The gaff banner by: @brulaw
"Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind." - Mary Ellen Chase
7th December 2018/Issue #295
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giffgaff Happenings
by bluemoonbaz
Run by you awards 2018
As most members will know, we have our annual award for the community, but @ijustcantdoit would like to see some changes this time around. Should we change these awards? And if so, what changes would you like to see? You can find this discussion here in contribute.
December 2018 Charity Payback voting starts now
@t_will is happy to bring us the confirmed charities in the running this time around, as nominated by you, they are: Adoption UK, Alzheimer's Society, Guide Dogs, Maggie's Centres and William's Fund (for Oxford Hospitals Charity). After a full week of voting, the vote will close at 23:59 on December 11th, and the top two charities at that point will be our winners. We'll announce who they are very soon after, so you've got plenty of time to choose charity donation before Payback selection closes on December 16th. The total of Payback that members donate will be split between those two charities and matched by us. If you'd like to choose Payback as your option, you can do it on your here to read the full announcement post.
Refer a friend - December Prize draw
giffgaff have an amazing Christmas competition. From the 5th December, we’re running a cracking prize draw, for a chance to win Christmas paid for, for you and your friend. @chris_j_b says according to the internet, a top-notch family Christmas costs a whopping £1,302. So, giffgaff have a £1,302 cash prize to give to you and another £1,302 cash prize to give to your friend. Plus, we have 5 runner up prizes of a Samsung Galaxy S9 for you and one for your friend so you can have a good natter about how Christmas was. Win Win. Now, this is well worth entering 🙂 . Are you interested? Well head over and see what you have to do to win. You can find all the information here.
Payback Timings - December 2018
December
Wednesday 5th - Charity vote opens
Friday 7th - December's Points Statement sent to members
Tuesday 11th - Charity vote closes at 23:59
Wednesday 12th - Charity vote winners announced
Sunday 16th - Payback selection is closed as of 11:59pm. You will no longer be able to change your mind on how you get your Payback.
Monday 17th - JustGiving pages set up.
Monday 17th - All Payback to begin being paid.
Not made your choice? Don't forget to make your decision if you want to receive your payback this December. Head over to the here.
December 6th's outage - what we're doing to say sorry
As we all know, we had a big problem when we lost our mobile service this week. It was fustrating for us all, but there wasn't much giffgaff could do given the circumstances. So, @vespaash2 has posted an apology and news of what giffgaff are going to do about it. You can read about the outage and leave your feedback here.
Blog Highlights
by jammydodge
Best Christmas shopping apps
The annual Christmas present shopping is a daunting task, especially if you're a parent. The stress of shopping in the digital age is not helped by the flurry of festive emails from internet retail giants and confusing web layouts, making your search for the perfect gift or deal just that little bit harder. Why not consider using an app to simplify things. In this festive themed blog, @zerodudex333 has selected six apps that will make your search for the best gifts and deals, just that little bit easier and hopefully alleviate some of that unwanted stress. Check it out now.
How to make any budget smartphone run like a flagship
We all want to save money when and wherever we can and a phone is one of those that consumes a hefty sum. In this tip-filled blog, @abdulf guides us on how to save money and maximise the performance of a budget smartphone in three key areas, speed, battery life and the display. Why not give it a read, you never know, you may find a few handy tips.
How to beat the winter blues with your smartphone
The bleakness of winter can often get many of us down as darkest sets in early and the cold infiltrates every corner of our houses. Here within this inspirational blog, @ggzelle shares a few ways you can use your smartphone to uplift your day and build anticipation and happiness in your life. We could all do with this so why not pop over to the blog now.
Tech Developments
by revilo10
iPhone Battery Replacement
As it is getting near the deadline, I thought it best to cover this before it's too late! A few months ago you may recall that I mentioned briefly that Apple was offering a reduction in its battery replacement service prices due to some mishandling of its production process and the way it had handled battery ageing, well the deadline is closing in and you have until the end of this month to get a new battery (If your current one is failing).
So if you've noticed a reduction in your battery from your iPhone SE, 6, 6S, 6S+, 7, 7+, 8, 8+ or X then you are entitled to a battery replacement. You have until the 31st of December to get your battery replaced. First of all, it's important to note that if you have AppleCare+ you can have your battery replaced free of charge, however, if not, it will cost you £25. After December 31st prices will rise back to their normal rates, around £45 for most iPhones, but even more for iPhone Xs. It is recommended that you book as soon as possible to avoid missing out, large amounts of people qualify for this replacement scheme so get in now or miss out!
All you have to do to get a replacement is go onto this page, and go through the options of taking your phone into a local Apple Store or having it sent off from home, whichever is most convenient to you. Usually the replacement will take up to 5 working days, however, the Christmas period may bring about more traffic to the scheme so as mentioned previously, get in quick! My local Apple Store doesn't have any slots available until late next week, so you can see the demand for this service. Best of luck!
You can find your nearest Apple Store here.
Say Hello!
by kathleen414
Pop over and say hello to @klikqq here.
Welcome @johntiger13 over here.
Give @dunnm40 your tips over here.
Photo Of The Week
by brulaw
This week's featured photo is Green Woodpecker by @illneverrememberit. Some of the comments included: "Nice photo" (4128334), "Nice woodpecker shot" (snowman1888), "Very nice, thanks for sharing" (giffer23), "Good shot" (davidevans0000), "Absolutely love woodpeckers so thank you for sharing this beautiful picture" (frenchielove), "An excellent shot" (usamakhokar), "Very nice" (melomax26), "Stunning picture of the green woodpecker" (the_bookie), "Excellent photo of this Green Woodpecker clinging to a tree" (themrbarso).
Click here to see the original post. Thank you everyone for the excellent shots, please keep them coming.
Alexa Assistant Tips
by toxiic
Alexa Follow Up Mode
In this week’s gaff, I share with you yet another (though last one for a while) handy feature you can take advantage of on the Amazon Echo devices using Alexa.
What is it? After you’ve said "Alexa", then a command and finally Alexa performing the command – Alexa continues to listen for a few seconds to allow you to follow up on any other commands without having to say "Alexa" again.
How do I enable or disable it? Open the Alexa App. Tap the three lines at the top left. Tap Settings. Tap Device Settings. Tap the Echo device you want to apply it on. Scroll down to "Follow up Mode" then tap it. Toggle the option so it goes blue/white (on/off).
What’s an example of a use? "Alexa, what is five times five?", Alexa gives the answer of 25. After doing so, the light on the Echo remains for a couple of seconds – giving me enough time to ask what the weather is without needing to say "Alexa" again.
Click here.
Thanks for reading
Brought to you by @toxiic.
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