply.

Kylo Ren’s Lightsabers

It doesn’t appear there is any reason to assume that Kylo Ren’s lightsaber was capable of generating any more or less power than any other lightsaber.

In one scene, he is shown using the crossguard to burn through Finn’s jacket, causing a small burn. A small lightsaber-sized second-degree burn requires about 166 joules of energy as a low-end estimate. It seems it could be assumed that the crossguard blades are capable of outputting similar power to the full-size blade.

How many batteries would it take to power a lightsaber that uses 2.5 gigajoules of energy or 694,500 watt hours? The answer is 180,570 AA batteries or 975 car batteries. That’s equivalent to 101 Tesla Powerwalls, 0.42 barrels of oil, 1.5 nuclear reactors or 0.07 seconds of Earth’s power supply.

Blasters

According to Han Solo, ancient Jedi weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side. Firing bursts of focused particle beam energy (bolts), a blaster gets its power from two main components: Energy-rich blaster gas from a cartridge and a replaceable power pack.

The blaster bolts carry no heat themselves, but materials struck by them deform and fuse like when Princess Leia blasted a hole through a metal grate using an E-11 blaster rifle while escaping from the Death Star.

A hole was blasted big enough for Chewbacca to pass through, probably about 3 feet wide. An estimate on the mass of the grate is approximately 54 kilograms. Roughly 6.34 megajoules is needed to vaporize 1 kilogram of iron, so the blast yielded approximately 342 megajoules.

Power usage is comparable between lightsabers and blasters. Jedi in the “Star Wars” universe have been known to use power packs to charge up their lightsabers.

The 342 megajoules to power a baster is equivalent to 24,360 AA batteries, 132 car batteries, 14 Tesla Powerwalls (that would weigh as much as two cows or half a Bantha), 0.06 barrels of oil (approximately 1 gallon of gas; that’s $2.29 per shot!), 1 nuclear reactor for three blasts a second, or 0.01 seconds of Earth’s power supply.

Star Destroyer

It’s one of the most menacing ships in the galaxy. In “Empire Strikes Back,” we see an Imperial Star Destroyer blasting asteroids out of its way. If we approximate the standard asteroid mass as about 33,965,759 kilograms with a heating capacity of iron at 447 J/kg·K, then we could calculate that it would take 30 terajoules (8,333 megawatt-hours) to melt the asteroid.

That’s 2.1 billion AA batteries (in the U.S., 2.9 billion AA batteries are thrown away every year!), 11.5 million car batteries (16 million cars were sold in the U.S. last year), 1.2 million Tesla Powerwalls, 4,901 barrels of oil (at 35 mpg, you could drive around the Earth 130 times or make 6 round-trips to the moon), 10,000 nuclear reactors for a blast every three seconds or 2.5 seconds of Earth’s power supply (enough for 207,000 people for one day).

To vaporize the asteroid, it would take 250 terajoules or 69,400 megawatt-hours. That’s 17.8 billion AA batteries, 96 million car batteries (71 million cars were sold globally last year), 9.9 million Tesla Powerwalls (3 for every apartment in New York City), 41,000 barrels of oil (enough to drive a third of the way to the sun), 270,000 nuclear reactors to fire once every second or 21 seconds of Earth’s power supply (one blast from Earth every 21 seconds).

A turbolaser must yield approximately 3,750 terawatts of power, releasing energy four times that of the Little Boy atomic bomb.

X-Wing Fighter

Sometimes it isn’t always about the size of the ship in an intergalactic fight— as long as you are packing the right firepower. In “A New Hope,” when a blast from Luke Skywalker’s X-wing fighter struck the surface of the Death Star, it created a blast likely powerful enough to have vaporized at least one cubic meter of armor.

Conservative estimates put the output of the four X-wing cannons at approximately 60 gigajoules of energy, which equals 16.67 megawatt-hours. That’s 4.27 million AA batteries (enough batteries to go 8 times around the Large Hadron Collider, and stacked up, they’d reach space twice!), 23,153 car batteries, 2,381 Tesla Powerwalls, 9.08 barrels of oil, 0.01667 running hours of a nuclear power plant or 5 milliseconds of Earth’s power supply.

Snowspeeders

The snowspeeders are outfitted with improvised weaponry, including de-icing and heating elements and two laser canons compared to the X-Wing’s four. To power a snowspeeder, it would take 30 gigajoules, which is equivalent to 8.33 megawatt-hours.

That’s equivalent to 2.13 million AA batteries, 11,576 car batteries, 1,190 Tesla Powerwalls, 4.54 barrels of oil, 0.008335 running hours of a nuclear power plant or 2.5 milliseconds of Earth’s power supply.

Death Star

Remember when the first incarnation of this formidable battle station destroyed Leia’s home planet of Alderaan?

