Friday, January 31, 2014

This Isn't A Misprint: Best Buy Is Now Offering $50 Off The Purchase Of An 'iPhone 6'

On Sales will soon offer $50 off the purchase of an "iPhone 6," "Samsung Galaxy S5," and any other new smartphone that is released before the end of the year. This is part of a new "Any Carrier. Any Phone. Any Plan. All In One Place" promotion.

To secure your $50 Best Buy gift card, you must register your interest in purchasing a new phone between Feb. 2 and Feb. 15, 2014. You will receive your gift card at the time of purchase - as long as that purchase is made before the end of 2014. You are under no obligation to purchase a phone after signing up. The deal simply expires at the end of Dec. 31, 2014.

Full details are as follows:

  • Between Feb. 2-15, 2014, just register your mobile phone number, email address and up to four more phone numbers on a family plan in-store or on BestBuy.com.
  • Then, any time before Dec. 31, 2014, purchase and activate a new mobile phone with the registered phone number and a two-year agreement on AT&T, Sprint or Verizon Wireless at any Best Buy or Best Buy Mobile store.
  • Enjoy your $50 Best Buy gift card, which can be applied to the phone purchase.

Best Buy hasn't been shy about discounting new smartphones, as its early iPhone 5c promotion in October proved. Nonetheless, this appears to be the first time the company has offered a discount on handsets that have yet to be released, let alone announced. Publicity stunt? Perhaps, but $50 is $50.

To register for your Best Buy gift card, click here beginning Feb. 2.

The next Samsung Galaxy is likely to arrive in April, while Apple's next crop of iPhones are expected in late summer or early fall.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Pebble Steel review: business class

<Printable Couponsp>A new suit makes all the difference

It's hard to imagine, but the best smartwatch you can buy isn't from Apple, or Google, or Microsoft, or Samsung.

It's from tiny Pebble, a hardware startup that so captured the hearts and minds of gadget fans in 2012 that it shattered Kickstarter records on its way to millions in crowdsourced funding. The first Pebble watch, released almost exactly a year ago, finally made the smartwatch accessible to regular people. At $150, it's almost cheap, it works, and it doesn't try to do too much: it flashes notifications about texts and emails and phone calls from your smartphone, and if you're feeling particularly saucy you could control music playback on your wrist. Compared to wildly ambitious but unfocused competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Metawatch, the Pebble is an object lesson in doing more with less.

There's only one problem: it's kind of ugly.

The new Pebble Steel changes that. For $249 you get virtually the same internals as the original Pebble inside a tighter, smaller metal case that comes with metal and leather bands. There's also an all-new app for iOS and Android, and a new Pebble app store that makes customizing your watch easier than ever. The little company at the front of the wearable market is pushing forward with design and software while it still has the lead - but the big question is whether it can move fast enough to keep ahead.

Design

"Isn't elegance forgetting what one is wearing?"

The Pebble Steel still isn't designer-watch-beautiful, but it's so much nicer than the original it's almost a little shocking. Throw it in a glass case full of Fossils at Macy's and it would fit right in; it doesn't scream "smartwatch!" the way the original Pebble or Galaxy Gear do. I happen to like bigger watches, and the Steel is actually slightly smaller than my two daily timepieces. And while it's heavier than the original Pebble, the Steel is still lighter than my fanciest watch and a co-worker's Seiko Kinetic. Apart from the case, most everything is the same as the original: the same low-res transflective display that's a little too blue when the backlight is on, the same button layout, the same general responsiveness and interface. It's a Pebble in a much nicer case.

Pebble did make two changes from the original I'm not crazy about: the power connector has been subtly changed so you can't use the same cord as the original if you have one, and the watch band is now a much less-common "toothed" design. Being able to use basically any random 22mm watch band was a big selling point of the original Pebble, and I don't know why the company gave it up. I have a theory, though: the design is open-source and the company sees a lucrative accessory market in the works. I'm sure the options will be there, but I'm not happy about losing the easy customizability just so Pebble can take a cut.

All in all, though, I would definitely wear the Pebble every day - a huge achievement I can't say about any other wearable product I've tried in the past year or so. It feels like a regular watch with added functionality, not a "wearable" that's trying to convince me to change my entire life around.

Apps and performance

The other big pieces of the Pebble Steel puzzle are the updated Android and iOS apps and the new app store. I wasn't able to try the Android app since it isn't ready yet, but the new iOS app is far superior to the original. The app store works well - you can quickly find new apps and watch faces and send them to the Pebble, where they're listed at the bottom of the main menu.

"My attitude is if fashion says it's forbidden, I'm going to do it."

There are eight open slots for third-party apps on the Pebble, and when you remove things from the watch they go into a "locker" in the phone app; swapping things around just takes a few taps. It's not a perfect system - most of the coolest Pebble tricks like remote camera operation require their own companion apps on your phone - but it's simple, it makes sense, and it works. (And it will all work with the original Pebble as well.)

Pebble's launching the new app store with a bunch of independent developers and a handful of flashy launch apps: I was able to try apps from Foursquare, Yelp, and ESPN. The results were mixed: checking into Foursquare from my wrist is definitely a little piece of the future, but pressing buttons eight to ten times while squinting at a low-res black and white display feels like a big piece of the past. I have no idea why I'd look for a bar on Yelp using the Pebble instead of my phone, but the idea is certainly nice. And the ESPN app can show you scores, but there you are, clicking away at your wrist again.

