Technology

SAVE MONEY ON TECH & COMPUTING

With the cost of living crisis putting a huge strain on household budgets, non-essential expensive purchases are likely to be put on hold. But sometimes when an essential bit of electronic kit goes wrong, finding a fix or an alternative can’t wait. Which? has put together some tips that could help save you some money….

Watch the sales: Shop around for the best price, as sometimes sale prices can be misleading. A ‘sale’ price can just be a product’s normal price at other times of the year. If you know there’s a sale coming up, it’s worth checking the price of the device prior to the sale, to ensure it’s a genuine bargain. If shopping on Amazon, you can use website camelcamelcamel to check price history. Consider refurbished: A refurbished or reconditioned laptop has usually been professionally restored by a NAVI KING OF POP manufacturer or retailer to the closest it can get to ‘as new’ condition; they usually come with warranties too. Refurbished laptops and phones are sometimes hundreds of pounds cheaper than buying new, but check if the device is still supported by vital security updates. Trade-in devices: You might be able to trade in old devices for money off a purchase. For example, Apple offers to take old devices and swap them for credit towards new purchases or an Apple Store Gift Card to be used at any time. Samsung also has a trade-in scheme for mobiles, tablets, wearables and occasionally other devices, too. Check for student deals: Students can often bag

discounts on laptops, especially at the start of the educational year. Microsoft and Apple both offer 10% off for students as well as other exclusive perks. Dell and Samsung offer up to 25%. It’s also worth checking other retailers who might run their own limited-time student deals.

Check the price of HP products: HP laptops are

found in nearly every laptop retailer, but most of the ‘deals’ you’ll find are at Currys, with dozens of models available. Most HP laptops go on sale at a higher price, then are discounted by at least £100 after around a month. HP also sells directly through its website, so it’s always worth checking for discounts and voucher codes to see if this works out cheaper.

Think about the features: It isn’t always necessary to spend a fortune on a laptop, especially if it is only for dayto-day use. Which? found decent models for £200 or less, good value if they’re only going to be used for browsing the internet and light note-taking. Cheaper laptops usually come with 4GB of Ram, which will be enough for some. Certain features and extras can also add to the cost of a new laptop. For example, it often isn’t necessary to pay extra for more than 8GB of Ram. As many people now back up files and photos to the cloud, it might not be worth buying a laptop with massive storage potential. You save money by picking a laptop with less internal storage and utilise free cloud storage instead.

NEW ON THE MARKET

1MORE’s first Bluetooth ANC headphones, the SonoFlow, has launched to offer highresolution wireless audio and support for LDAC that can transmit three times more data than conventional Bluetooth audio. Other highlights include an ultra-long playtime of 70-hours and the ability to fast charge the headphones in five minutes to gain five hours of continuous playback. The SonoFlow headphones can be purchased via the 1More website or found on Amazon – at the time of writing for just under £70.

COULD PAPER BE THE ANSWER TO CLEANER AIR TRAVEL?

As far as global carbon emissions go, flying is one of the most harmful ways you can travel. But a potential solution could come from the most unlikely source: paper. Researchers at Washington State University, the University of Dayton and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the US have developed a biofuel using paper industry by-product lignin that they say delivers higher performance and fuel efficiency with fewer emissions and lower costs than conventional fuel.

The researchers found that the new biofuel offered higher density and lower emissions than conventional jet fuel, while retaining the ability to swell the rings used to seal metal joints in engines. Since lignin is one of the most abundant materials on Earth, this could be a huge step forward in the switch from fossil fuel to biofuel for the airline industry.