Using a beam formed by several beams firing from its Concave Dish Composite Beam Superlaser, the Death Star was able to destroy an Earth-sized planet with a binding energy of roughly 2.25 x 1032 joules. Comparatively, our sun produces roughly 3.846 x 1026 watts. How could one moon-sized battle station produce that much power? Using a ‘hypermatter’ reactor, of course.

The 2.25 x 1032 joules needed to power a Death Star converts to 6.25 x 1028 watt-hours. That’s equivalent to 16 octillion AA batteries (stacked end to end, these batteries would measure 84.5 billion light-years, almost enough to stretch across the observable universe of 92 billion light-years), 86 septillion car batteries (80% of the mass of Jupiter), 8 septillion Tesla Powerwalls (150 times the weight of Earth) or 37 sextillion barrels of oil (enough to satisfy the Earth’s oil consumption for 1 trillion years). The Death Star I uses power equivalent to 2 quintillion nuclear reactors to fire once every 24 hours (each blast would require an amount of uranium equal to the mass of Mercury). The Death Star II uses power equivalent to 1 sextillion nuclear reactors to fire once every 3 minutes (seven blasts would generate enough nuclear waste to equal the dwarf planet Ceres at 9.5 x 1020 kg). A Death Star’s energy usage is equivalent to 598 billion times Earth’s power supply. Astronomers estimate there could be 20 billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy. Only 29 more galaxies to go!

Starkiller Base

“The Force Awakens” shows five planets being simultaneously destroyed by Starkiller. The power calculation would be five times the current power of the Death Star, or 3.12 x 1029 kilowatt-hours.

Also in the movie, we see it draining power from an average-sized star, which certainly has enough nuclear fuel to provide the kind of energy shown. Earth’s sun will provide roughly 3.5 x 1056 kilowatt-hours in its lifetime. There isn’t much more info given in the film that would allow for honing in on a figure between these two numbers. Note that the expected lifespan of the sun is 10 billion years.

To power the Starkiller Base, it would take 1.12 x 1036 joules or 3.12 x 1029 kilowatt-hours. This is equivalent to 80 octillion AA batteries, 430 septillion car batteries, 40 septillion Telsa Powerwalls, 10 quintillion barrels of oil, 1.5 septillion nuclear power plants or 3 trillion times Earth’s power supply.

Hyperspace

Aside from powering up the Death Star, hypermatter particles allow a ship to jump to lightspeed without changing its complex mass and energy. We’ve seen the Millennium Falcon make the jump to lightspeed several times. According to physicist Miguel Alcubierre, a warp drive could manipulate space-time, taking advantage of a loophole in the laws of physics to move 10 times faster than the speed of light.

To make a warp drive, it was initially estimated you would need a minimum amount of energy almost equal to the mass of the planet Jupiter. More recent studies have reduced the energy requirement to be about the mass of the Voyager 1, approximately 700 kilograms.

Using E=mc2, 700 kilograms is equal to 62.9 exajoules, which is 15 billion tons of TNT explosives or 17,500 terawatt-hours. That’s 4.5 quadrillion AA batteries, 23 trillion car batteries, 2.5 trillion Tesla Powerwalls, 10 billion barrels of oil (1% of all the oil ever produced), 17.5 million nuclear reactors or 16 percent of Earth’s power supply (that’s one jump every two months!).

Ebates Star Wars Stores

ThinkGeek – Star Wars Apparel for Adults & Kids
BuyCostumes – Star Wars Halloween Costumes
LEGO – Star Wars Lego Toys and Products
GameStop – Select Star Wars Universe Games

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January 9, 2017

Most Successful Video Games vs. Biggest Flops Throughout the Decades

Video games are big business! More than 1.2 billion people play them, and global video game revenue is $101.62 billion per year. The first home video game console was released by Magnavox in 1972, well before a phone app was ever imagined. For more than four decades, games have been released and met with varying degrees of fanfare and criticism. Here’s a look at some of the bestsellers and biggest flops of console-based games.

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<a href="https://www.ebates.com/blog/best-vs-flops-video-games"><img alt="Most Successful Video Games vs. Biggest Flops Throughout the Decades" class="ngg_none" src="https://www.ebates.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/best-vs-flops-video-games_full-IG.png" width="600px" height="8590px" /></a><br><a href="https://www.ebates.com/blog/best-vs-flops-video-games">Most Successful Video Games vs. Biggest Flops Throughout the Decades</a> Created By:  <a href="https://www.ebates.com/"> Ebates</a>

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Most Successful Video Games

1970s

The game Pong was released in 1972. It was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity.

1980s

Pac Man was released in 1980 and went on to sell 7 million copies, making it the best-selling video game at that time. Tetris was released in 1984, selling 495 million copies. The ubiquitous game with the ever-falling tiles was created in Russia and is available on nearly every video game console, computer operating system and other media device. Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985, eventually selling 55.75 million copies. This was then followed in 1988 by Super Mario Bros. 3, which sold 17 million copies. The Mario series is the best-selling video game franchise of all time and has set seven Guinness World Records. In 1989, Tetris for Gameboy was released, and it sold 35 million copies.