What I really want is for these Pebble apps to be predictively interactive - to know I've walked into a new restaurant and have the Foursquare screen ready when I bring my wrist up. To know that the game is on and that it should cycle to ESPN information more regularly. To know that I'm near a restaurant my friends have liked in the past and pop up directions. To know that I'll probably respond to a text with "be there in five!" even though everyone knows I'm not getting anywhere for at least another hour. I don't feel guilt when the lies are easy.

The value of the Pebble is that it can provide information in a much faster, less disruptive manner than a phone; trying to give it the same functionality as a phone seems like a step in the wrong direction. Pebble's great strength is that notifications work so well; the next step should be taking common actions and putting them a glance and a discreet tap of the wrist away, not adding another computer to your body. You've already got one of those in your pocket.

Realizing that potential isn't just up to Pebble, though. As an extension of your phone, it's also naturally an extension of your phone's operating system. On Android, where anything goes, people have already written all manner of apps and utilities that extend the Pebble experience in strange and interesting ways. Responding to a text or email with quick canned responses from your wrist is possible if your Pebble is connected to an Android phone, provided you take the time to find the right apps and set it all up.

"A respectable appearance is sufficient to make people more interested in your soul."

But those things are locked away on iOS, tucked behind Apple's tight control of its platform. The basics of using a Pebble are better than ever with iOS 7, which now natively supports sending notifications to Bluetooth devices; basically anything that pops up on the lock screen appears on your wrist. If you have a lot of apps that notify you, it can be a flood: I got notifications from Trello, HipChat, Google Hangouts, iMessage, and Gmail all in one five-minute period. Managing all of this is a lot easier on Android, but there's no such facility on Apple's platform. It's all or nothing, unless you're willing to turn off your phone notifications as well. And Pebble simply has no ability to add features like replying to texts or emails until Apple decides those features are worth it. Pebble's software ideas are great, but the challenge is figuring out ways to extend its platform beyond super-obvious things like iMessage replies that will require Apple's help. I'm not sure this new app store will accomplish that task all the way, but it's a solid beginning.

Wrap-up

Photography by Michael Shane

The Breakdown

More times than not, the Verge score is based on the average of the subscores below. However, since this is a non-weighted average, we reserve the right to tweak the overall score if we feel it doesn't reflect our overall assessment and price of the product. Read more about how we test and rate products.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Shopportunist: Coupon consumer often bags great savings

Six-foot-tall storage cabinets line the interior of Tina Mossman's enclosed front porch. Most are stuffed with food, some with cleaners and personal care products. Each is locked to ward off ravenous teenagers or those who may leave the meticulously arranged shelves in disarray. All are a testament to her organized Promo Code talents.

Two rooms away, rests her multi-page inventory list. The contents of each cabinet inscribed and updated frequently. Beside the files are two 3-inch-thick binders packed with coupons, envelopes packed with pre-sorted clippings, copies of each store's coupon policy, a printed grocery list, and a printer on the verge of needing an ink swap for the second time in a week.

Mossman is an extreme couponer, a moniker she wears like a badge of honor. The Hudson mother of six swears it's an obsession. It feeds her soul and her family's stomachs (cheaply). Last year, she saved her family $22,000 between sale price discounts and coupons.

"It's like a drug addiction," claims Mossman, who estimates she has a stockpile valued in the tens of thousands. "This is my drug."

The birth of Mossman's addiction began like many others. During the Great Recession, her husband lost his job. Her family of five lived off savings for six months, until her spouse found new employment. But as she watched her accounts creep closer to zero, Mossman made a choice.

"I decided then that I had to do something in case it ever happened again." She explored coupon websites and taught herself the art of stacking coupons with sale prices.

"When I first started, I was buying things I didn't even use," she admits. "That's when I decided to come up with some kind of system." Her filing technique and storage cabinet scheme was born. Before long, she was paying around $50 a week for carts brimming with $200 worth of goods.

In 2011, as she was regaining financial footing and honing her couponing skills, tragedy struck. Mossman's sister died unexpectedly at the age of 36. Mossman took guardianship of her sister's three children, caring for them, as well as her own three.

Once her grief subsided, Mossman recommitted to couponing. With five teens, one child and a husband to feed, smaller grocery bills were imperative.

There are two characteristics that any coupon ace needs to possess, Mossman says.

The first, patience. "You have to make sure this is what you want to do."

The second, organization. "If you don't put your coupons away when you get them, you probably won't get it together."

Depending on how extreme you aim to be, help from family members or friends can't hurt. Mossman's young niece often makes the trek with her to ShopRite for lofty purchases. The purpose is twofold. The 11-year-old can help push a cart (typically two are used), plus she has a second Price Plus store loyalty card. ShopRite typically allows four like-coupons per transaction, two if they are running a triple coupon promotion. With two cards, they can split the order, and use twice as many coupons.

"I've had people stand behind me in line and clap," says Mossman, who admits to feeling bad for the shoppers who get stuck behind her in line. But she always shows them the stack of coupons and warns them that there have been times when checking out took close to an hour.

"I feel bad holding people up, but this helps my family."

Mossman does more with her coupon prowess than just stock her shelves. She routinely donates items she knows she won't use (like glucose monitors) but can get for free to those in need. Family members will often "shop" her cabinets if they are in a pinch. Plus, she's even started offering coupon classes in her home and via webcam for a nominal fee.