1990s

Super Mario World was released in 1990 and went on to sell 20.6 million copies. In 1991, Lemmings was released, selling 15 million copies. Another release that year was Sonic the Hedgehog, which sold 15 million copies. More impressively, that game contributed to the Sega Genesis console’s extreme popularity in North America — it outsold the Super Nintendo 2 to 1. In 1996, Pokémon Red, Blue and Green was released, selling 23.64 million copies. This was followed by Pokémon Gold and Silver in 1999, which sold 23 million copies. The Pokémon series is second only to the Mario series as the best-selling video game franchise.

2000s

In the year 2000, The Sims was released, selling 16 million copies. The success of The Sims has been attributed to casual gamers and female gamers, with females making up 60% of players. Grand Theft Auto III was released in 2001 and sold 17.33 million copies, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released the following year, selling 20 million copies. The Grand Theft Auto series was controversial from the very beginning. While being condemned and criticized for its extreme violence, it also simultaneously received critical and financial success.

In 2002, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire was released to sales of 16.22 million copies. The Sims 2 was released in 2004, selling 20 million copies. 2005 had two major releases: Nintendogs, which sold 23.96 million copies, and Mario Kart DS, which sold 23.59 million copies. In 2006, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl came out, selling 17.63 million copies. Wii Sports was also released in 2006, selling 82.78 million copies. This was followed by the 2007 release of Wii Fit, which sold 22.67 million copies. Wii was looking to attract a new audience to gaming with its motion controls.

In 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released, selling 15.7 million copies. Mario Kart Wii followed in 2008, selling 36.38 million copies. Also that year, Grand Theft Auto IV was released, selling 25 million copies. In 2009, Minecraft became to game to play with sales of 54 million console units. Notably, social media was a significant part of this game’s rise to fame, with ⅓ of players learning about the game from online videos. In 2009, Wii Sports Resort was released, selling 32.8 million copies, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii came out, selling 29.32 million copies.

2010s

In 2010, Call of Duty: Black Ops debuted, selling a total of 26.2 million copies. Breaking all records, this game sold more than 5.6 million copies in the first 24 hours. Also that year, Pokémon Black and White was released, selling 15.6 million copies. In 2011, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released, selling 26.5 million copies. Also in 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim sold 20 million copies.

In 2012, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City started adding select video games to its permanent Architecture and Design Collection, including Pong, Pac-Man,

Tetris and The Sims. In 2012, Diablo III was released, selling 30 million copies. Also that year, Call of Duty: Black Ops II came out, selling 24.2 million copies. In 2013, Grand Theft Auto V was released, selling 65 million copies, and sales of Call of Duty: Ghosts amounted to 19 million copies. In 2014, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare racked up 21 million copies sold. Call of Duty: Black Ops III was released in 2015, selling 14.8 million copies. In total, the entire Call of Duty series has sold more than 175 million copies and made more than $15 billion. The games led to the creation of a Call of Duty Endowment in 2009 to help veterans find jobs.

2016’s big title has been Overwatch, which has sold 15 million copies so far. Just one week after Overwatch launched, it had 7 million players with 119 million hours of accumulated play time.

Check this timeline for units sold for all the most successful video games in our research:

Biggest Flops in Video Games

1980s

In 1982, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released and 1.5 million units were sold. Unfortunately, between 2.5 million and 3.5 million cartridges went unsold.

1990s

Virtual Boy was the first instance of 3D graphics in video games. Nintendo hyped a virtual reality experience for the 1995 release, but its monochrome graphics did not deliver. Only 770,000 units were sold.

After nearly a decade of hype and a seven-year development process with repeated delays, the game Battlecruiser 3000AD (shortened BC3K) was released in 1996 with many technical problems and outdated graphics.

After spending $6 million on a five-year development process, The Last Express, recognized as an intelligently written game with well-developed characters, was a sales flop after its 1997 release because of a lack of marketing and promotion. The maker needed to sell more than a million copies to break even and only sold 100,000.

Creating Dominion: Storm Over Gift 3 was supposed to be a three-month project for two employees, but it took more than a year to develop, and the game went wildly over budget prior to its 1998 release.

Shenmue had a five-year production period that cost $70 million, ranking the game as a record setter for the most expensive production costs at that time. Only 1.2 million copies were sold after its 1999 release.

2000s

Debuted in 2000, Daikatana was marketed as the “next big thing” for first-person shooter games, but massive overspending and a delayed release eventually resulted in a poor reaction, including complaints of technical bugs and low production value.

Although the game Beyond Good & Evil was critically acclaimed, its failure was attributed to its 2003 release alongside competing titles.

Despite critical success, the low initial sales of the 2005 game Psychonauts (fewer than 100,000 copies) was blamed on a lack of marketing.

The action-adventure game Ōkami was set in ancient Japan and combined traditional myths and folklore. Despite critical acclaim at its 2006 release, it was met with slow sales.