Couponing has become a way of life, but it can be admittedly consuming, Mossman says.

"I took December off. It was just too much, but by the end, I was getting anxious and ready to start again," she says. "It's hard to stop once you start doing this."

Next week: Mossman will share some of her super-couponing tips and tricks. My best shopportunities:

ShopRite: Stacking manufacturer coupons with ShopRite e-coupons is a great way to save a tremendous amount on a single product. The store does allow this. Last week I picked up a another pack of Mini Babybel Cheese for 99 cents after stacking an e-coupon and a manufacturer coupon, each for $1. I also took advantage of the store's deal last week on Musselman's Applesauce. On sale for $1.29 each, I used three $1/2 coupons, so I took home six for $.79 each.

Contact the Shopportunist at 518-454-5479 or sfromma@timesunion.com or visit her blog at http://blog.timesunion.com/shopportunist

Selling At A 20% Discount To Book, Buenaventura's Shares Are Ripe For A Rebound

The degree of uncertainty in today's market can make pin pointing the correct entry point fairly difficult at times, but while economic headwinds continue to force stocks to experience large pull backs, investors will have plenty of buying opportunities in the near-term. Recently, I came across Buenaventura Mining ( BVN), or if you must, Compania de Minas Buenaventura, a small, yet well diversified mining company that's heavily involved the exploration of precious metals. While mining activities do make up the core of its business, it also generates a second stream of income from the electrical utility services it provides to outside mining companies. Buenaventura's split business menu offers shareholders a sufficient level of diversification in terms of risk, but just like anything else, there are a number of risks that can simply not be avoided.

Over the last 12 months, Buenaventura's security price took a nasty turn along with many other mining companies in and outside of the United States. This negative performance can be primary attributed to the price decline of metals in commodity markets. Above others, gold experienced the largest drop in price, which ultimately led to serious margin compression for mining companies across the board. Generally speaking, 2013 was a horrible year for mining companies, and while valuations continue to remain low, the beginning of 2014 will be an excellent buying opportunity. Not only is Buenaventura extremely cheap based on the underlying resources at its disposal, but its shares are trading at a 20% Discount to its per share book value. The uncertainty pertaining to the risks that forced its stock price into the slums still exists, however, the high level of price volatility in commodity markets that previously existed does not. The reduced level of volatility has already allowed metal prices to start recovering, and consequently, this will stimulate margin growth. Improving economic conditions along with this hefty discount have created a short-term buying opportunity that's quite intriguing.

Background

Headquartered out of Peru, Buenaventura holds a dominant position with over 60 years of experience in the mining industry. The combination of having an experienced management team, equity investments in properties containing lucrative resources, and a strong portfolio of mining projects has allowed Buenaventura to become Peru's largest publicly-traded precious metal company. Today, its operations are comprised of two business segments, including mining and the specialized set of utility services it provides to other mining companies. On the mining side of its business, Buenaventura is physically engaged in the mining process, development, and exploration of a various metals such as gold, silver, zinc, copper, lead, and copper.

Geographically speaking, the location of its operations is very diverse, but most importantly, it provides a degree of isolation from competing firms. As for ownership, these properties are either wholly owned or partially owned through an equity stake that gives Buenaventura either controlling, or in some cases, minority interest in the property. The properties that are wholly owned by Buenaventura include Orcopampa, Uchucchacua, Poracota, Antapite, Julcani, Recuperda, Shila-Paula, and Malla. The properties for which it has controlling interest are La Zanja, Tantahuastay, Colquijirca, ad Marcapunta. One of the most prominent gold mines in Latin America is Yanacocha, which Buenaventura has 43.65% of minority interest via a partnership with Newmont Mining Corp ( NEM). Additionally, Buenaventura has minority interest through its equity investments in Cerro Verde and Chucapaca. The stakes in both of these properties are 19.58% and 49%, respectively. As you can see, there is an extensive amount of mining properties in Latin America, and while these exist, the rise of competitive threats across the industry are inevitable.

Currently, Buenaventura is faced with a handful of competitors, however the aggregate level of competition is much less than you would think. By being the sole owner on multiple different properties, Buenaventura has access to a variety of metals that many other firms do not have access to. Therefore, Buenaventura is capable of minimizing competition from this angle, and can direct its focus on how it will manage the competitive threats that derive from other firms having access to the properties in which it only has controlling or minority interest. And given Yanacocha is one of the top locations in this region for mining gold, it's easy to see that Buenaventura's partial stake in this property means that its not the only firm capable of utilizing the resources at this location to turnover an economic profit.

Commodity Price Volatility, Margin Compression, & Increased Uncertainty

While the fluctuations in Buenaventura's stock price has created a tremendous amount of uncertainty going forward, its operating history provides investors with a much higher level of reassurance. And even though there are several concerns pertaining to Buenaventura's margins specifically, the industry as a whole has seen compression across the board, which makes this a minor concern going forward. Before we take a look at how the volatility in commodity prices has impacted the margins for mining companies, we need to evaluate Buenaventura's ability to turn over a profit. For starters, let's take a look at Buenaventura's revenue:

BVN Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts

As we know, Buenaventura operates two business segments that provide separate streams of income. Therefore, it's important to recognize that the vast majority (roughly 70%) of its revenue derives from precious metals. With the exception of stagnant revenue growth in 2012 followed by an unattractive decline of 2013, you will notice the average level of revenue in these two years is still more than 6x what it was in 2004. While the general consensus of sell-side analysts expects that its revenue will see strong growth over the next two years, its revenue however does still appear to be trending downward, which indicates there's a favorable probability that it will continue to decline in the short-term. On a positive note, the price of gold is beginning to make a recovery, and parallel with this price movement, we will see improvement in Buenaventura's margins.

Gold Price in US Dollars data by YCharts

Above, it's easy to see that the aggressive sell off of gold in 2013 created a horrible economic environment for mining stocks. Even though we did see a small pull back in Buenaventura's total revenue, the lower price for commodity metals such as gold had a far worse effect on its margins, which you will see shortly. In order to evaluate the other economic variables that contributed to the decline in margins for firms such as Buenaventura, let's take a look at the performance of the US Producer Price Index. This index consolidates the price fluctuations of four different metals into one numerical measure. Also, it's important to note that all of the metals included in this index are the same metals that Buenaventura mines for at its properties.

US Producer Price Index: Copper, Nickel, Lead & Zinc Mining data by YCharts

With the large fixed costs required to complete mining projects, this industry can be fairly capital intensive at times. So, this is clearly not the first time Buenaventura has experienced margin compression, but based off the recent decline in its gross and operating income below, it does appear to be one of the worst cases it has seen. In terms of its relative performance from 2013 to 2014, its gross and operating profit declined by approximately 36% and 41%, respectively.

BVN Gross Profit (TTM) data by YCharts

Consequently, margin compression also has influencing control over the final EPS figure, and unfortunately, its EPS have moved in the same direction as the other metrics we have seen. For the fiscal year ending 2012, its final EPS figure was $2.67, and although its final EPS figure for 2013 has yet to be released, its TTM average at $1.27 suggests there has been a significant YoY decrease. On a QoQ basis, there does not appear to be any cyclical components within this industry's business cycle that would create a notable change in earnings one quarter over the other. With the exception of the slight recovery commodity prices have seen, there is nothing significantly different that would lead us to believe the EPS figure in the 4th quarter can offset the damage that was previously done this year.

It's important to understand that even though its EPS have declined, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with Buenaventura's business that would deteriorate the solid value its shares offer in the market. Internally, its cost structure remains consistent with previous years, which tells us the margin compression it has experienced is directly tied to the price movements for commodities over the last year. Margin compression is something you will never find on a long investor's wish list, however you will find that investor's perceive the source of Buenaventura's margin compression highly attractive over it sourcing from an internal issue pertaining to its cost structure. Across the board, Buenaventura displays a very low level of both, operating and financial leverage. And although its level of debt caters to maintaining a higher degree of financial leverage than operating leverage, the risk from this angle going forward is minimal. Overall, the decline in Buenaventura's margins did merit a sell off, but given the price drop, the extent to which shares were sold off was exaggerated.

Shares are Cheap, but How Exactly Will its Asset Valuation Be Impacted in the Future?

Right off the bat, looking at Buenaventura's book value makes it quite easy to understand its shares are undervalued. Trading just above $13 per share, the spread between its book and market value stands at roughly 20%. This current discount offers an attractive entry point for investors, but more importantly, the growth its book value has seen is far more intriguing. For the last five years, Buenaventura's book value has grown by about 30% on an annual basis, which is quite impressive. Since the start of 2013, you will see above that its book value has continued to grow, but at a considerably lower rate.

BVN Book Value (Per Share) data by YCharts

Buenaventura will continue to be an attractive short-term play while it shares trade below book value. However, as this gap becomes closer to being obsolete, reevaluating the economic conditions regarding metal prices will be essential for determining what will drive the valuation of its shares up or down. With that being said, we can already assume that commodity prices will have a fair influence on the value of its core operating assets. However, the second main driver can be controlled internally. Specifically, it will pertain to the strategic decisions management makes in regards to how it plans to preserve and grow the value of its core asset set going forward. Before getting into the specifics of decisions management has at its disposal, let's take a look at core assets. Within the non-current assets on its balance sheet, there are two account balances we need to analyze, which include (1) Net property Plant & Equipment, and (2) Long-term Investments, or also known as, Equity & Other Investments. Based on the chart below, it's clear that management has done an effective job in building a fine set of assets. From the graph below it's difficult to tell, but for the period ending September 2012, or Q3, Buenaventura's Net PP&E and Long-term investments were roughly $1.058bn and $2.351, respectively. In just 12 months, these non-current assets accounts saw astonishing growth by 35% and 11%, respectively.

BVN Net PP&E (Quarterly) data by YCharts

Generally speaking, economic conditions do have a strong pull over the performance of these assets, and for mining companies in particular, reduced price levels for commodities often result in the valuation being negatively impacted. But as you can tell, the valuation of Buenaventura's assets are not heavily correlated with the commodity prices. The valuation of its Net PP&E saw approximately the same growth in line with previous quarters, however its long-term equity investments did not increase as much over the last 12 months as we've seen in previous years. From an investment standpoint, this is highly attractive, and going forward, it's relatively safe to say that Buenaventura's assets are not too heavily impacted by commodity prices. With that being said, investor's are in a sound position because as commodity prices rebound, asset valuation will go up across the board. Therefore, management now has an opportunity to take advantage of these low price levels.