Themed with heavy-metal music, the game Brütal Legend recorded low sales after its 2009 release because of real-time strategy elements that were not mentioned before the game’s debut.

2010s

After the release of APB: All Points Bulletin in 2010, unenthusiastic reviews and a low subscriber rate were the cause of this game’s commercial failure.

The 2011 game Duke Nukem Forever was in development for 15 years and cost company executives $20 to $30 million of their own money, only to be met with poor sales.

In 2014, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal were released, selling only 490,000 copies because of weak writing, glitches and poor gameplay.
The game Sunset, released in 2015, used an “arthouse-style” approach and sold only 4,000 copies, including those distributed to its crowdfunding backers.
Head to Ebates to shop current deals and cash back on your favorite video games. If you prefer new, fresh out of the box play, Best Buy and fye.com are good places to start. If a discounted refurb is more your style, try Ebay or Gamestop to get your fix.

Sources:
www.wikipedia.org
https://www.statista.com/topics/868/video-games/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/25/more-than-1-2-billion-people-are-playing-games/

November 29, 2016

Win a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2!

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After you enter your Ebates email, you can earn extra entries for each type of entry. Comment, tweet, pin, follow us, like us, circle us — the more you do, the more entries you get! This sweepstakes ends on Monday, December 5, 2016 at 11:59 PM PST. The winner will be randomly picked through Gleam and will be posted on Facebook and on this blog. Please be aware of the Giveaway Rules.

Be sure to keep an eye on your inbox, as the winner will have 24 hours to accept the prize before we will choose another winner.

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* To qualify for a Welcome Bonus, you must be a new member and make minimum qualifying purchases totaling at least twenty-five dollars ($25) within ninety (90) days of becoming a Member.

September 7, 2016

7 Essential Money Saving Apps for College Students

Whether you’re a soon-to-be college freshman preparing to leave the nest for the first time or a seasoned grad student gearing up for your final year, it’s likely you’ll be pinching pennies at some point during your academic career, if not all throughout. Personal finance management is an essential skill you may not have picked up during high school, but you don’t need to be a business major or an economics whiz to master it. If you have a smartphone, you’ve got the power. There are hundreds of apps on the market designed to help users save money. Ebates has compiled some of the best, listed below. Use these in conjunction with the Cash Back and deals available through Ebates at hundreds of stores like Amazon and Bed Bath & Beyond to get the most bang for your buck.

1. Loot

Even if you’re on a tight budget, it’s important to stash away a few bucks whenever possible for a rainy day fund, or even just an extra latte here and there. Loot is a free app designed specifically for students which helps you to calculate what your disposable income is. Loot is a little different than most other budgeting apps in that it is connected to a prepaid Visa card onto which you load money. This makes it easy to monitor where you spend your cash daily without the need to manually plug in each expense, as you do with many similar programs. By helping you to develop responsible money management habits, the app aims to subsequently help you to budget for disposable income.

2. MySupermarket

The stereotype of a starving college student can sometimes feel all too real. While clipping coupons can work to save you a few bucks, it can also be fairly time-consuming. MySupermarket helps ensure that you always get the best deal on each item on your shopping list. All you have to do is create your shopping list in the app, and it will tell you where you can find each item at the lowest price, or if a particular store is offering a special on the item. You can also use your phone to scan the barcode of an item while at the store, and the app will alert you if you can find it cheaper elsewhere. Don’t have a car and don’t relish the idea of schlepping a half-dozen shopping bags from the store back to the dorm? This app also works for online grocery orders.

3. RetailMeNot

Everyone needs a little retail therapy now and again. RetailMeNot helps you to get your fix while staying within your budget. The free app gives you access to thousands of different coupons and specials for a variety of stores, including Target, Starbucks, Sephora, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more. If you come across a coupon you’d like to use but don’t need it right away, the app allows you to save it for later. It also alerts you when these saved coupons are about to expire. If you’re looking for a certain item, though you’re not set on a specific store, the app will also search for deals within your area. To take advantage of the savings, all you have to do is show your phone at checkout, or if you’re shopping online, just input the code.

4. Mint

Similar to Loot, Mint is an easy-to-use, free budgeting program that helps you to set and meet savings goals. You can visit the Mint.com site, or download it as an app on your phone. Although Mint doesn’t use a prepaid Visa, it does allow you to securely link your debit and/or credit cards so you can just as easily keep track of your spending. With both Mint and Loot, this aspect is particularly important as it can help you to easily pinpoint areas you could cut back on in favor of saving for other things. Once you’ve established a budget, Mint will also send you email reminders should you go over the specified amount.

5. Honey

Similar to RetailMeNot, Honey is a valuable savings app that collects thousands of coupons and codes at hundreds of sites to make sure you get the best deal on every order. You can download Honey to your phone or to your computer as an Internet extension. The great thing about Honey is it will automatically search for and try out all of the available codes when you begin the checkout process at an online store, so unlike with RetailMeNot and many other sites, you don’t have to try out each one manually. If there’s one thing college students have less of than money, it’s time, so this aspect of the app is especially nice. Honey also allows you to rack up points to earn cash back, and offers incentives if you persuade your friends to start using Honey as well.

6. Groupon

College is the perfect place to try new things. Groupon affords you the opportunity to try new things off-campus as well as on, without paying the usual cost. This app has been a favorite for a while now, and it’s easy to see why. With this app, you can take advantage of daily deals of 50 to 90 percent off a variety of activities, goods, and services in over 500 cities. Many businesses post deals through Groupon to establish new customers, so it’s a great way to find hidden gems and up-and-coming establishments you may not normally try or be able to afford.

7. ATM Hunter

We’ve all been there. You’re at the bar enjoying some drinks with friends, go to pay the tab with your debit card, and realize they only accept cash or their card machine is down. Finding an ATM in itself can be difficult in certain areas, particularly if it’s late at night. Add to that the $2 to $4 fees many ATMs charge per transaction, and the fact that you stuck to more budget-friendly beers instead of cocktails seems to have been for naught. ATM Hunter is a free app that helps you find free cash machines, so you don’t have to stress if you’re caught in a jam in an unfamiliar area. You can also filter the search so the app will only show you machines from your bank, adding even more convenience.

September 6, 2016

Essential Apps for an Affordable Vacation

In the modern age, planning a vacation is simultaneously much more complicated and a lot simpler than before. With countless websites and companies all pulling at the leash to give us the best deals and the best options, it’s easy to get lost in the choices — especially when you’re looking to stay within your budget while still enjoying your getaway. Blank checks aren’t an option for most of us, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on a fantastic vacation — it just means we need a little help.

Here is a list of the most essential apps to have when planning and enjoying your vacation, helping you find the best places, save the most money, avoid getting ripped off, and even ensure that you don’t forget your toothbrush.

To Do

Anyone who’s planned a vacation knows exactly how valuable all those little essentials and nonessentials are to making sure the vacation not only goes off without a hitch, but that no unexpected expenses swing around to surprise you along the way. To-Do is an organizer app that lets you categorize and access your notes easily, so the planning stage is both flexible and effective. The app is available on iTouch and iPhone, and Ebates offers fantastic Cash Back and coupons for the App Store, making it easy for both your app and your vacation to be more affordable.

Flight Tracker

An affordable vacation relies on making the wisest investments, but it also means not losing the investments themselves. Nothing’s worse than showing up all ready to head off on your vacation, just to find out that your flight has been delayed or that it’s been pushed up and you’ve missed it altogether. Flight Tracker is a free app for most devices that lets you check your flight’s status on the go, so you don’t have to worry about booking another plane, having to reschedule your hotel, or losing your car rental. Not to mention all the painkillers you’d have to buy to get through the ordeal.

Yelp

When you think of vacationing, you probably don’t think of an app to recommend businesses to you. But visiting an outstanding vacation destination can be disappointing when the restaurants, local shows, and attractions are outside of your price range. Going to your dream city can be far out of your vacation budget simply because your bank account can’t accommodate all the things you wish to do while you’re there. Yelp makes it possible to pinpoint the best places at the most affordable prices, including the little-known shops that escape the public eye but give you that personal charm without the high price tag.

Travelocity

Everyone says they’re the best gig in town when it comes to offering deals and lower prices on hotels, planes, and cars. Finding a reliable app that works while you’re on the go is even harder, especially when you’re trusting it with banking information or if you’re on a tight schedule. The Travelocity app has a reputation for high-quality functionality and offers comparisons on different flight, hotel, and car rental choices so you can find the most money-saving options. As an added bonus, Travelocity offers users rewards for booking on their app exclusively, so you can save even more money by using your phone and get those last-minute tickets for an even lower price.

TripAdvisor

The infamous “five-star hotel turning into a two-star once you show up” is a risk we all dread taking when planning our vacations. If you want to book an affordable hotel but don’t want cockroaches terrorizing you in the night, then you need a second opinion, and that’s exactly what TripAdvisor offers. With this app in the palm of your hand, you can get real-life opinions on hotel experiences with recommendations for alternatives if you first choice turns out not to be all it was cracked up to be according to the reviews. This allows you to book a high-quality hotel that’s much less expensive simply because it’s not very well known. To make things even more affordable, there are plenty of coupons and deals you can earn, cutting back on those small costs that can add up in the end. As another added benefit, if you’re on vacation and want to see some of the local attractions, the app recommends restaurants, museums, historic sites, and more so you can get the most for less.

August 17, 2016

10 Best Learning Apps for Kids

Everyone’s eyes are glued to a phone or a tablet these days – and for your kid, this can actually be a good thing. By downloading one or all of these top ten educational apps for children, you can make sure your kid is doing more than having fun on their device – they could be learning and advancing their knowledge.