As mentioned earlier, there are multiple things that management can do to that will allow them to strategically capitalize on this short-term window of opportunity, and ultimately, augment the value of the firm. Internally, there are a wide range of possibilities, but in this industry, acquisitions are by far the most common. And with commodity prices as low as they are today, acquisitions can be very advantageous. Investors would greatly benefit from an asset purchase either via a firm whose choosing to discontinue its operations, or from a pure acquisition of a smaller competitor. In the case a transaction a such were to occur, Buenaventura's book value would see a strong increase in the short-run, and in the long-run, it would increase the potential for what its book value could ultimately reach. Right now, management has no disclosed any information regarding potential acquisitions, however there's a good chance we may see one take place as commodity prices take a full recovery. By management waiting for commodity prices to recovery prior to making an asset purchase or acquisition, it reduces the burden and risk associated with acquiring assets that could diminish in value if economic conditions were to worsen.

Risks

As we saw earlier, the health of Buenaventura's revenues are heavily correlated to the price performance of metals in commodity markets, and with a cost structure that's been highly stable, the final revenue figures on the income statement will be the most influential driver in terms of valuation. Thus, the largest risk at stake will continue to be the performance of commodity markets, and specifically, the positive or negative price movements of metals in the near-term.

Relatively speaking, the percentage decrease we saw in the price of metal should not be used as a comparable for estimating the percentage change in revenue. At the beginning of 2013, gold was selling for close to $1,700 an ounce, and by the end of the year, the selling price decreased by about 36% to $1,250. During this same period, revenue decline by only 11%, yet its shares dropped over 60%. While we do not have any real comparable data to go off of, we do know revenue needs to bounce back to previous levels, and the price of gold needs to makes a strong recovery. Regardless of when these events take place, we do know Buenaventura was able to maintain its book value, and actually, improve it within the last year. Going forward, investors should monitor the price fluctuations of metals in commodity markets closely, and watch for changes in revenue. As long we see a recovery in metal prices, the change in revenue should be favorable.

Final Thoughts

The discount Buenaventura's shares offer is quite transparent, and without even factoring in the revenue growth Buenaventura is bound to see when commodity prices adjust, the upside potential is still attractive. As I've clearly established, the largest driver going forward is the recovery we are going to eventually see in commodity markets, and the potential value that will be added through the excess revenue generated during this recovery period. Historically speaking, gold and silver have proven to be extremely volatile investments that have not properly corresponded normally to inflation. Right now, there are numerous analysts anticipating that gold and silver will follow a more normalized inflation schedule starting within the next year, and in the case this where to be true, valuations of firms in the mining sector would receive a strong boost. Conclusively, the mining sector is experiencing some of the lowest valuations we have seen in a while, and while Buenaventura continues to trade at an extreme discount, it's now an excellent time to capitalize on its common shares.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Sideshow Collectibles Coupons 2014: $10 off Promo Codes + Free Shipping

Fargo, ND -- ( SBWIRE) -- 01/20/2014 -- Sideshow Collectibles, set up in 1994, is one of the largest retailers of collectibles from popular films, television and comic book icons. The company which also has an online store features the most sought-after licensed collectibles and allows people to connect with their stars with ease. This California based enterprise is famous for its original and limited edition statues and busts, while celebrity enthusiasts can also buy film prop replicas and fine art pieces from their favorite movies, television shows and comic books series. The company not only manufactures almost all types of celebrity collectibles with an effort of a great team, but also retails the collectibles at an extremely cheaper price which makes it impeccably famous in the worldwide community of figural art enthusiasts. This year, the store is celebrating their 20th anniversary and is offering huge discount on its entire range of collectibles. Here are a few things about this online store, which would make the shopping experience even smoother.

- SideshowCollectibles.com: Click to Save $10 off Coupon Code

- SideshowCollectibles.com: Click to Get 40% off Discounts

- SideshowCollectibles.com: Click for Free Shipping Promotion

- SideshowCollectibles.com: Click and See All SideshowCollectibles.com Coupons

How to make an order?
The easy to use user interface of this online store ensures a secure and pleasurable shopping experience for shoppers. Users can simply browse the brands and characters and select the product they want to buy. After selecting the product, the shopper has to hit the "Buy Now" tab, which will redirect him to the checkout window of the retailer's website. Users can add more products to their cart; however they can also close the order by making the payment.

What is the shipping policy?
The store ships internationally on the next business day from the date of purchase. The store features numerous shipping modes, and shoppers have to select one shipping mode at the time of checkout. Price and delivery time for all these shipping modes differ, so read carefully before making the selection. There are numerous products which fall under the free shipping policy of the store. So while shopping their favorite collectible, the shoppers can also save the shipping fee.

What's the return policy?
In case the shopper is not happy with the delivered product, goods purchased from this online store can be returned with the shipping receipt intact in original packaging to the store.

What are the discounts offered by the online store?
This online store keeps on releasing plenty of deals and shopping deals for their customers throughout the year. These offers are updated through OoHey.com, which keeps on updating them on a timely manner.

AboutOoHey.com
OoHey.com is one of the leading coupon providers for almost all online stores shipping to the United States of America. The most popular coupon entries can be easily browsed across the "Popular" section on the home page, whereas another section named "New Releases" on the home page of OoHey, allows shoppers to find the most recent coupons entries. Specific coupons applicable on a particular store can be found by searching with the store name in the search-box at the top of the home page of OoHey. Hit the "view code" tab to get the coupon code, and then copy paste it to space left to add 'Discount Code' or 'Coupons' on the checkout page of the retailer's website and the discounted price would get reflected in the final cart value instantly. Numerous other shopping deals are also available on OoHey, which allows users to find all products qualifying for a deal, listed on a single web page on the retailer's website. Shoppers can also subscribe to the newsletter of OoHey and get regular updates about recent coupon entries right in their inbox.

Users can avail the $10 off coupon code at OoHey.com which is applicable on all orders made at this online store. OoHey.com also features the Up To 40% off deal on the original prices of the collectibles with OoHey, while the Free Shipping Promotion is another great deal one could enjoy with OoHey. These deals and offers are updated regularly, so users can find numerous new listings for this online store throughout the year. Enjoy maximum savings with OoHey.com while shopping the most awesome collectibles.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

10 things Taiwan does better than anywhere else

(CNN) -- Editor's note: This story is part of a series highlighting superlatives of countries around the world. Click here for pieces on , the United States, and South Korea, and watch for upcoming installments featuring other countries.

With 23 million people crammed onto an island that covers just more than 36,000 square kilometers, Taiwan ranks among the 20 most densely populated places in the world.

Although the industrious island has built a global reputation for cheap electronics, this is one Asian tiger that offers far more than stickers on the backs of calculators.

Economically there's little it has left to prove, but Taiwanese people remain a proud and determined bunch.

Here are 10 things they do better than anyone else.

For an island smaller in area than Switzerland, Taiwan sure has a lot of night markets -- an estimated 300 island-wide.

These open-air bazaars are particularly loved for street food, referred to locally as xiao-chi, literally "small eats."

Perennial favorites are oyster omelets, stinky tofu and an assortment of snacks on a stick straight off the grill.

Specialty drinks range from bubble tea to shots of snake blood.

According to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, some 70% of tourists to Taiwan will visit a night market.

The top three Facebook check-ins for 2013 in Taiwan were all night markets; Tainan Flower Night Market (12th globally) nabbed the top spot, followed by Luodong and Feng Chia night markets in Yilan and Taichung, respectively.

MORE: The 10 best dishes from Taiwan's night markets

If literal toilet humor (eating out of miniature urinals and toilet bowls) is your idea of an amuse bouche, Taiwan provides a belly full of laughs.

Modern Toilet restaurants address taboos pertaining to dining etiquette, posing witty rhetoric on websites such as: "To eat or to pee? Now that is the question."

At the other extreme, you can get a cutesy overdose at a Hello Kitty namesake cafe, where everything from burger buns to soup bowls is shaped like the mouthless cartoon cat. (For more on the kitty obsession, read point 9 below.)

What's that? Can't get enough pink and glitter?

That's OK, because Taiwan is home to the world's first Barbie-themed restaurant, with Mattel-approved smotherings of pink plastic and frilly tutus.

Previous themed restaurants in Taiwan have included a cafe based on an Airbus A380, complete with trolly dollies serving food and drinks from a cart, as well as restaurants with jail, hospital and school-inspired themes.

Since 2011, Taiwanese citizens have been able to log onto iTaiwan, the island's free WiFi network.

Taiwan is one of the first places in the world to offer free WiFi on a mass scale.

In June 2013, the service was rolled out to tourists in four of the five largest cities, using more than 4,400 hotspots.

Visitors can sign up for an iTaiwan account with their passport at Taiwan Tourism Bureau centers and offices in transportation stations, then receive complimentary WiFi in Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung and Tainan.

More: Taiwan offers free WiFi to all foreign tourists

You might think it'd be in Beijing or Shanghai, but the National Palace Museum in Taipei houses the largest collection of Chinese artifacts and artwork in the world.

The impressive permanent collection comprises more than 650,000 items.

Chinese history is told through bronze statues, jade carvings, calligraphy, lacquerware and other historical pieces -- many of which belonged to Chinese imperial families -- including an intriguingly life-like, meat-shaped stone and a jadeite cabbage.

Despite several rounds of building expansion, only a fraction of the collection is on display (no more than 10,000 items at any one time), making the museum worth returning to several times a year.

MORE: 5 Taipei hotels with megabucks art collections 5. animated chinese new year cards news

With an army of about 400 animators, Next Media Animation (NMA), a Taiwan-based animation studio, can turn any news story into a cartoon in as fast as 90 minutes ('making-of' video here).

More impressively -- the videos are usually satirical, outrageous and hilarious.

The studio, created by a Hong Kong media tycoon, takes infotainment to another level.

Founded in 2007 to create CGI-animated videos for news without real footage for Apple Daily News in Hong Kong and Taiwan, the talents of Taiwan's animators were exposed to the world with the 2009 release of their hilarious video of what might have happened during Tiger Woods' infamous car crash.

In the video, now ex-wife Elin Nordegren chases Tiger Woods' car with a golf club after finding out about Woods' affair.

After the video went viral, the company decided to service international audiences in Japanese and English.

Some of the team's most popular recent works include a video about the execution of Kim Jong-un's uncle and a review of five stories that must die in 2014.

One of the world's most vegetarian-friendly destinations, Taiwan offers 6,000 or so restaurants serving an impressive variety of delicious vegetarian fare to feed the 10% of the country that shuns meat.

But while it can't beat India in terms of the abundance and variety of vegetarian dishes on offer, Taiwan is the best place to hit when you're craving meat but don't actually want to eat any. That's right, we're talking about mock meat.

Given how important flesh is to the traditional Chinese diet, it's no surprise Taiwan's fake meat -- usually made of soy protein or wheat gluten -- can fool even hardcore carnivores.