1. Angry Birds

Angry Birds has a reputation for giving adults a distraction from work, but in all actuality, it has something to offer kids of all ages. Whether you have a five-year-old or a teen, getting them to launch these colorful little birds at pigs teaches about physics so effectively it’s hard to believe it’s fun.

2. Elmo Loves 123s

For the little ones, there’s no one better to teach them the essentials than Elmo. This friendly app gives your child all the fun of Sesame Street videos and takes it to a more interactive level with coloring and puzzles. With bright colors teaching your child to recognize and name numbers 1 through 20, it upgrades according to their level to teach them addition and subtraction, rewarding them with prizes.

3. Pixie

Sometimes book reports just aren’t fun. For younger children who find it more difficult to get engaged – or who simply aren’t strong writers – Pixie makes it possible for kids to embrace all of their creativity and strengths. This app (available in the App Store with coupons from Ebates) allows kids to record their voice, add text, and include paintings in their book report, as well as other projects. So if your child is more skilled in colors than they are in words, they can still add their own unique and fun touch to their work.

4. School Zone Time, Money & Fractions On-Track

A next step up on the learning ladder, School Zone Time, Money & Fractions On-Track (available on iTunes with coupons from Ebates) gives your older children more age-appropriate information without skimping on color, activity, sound, or fun. With unique and friendly characters teaching about different coins, math, and how to read a clock, the more your child plays this game, the faster they’ll be able to recount these facts, with upgradable levels to keep them moving forward.

5. Cookie Monster’s Challenge

Every kid needs to know the Cookie Monster, and with this app, he’s here to teach the opposite of what he’s good at – how to stay focused, how to manage your impulses, and how to follow outside instructions. With the ultimate reward of a cookie machine, your child will be encouraged to progress through all the mini games and continue learning.

6. Minecraft for iPhone

While adult YouTube stars made it particularly famous, Minecraft (available on iTunes with coupons from Ebates) teaches children of all ages about architecture, proportions, problem solving, and, at the very core, encourages creativity. Your child will learn creative solutions for the surprises the game throws at them, and will be encouraged to broaden their imagination to make their creations look more interesting and accurate to real life.

7. Habitat the Game

Teaching about animals and the environment, this app allows your child to adopt a friendly polar bear. With fun sounds and bright colors, they’ll learn about responsibility as they care for the creature, as well as about energy and water conservation.

8. Fish School HD

The modern and more educational version of Red Fish, Blue fish, this app helps your child to learn their number and letters, identify and arrange shapes, and sort and remember colors, all while interacting with a cast of bright and friendly underwater creatures.

9. Dexteria Dots 2

Hand-eye coordination and more advanced math is important, and Dexteria Dots 2 serves as the perfect introduction, with vibrant colors and engaging activity on the screen to keep children captivated as they learn. It’s played as your child evaluates the numbers on the screen – represented by the dots – and then adjusts and divides them to solve a problem.

10. Stack the States

Combining the fun of puzzles with an educational map of the United States, your child will learn more about the shape of the country, the capitals, and the location of each state with this colorful app. With each state characterized by a quirky personality, the more accurate matches your child makes as they piece together the map, the faster they’ll progress to newer, more exciting levels with special bonus rounds.

July 27, 2016

15 Free College Apps to Make You a Star Student This Fall

Whether you’re coming face to face with your first semester of college or you are a veteran academic, chances are you could use a little help getting in gear for all the long nights of cramming ahead of you. Not to mention, getting organized is a crucial element to surviving higher education. Check out this list of 15 completely free apps for school success including study apps and tools to manage the loads of information you will be taking in this fall. If you’re browsing through The App Store and find a paid version you can’t refuse, remember you can get it with Cash Back at Ebates!

1. Studious – Never use a planner book again. Studious has your class schedule, assignment due dates, notes, campus map and more all in one place. It even silences your phone automatically when you are in your scheduled classes. No more embarrassing rings!

2. myHomework Student Planner – Another one of our favorite organizational school apps for students is the myHomework Student Planner, which is similar to Studious and lets you sync across multiple devices and your desktop.

3. Voice Recorder – Recording a lecture in class to be sure you don’t miss a beat is what makes Voice Recorders one of the best apps for college courses. Don’t splurge on a fancy digital recorder and use your phone, then easily download to your PC or store recordings on your cloud accounts for easy access.

4. Assignment Planner – Similar to project management software, Assignment Planner lets you prioritize assignments and school projects by due date so you can manage your time effectively. You can also keep track of your grades so you always have a handle on your GPA, no surprises come report card day.

5. Pocket – Get a head start on researching for that next term paper and store all of your online sources with Pocket. Videos, articles and more are kept all in one place for you to pore over later.

6. Sparknotes – Sparknotes have long been a trusted resource of study guides for English students. Now there is finally an app where you can access helpful study guides on literature, poetry, drama, philosophy and the ever mind-scrambling works of Shakespeare.

7. My Class Schedule – Stay on top of your class schedule with a color-coated calendar, due date alerts and widgets to keep you informed with the slightest of glances to your phone.