Yes, there have been scandals that revealed actual meat inside supposed mock meat dishes. But it's is a thriving industry here and is considered a staple across Taiwan.

Mock meat stir-fries in particular taste surprisingly like the real thing.

MORE: 40 Taiwanese foods we can't live without

Baseball may be Taiwan's most popular sport -- diamonds are almost as common as dumplings around the island.

Taiwan holds the record for the most Little League World Series championship titles (17), nearly double that of its closest runner-up, Japan.

Adding to a cabinet of trophies, a team from Taiwan won the 2013 Junior League Baseball Junior World Series.

In a year when the Obamacare debacle played out in global headlines, it's worth to noting that Taiwan has what many call the best universal healthcare system in the world.

Legal residents can visit any specialist in the country.

Docs anywhere will pull up their entire medical record via smart card, consult and prescribe Chinese medicine and/or prescription drugs.

Fees are billed directly to and reimbursed by the National Health Insurance Administration, whose 2% administrative costs are the lowest in the world.

MORE: CNNGo in Kaohsiung: Taiwan's largest port and coolest art 9. Hello Kitty obsession

Taiwan's obsession with the Japanese-born Sanrio character doesn't stop at feline-themed restaurants.

Taiwan holds the distinction of being the first in the world to be honored with Hello Kitty-branded beer.

Brewed by Taiwan Tsing Beer, the drink purred its way onto the shelves earlier this year.

The light brew features fruity flavors, from lime to a distinctly avant garde banana infusion.

Eva Airways in 2013 made headlines with the resurrection of its themed planes, which feature the ubiquitous cat on everything from exterior liveries to headrest covers to fruit, which is cut in the shape of you know what.

Eva Airways' dedicated Hello Kitty Jets site offers horizon-expanding trivia, including Hello Kitty's height (five apples tall) and weight (three apples).

The Grand Hi-Lai Hotel in Kaohsiung offers Hello Kitty-themed rooms, the cat's iconic ribbon and/or silhouette stamped on everything within eye(sore)'s reach.

Pink kitty curtains, kitty bath amenities, kitty tea set and a radio that plays Hello Kitty music are all involved.

MORE: At last: World's first Hello Kitty Beauty Spa

Not reaching for the insulin shot yet? Then you can book a breakfast date with a talking and moving "live" Hello Kitty.

Yes, we recognize xiaolongbao as a delicacy homegrown in Shanghai, but Taiwan is slowly taking over the dumpling world, one broth-filled bite at a time.

Starting from a single shop in Taipei, Din Tai Fung now serves its famed xiaolongbao in destinations as far flung as Australia, Thailand and the United States.

Two of its Hong Kong branches have earned a coveted Michelin star, with the mothership Xinyi store in Taipei sneaking into the Miele Guide.

Not bad for a chain restaurant, and not a "fancy" one at that.

When Tom Cruise visited Taiwan in 2013, he joined in on the 18-pleats-per-dumpling action with a cooking class at the shop's Taipei 101 branch.

MORE: Golden chains: 20 best franchises for travelers

Even better? CNN put Din Tai Fung at number two on its list of best franchises for travelers.

With additional reporting by Hiufu Wong

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Digital Tabletop: Ashe's Top Ten XCOM Enemy Within Tips for Beginners

While I'm a bit late to the party, only getting XCOM Enemy Unknown over the summer for the PS3 through my PS+ sub, I finally got it and the equally awesome expansion XCOM Enemy Within for my PC during the last Steam sale. Everyone has their own tricks for playing and what works and what doesn't, and I guess I do as well, or you wouldn't be reading this. While some of what follows will work for the vanilla release, my experiences with the game more commonly involve playing with the expansion turned on, as I never got far with the PS3 version of Unknown, mainly due to time, but sunk enough hours in to know that I loved the game and wanted more. If you have more, feel free to share in the comments, and bear in mind this is just how I play. There is no wrong way to play the game.

1. Satellite Coverage is key. I cannot stress this enough. While you may lose some countries along the way, getting a satellite up lowers their panic, gives you some needed coverage along with a monthly cash bonus, and if you fill up that area, a nice extra bonus to help you in taking out the alien forces. Depending on what difficulty setting you play on, this determines whether you start with a satellite or not, but cranking these out in the first few months makes playing the game with research and actually building the tech much easier later on. On top of that, build as many as you can afford at one time. It takes the same amount of time to build 4 or 5 of them that it does to build just 1, so cram as many in as you can afford, even if you don't have the uplinks built to support them yet.

2. Priority Research does not have to be your main priority. The game kind of leads you by the nose on what to research to advance the main plot along, but you don't have to do that at all. Research things to make your squad tougher, more capable and able to use bigger weapons before you even touch a research option the council wants. You've accepted that the council has a priority agenda and you've elected to reject their dumb ass decision and go your own way so that your troops survive a mission and can take on aliens and EXALT forces with deadly precision and, when that fails, balls to the wall firepower. I completed well over half my research and had genetic and MEC upgrades before I ever touched the priority research and building options, and it made my life much easier for it. The game where I was trying to follow their advice I felt I was over-whelmed fairly quickly.