8. Evernote – Those pesky team projects can be super hard to organize. Take the hassle out of keeping communication lines clear with the Evernote project management app. Create to-do lists, instant message with you team, sync to any device and clip images and text from anywhere on the Web.

9. Khan Academy – The Khan Academy app is, indeed, the ultimate study buddy. Math students can enjoy instant feedback and step-by-step instruction while tackling serious equations. Khan Academy also gives you access to videos and content on other fields of study including sciences and the humanities.

10. EasyBib – Everyone knows that one of the hardest and most tedious yet probably the harshest graded part of any term paper is the bibliography. Now you can easily generate citations in multiple formats including MLA, APA, Chicago and more. You can even scan a book’s barcode with your phone for all the information you need and send them directly to your email.

11. Fast Scanner – Sharing class and lecture notes is now easier than ever. Simply use your phone’s camera to scan notes and convert into a PDF for easy sharing. Image editing tools can help you make documents easy to read so nothing will get lost in translation.

12. Scholarships.com – Finding college scholarships can be tough since the information on them is so widespread and hard to filter by your needs and qualifications. This app makes things a little easier with a sophisticated search function and a database containing more than 2.6 million scholarships and grants.

13. PhotoMath – Another great resource for math students, PhotoMath lets you scan and instantly calculate complicated math problems using your phone’s camera. This is not just a cheat sheet, however. The app gives you step-by-step instruction on how to solve the problem in real time like a normal human being.

14. Gojimo – Test prep can be stressful. Study up for a variety of entrance exams, SATs and more with Gojimo. Take practice tests and see where you need to brush up on your studies before the big day.

15. Dropbox – Dropbox is file sharing made simple. Share anything on your phone or mobile device easily with other user classmates or teachers or simply store it for easy syncing to your desktop.

July 16, 2016

Time-Saving Gadgets That Make Life So Much Easier

The only way to stretch out summer a little longer is to make the most of your time. There are tons of gadgets that claim to put to practice the latest and greatest time-saving tips, but figuring out which time-savers actually deliver on those claims can eat up more time than they save! So we’ve done the legwork for you and found the best time-saving products from our top Ebates stores, where you can earn Cash Back on your purchases. And remember: When you shop for time-saving products with a gadget promo code from Ebates, you can save both time and money!

Portable Document Scanner

This handy little gadget is light and portable, so you can scan practically anything, anywhere. With no need for wires and the software included, you’ll have the ability to scan like a pro while earning Cash Back at Ebates.

Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer

Looking for a hot and steamy way to charge through your day? This mug warmer will keep your precious coffee, tea or soup warm and toasty. Mug warmers are high on the list of time-saving baby products since new parents won’t be spending time reheating their coffee again and again!

Dragon Professional Individual

Dragon Professional Individual drives productivity at work by providing accurate and customizable dictation and transcription software. See how freeing it can be to work paperless with Dragon Professional, which allows you to create, edit and format documents all by voice.

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iRobot Roomba 860

It’s the original robotic at-home helper, and a surefire way to save time on everyone’s least-favorite household chore: vacuuming. The Roomba vacuum-cleaning robot can be set up to clean your floors while you’re out, and it has unique technological features such as AeroForce extractors, which are proven to remove up to 50 percent more dirt, dust, hair and debris from all floor types.

Canon Wireless Mobile Printer

This tiny powerhouse printer from Canon prints incredible color or black-and-white images wirelessly from almost any mobile device. This mobile printer uses WiFi to print beautiful photos and crisp, professional documents on the go.

Chef’s Fork Cooking Thermometer

Folks, it’s the digital age. There’s no need to be second-guessing when your burger is done. With the built-in thermometer in this chef’s fork, you’ll get an accurate reading on your cooked meats. Shop with a kitchen gadget promo code and you can save money while you grill to perfection and cook with confidence.

Paderno 4-Blade Spiralizer

This ingenious kitchen gadget helps you make beautiful, complex dishes that will transform your kitchen table into a fine-dining experience. With a simple flick of the wrist, the Paderno Spiralizer slices and shreds vegetables, creating thin spirals and ribbons. The Spiralizer is stabilized by four strong suction-cup feet and has internal storage for all its component parts.

Rapid Beverage Chiller

Crate and Barrel has a whole host of high-quality, affordable, time-saving cookware, such as the Cooper Rapid Beverage Chiller, which can cool a bottle of wine to the perfect temperature 40 times faster than a conventional freezer. Use a cookwear promo code from Ebates when you check out at Crate and Barrel to save big on these great gadgets.

Avo Shark Avocado Multi-Tool

The Avo Shark is not only a time-saver, but also a super cute multi-tool. For anyone who loves avocado, this dishwasher-safe tool makes preparation a breeze, saving time and frustration. Check out The Grommet for other unique, innovative, time-saving appliances for your home that you can’t find anywhere else.

June 4, 2016

Gear and Gadgets for Men Who Love the Outdoors

Father’s Day is right around the corner! Conveniently for you, it’s also the perfect time of year for sending dads or your other special guys out into the great outdoors with cool gadgets and outdoor gear from their favorite sporting goods stores. Whether you’re in search of electronic gadgets, outdoor gear or tech gifts for men, check out this handy list of awesome gift ideas that will help power outdoor adventures for years to come. Get ready to save a bundle with Cash Back from Ebates with any of these products. Plus, keep your eyes peeled for extra perks, like an early Father’s Day promo code, to stretch your tech and gadget gifts budget even further!

Asolo Men’s TPS 520 GV Anniversary Boot

These 5-star hiking boots will have your favorite hiker heading off to the trail with top-of-the-line comfort and support for his feet.

SHADOW 40+10 Backpack

A versatile hiking backpack like this one from The North Face is an essential piece of outdoor gear for any backcountry-loving hiker.

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Elite Quadricopter

Shopping for cool gifts for your favorite guy? At the top of every man’s gadgets wish list right now is a drone. Add the ability to capture stunning aerial photos from mountaintops or waterfalls with a lightweight drone like this one.

Patagonia Men’s Piton Hybrid Hoodie

Having the right outdoor clothing with you when you head off into the wilderness is a big part of what will make the trek a success. Check out this incredible wind blocking hoodie, available with Cash Back from Ebates online at Patagonia.

Eureka K2 XT Tent

Perfect for both summer and winter camping, this top-rated high-tech tent, made by Eureka will seriously up anyone’s camping game.

MSR Miniworks EX Water Filter

Bringing along a water filter is a great way to both cut back on the weight of your pack and make sure you can get clean water if you run out. This water filter makes a perfect outdoor gear gift for any guy.

Therm-a-Rest Self-Inflating Mattress

A great sleeping pad can make a big difference in how much one enjoys an overnight camping trip. This lightweight sleeping mat from self-inflates and is an all around awesome outdoor gear gift.

Garmin Forerunner 235 GPS Watch

Looking for outdoorsy geek toys or cool tech gifts for men? This Garmin GPS wearable comes from a family of durable tech that specializes in building cool gadgets for men that will help any dude track his steps, elevation and activity levels on and off the trail.

April 27, 2016

7 Game-Changing Fitness Wearables

Now that spring is here, everyone is starting to think more about getting out and active. If you’re like most of us, having a reminder to get up and get moving is a great way to keep up with your fitness goals. Wearable devices make this incredibly easy thanks to modern motion sensing technology in most of today’s wearables. Trying to find the perfect fitness tracker to pair with your exercise regimen of choice? Take your health and strength to the next level with one of these seven top fitness wearables and get Cash Back at Ebates!

Fitbit Flex

First in its class when it comes to both style and function, the Fitbit Flex is the perfect wearable technology to get you motivated and help you meet the mark when it comes to staying active. As an extra bonus, the Fitbit Flex will even track your sleep patterns to help you look and feel your best! Keep an eye out for a wearable promo code online at Best Buy and be sure to activate Cash Back at Ebates for even more savings.

Microsoft Band 2

A seamless combination of connectedness and sports-appeal, the Microsoft Band 2 will make you wonder how you ever lived without wearable tech. Can’t decide between the many smart watches and other fitness wearables on the market? Try out the Microsoft Band 2 and get the best of both worlds! Head online to the Microsoft Store and get ready to rock your workout and anything else that the day throws your way.

UP by Jawbone

Slim and sleek, the fashionable UP by Jawbone is equal parts wearable art and fitness tracker. With a motion and sleep tracker packed into this lightweight bracelet, you can pair the UP with their powerful app to give you a full picture of your daily activity. Offered in several colors, the UP by Jawbone is available from multiple stores online.

Samsung Gear Fit

Lightweight, water resistant and ready for anything, the Samsung Gear Fit features live updates on a screen that’s easy to see regardless of whether you are exercising during the day or at night. Check it out online at Samsung and enjoy the savings as you score cool Cash Back at Ebates.

Garmin Vivoactive Sports SmartWatch

Ultra-thin and with a high-resolution touchscreen, the Garmin Vivoactive Sports Fitness SmartWatch is an incredible wearable that even supports biking, swimming and golfing. Pair it with your smartphone to track your fitness milestones or get updates while you’re out and about. Get it now and be sure to look for a fitness wearable promo code before you check out!

Apple Watch Sport

Have trouble fitting exercise into your busy schedule? The Apple Watch Sport is the ultimate wearable tech in a sea of smart watches. The Apple Watch will help you get fit and stay connected with all the other important stuff going on in your work and personal life. Head online to Sam’s Club to pick yours out today!

LG Lifeband Touch Activity Tracker

Never miss a beat with the Lifeband Touch Activity Tracker wearable from LG. This touch screen wearable tech syncs wirelessly with your smart phone and Bluetooth earpieces to power your workouts with the music you love or to seamlessly connect your calls.