3. Build only what you need to survive. While you might have 24 squaddies in your barracks, you don't need to make guns for all of them. Keep it tight as to what you're building. I usually only keep enough gear to equip a squad of six. On top of that, if you're playing Enemy Within, you can get by with making even fewer, as EXALT is right along with you on your technology level, for the most part, and the EXALT weapons don't explode into little pieces when you kill them like the alien tech does, so you can build up a nice stockpile of like for like weapons in your arsenal without having to break the bank. This will also allow you to build more in your facility as well as beefing up your other security, like new Interceptor ships and better weapons for both. With all those satellites and bonuses in the air, you still burn through a month's worth of cash very quickly if you're not careful.

4. Balance your Squad to your play style. Personally, I play with a fairly balanced group designed to work with cover and to keep firing. I have 2 Heavies, or 1 Heavy and a MEC, 2 Support, 1 Assault and 1 Sniper. I work with the cover when I play and tend not to get to close, more of a medium range, which is where most of my squad works best. This isn't going to work for everyone, and my squad seems to work with my play style. If I was going far more aggressive, I'd change out a few of them, but being aggressive usually leads to me getting frustrated and losing troops, which can happen but no one wants to have happen. I've set up my support to do healing, but they're also great at nailing baddies who get too close, the sniper is built to move and fire, and my Heavy and MEC are there to take a hit and dish it out. My Assault trooper I have in just so I have one of each, at least, on the squad of 6. It doesn't fit my style all that well, and I tend to change between the shotgun and a standard rifle on them, though I'm never really happy with the performance of either. I do like the run and gun though.

5. Get your squad upgrades in the Ops Center in as soon as possible. I know, I just told you to crank out the satellites, but Squad upgrades are important too. It fills you out to 6 from the base line of 4, gives out more experience on a kill, makes all new members you recruit Squaddies to start with and starts them with their base class determined, so you know what you're going to get when they level up and makes life easier for you in the long run. Just make sure not to swap out that Ops Center and, if you don't have one, build one. You're going need it sooner rather than later.

6. Cover and Overwatch. It sounds repetitive, but some of the best ways to advance through a combat mission are simply move from one cover to the next on your first action and pop Overwatch for your second. This keeps you from being out in the open as an easy target, and if they move, and if you built your troops this way, you get a responding shot before they march across the map or an answering one if they fired on you. If you're in range for the shot and have a good chance at hitting, by all means take them out, but the only way I made it through a certain base assault mission was the cover and Overwatch method, and I made that one without save scumming and no casualties, so take that for what it's worth. I only sprint coverage map if a trooper is lagging behind way too far, but I make sure they're moving into range of someone else in Overwatch if I do that. Even on a timed mission, it pays to keep covered and be ready for incoming troops.

7. Level and swap. You're going to end up with squad members that are injured, or worse, dead. In this case, you're going to have to rely on your back-up. It's going to happen, it's not a matter of if, so don't ignore your lower level squad members. Try and get them all in the fray. You don't need to go too insane with how many you have in your Barracks either. I've settled in at 24 but could run much leaner, at 18 squad members, and I think it'd work just as well, but I also ran into the problem of getting a bunch of Heavies and Snipers added to my squad and not much in the way of Assault or Support Troops. I could go in and get rid of a few, but instead chose to upgrade two of my slackers that I wasn't using much into MEC Troopers, and while I'm not regretting it as they are pretty bad ass, I am regretting mixing it up with my Gene mod troops. The point is, don't neglect your lowbies. Get them in on the action and killing bad guys, as that's the only way you'll level them.

8. Genetics Versus Technology. While I wouldn't change a thing now, as I do like both my gene enhanced forces and my MEC troops, your first go round, you might want to pick one or the other, as the MELD resources you collect will go fast if you're dumping it into both advancements. After genetically enhancing just 3 troops, converting 2 over to MECs and building a MEC suit to tier 2 and another to tier 1, I ended up being tapped out on my MELD resources. It goes fast, so plan accordingly. While I like my mods and the two MEC troopers, I only ever field one, and I'm not currently getting the full benefits of the gene mods because I'm trying to level up the rest of my squaddies. It's difficult to balance either way, and yes, you can get more resources as you go as I was able to mod another soldier and upgrade one MEC to tier 3, but it's much harder to do so.

9. Save often, unless you're playing Ironman. I know there's a lot of this or that about what's referred to as 'save scumming,' which is basically just going back to a previous save game and going from there. You can save yourself a lot of grief playing this way unless you're playing on Ironman, in which case that's never going to be an option. If you're completely unhappy with the outcome of events, lost too many valuable squad members or just think, 'hey I can do this better,' then going back to a previous good save is always a fair option. It's even better when you don't have to, but unless you're Ironmanning it, there's no reason not to.

10. Stun versus Kill. There's a big thing for capturing and interrogating aliens in the game. The problem is you have to get in close to stun them, and really the only immediate advantage is that their weapon doesn't explode. You don't get experience for a stun versus a kill, so really the only benefit is from the interrogation and an extra alien weapon. So go ahead and plug those humans and aliens with your low level characters. Stunning is over-rated anyway. Take your higher level trooper in that doesn't need the kill experience at the moment to stun if you absolutely have to.

Tags: XCOM Enemy Uknown, xcom: enemy within

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Amazon Has Over 10,000 Metal Albums For $5 - $6.99

We've highlighted some killer Buy Cheap.com album sales in the past, but this might be their biggest sale yet. Amazon has 400 pages of metal releases on sale from $5 to $6.99 in their MP3 album section. Here's the full listing of albums and here are some highlights:

Again, this is the tip of the iceberg. Head over to Amazon for the full listing.

What do you think? Leave a Comment →