the sexy santa assistants were there to take a photo of you in front of the xmas tree or you could just ask them to take a photo with you and pretend that your girlfriend is a sexy santa assistant See where this picture was taken. [?] (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Brace yourselves and your pockets, because the holiday season is here. Walking through crowded malls during the Yule is probably one of the biggest challenges for the holiday shopper. Impulse and tons of holiday spirit greatly influence excessive and unnecessary spending -- leaving you with barely any cash to buy the important stuff. But don't fret! There are plenty of tools and techniques that can help you save money this season, such as mobile applications that compare prices, and find you coupons. Here we will let you in on the 5 best ways to stay well-budgeted in the coming months!

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Trends In Social Media Use

A recent report indicates that more people spend their time online on social media sites than any other type of site, meaning that it has definitely become a mainstream and accepted thing to do.

Those on a personal computer spent around 20 percent of their online time on a social media site of some type, while those using a tablet, smart phone or similar device to access the Internet spent about 30 percent of their online time on one or more sites. The survey was carried out by Nielsen and NM Incite.

Autonomy Corporation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Autonomy's founder is hitting back at HP after it was alleged that his firm, a knowledge management and enterprise search company, adopted dubious accountancy practices to boost its' value before it was sold to HP, during August of 2011. In a WSJ (Wall Street Journal) interview, Lynch stated that HP's accusations were "completely and utterly" false and that he totally rejected them.

Skype Voice Calls Work on iPad with Everyman Headset (Photo credit: stevegarfield)

Best Online Collaboration Tools

If you are looking for the best online collaboration tools, maybe this will help you. These tools are easy to use, simple, and not that expensive. There is Basecamp, Skype, Trello, and Sync.in.

Basecamp is designed for small businesses, entrepreneurs, business groups, and freelancers. The company says it has over 4 million users who have used the program to help them with different projects. The application lets you upload, edit, store, and share files and documents online. It also provides people with an overview of their project schedule and more.

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Technology giant and leader of the desktop operating system market Microsoft has announced that it will soon "retire" its instant messaging tool called Windows Live Messenger and switch to Skype. Microsoft already owns Skype, having bought the company for $8.5 billion about 18 months ago.

The company has announced that it will stop supporting Live Messenger by March 2013, except in China, where it will continue to support the older messenger for some more time. Since it owns Skype, this should be seen as part of Microsoft's strategy to offer a better messaging solution to its users.

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The New Android App For Pandora

Pandora, the leading internet radio on the market today is adding new features for its mobile applications. The company is now including lyrics and information about the artists in their android apps, making the mobile configuration work much more like the full-function Pandora on regular computers.

The new features on internet radio's mobile app is available to both Apple and Android mobile gadgets. The Pandora Android app is expected to be released soon, however, iPhone users can already avail themselves to the beefed up application on Monday. The company has said that a similar app for Microsoft Windows Phone 8 will be released around next year.

English: Covers of back issues of ARMOR magazine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saving Money On Magazine Subscriptions

Magazine Subscriptions are a reliable source of entertainment for millions of people all around the world. There is nothing like opening your favorite magazine and reading through the articles for hours at a time. Enjoying the pictures will add to the overall appeal of having these publications in your home. However, many people are dealing with economic troubles that force them to eliminate expenses from their budget. Some of these people have found that paying the cost of a magazine at retail price is something that they simply cannot afford to pay on a regular basis. Since the cost is so high, they are forced to go without their favorite publications for long periods of time. If you are one of these people, you may want to consider a simple way to save money on your Magazine Subscriptions.

HANOVER, GERMANY - MARCH 06: Visitors watch a presentation of features of the new Windows 8 operating system at the Microsoft stand on the first day of the CeBIT 2012 technology trade fair on March 6, 2012 in Hanover, Germany. CeBIT 2012, the world's largest information technology trade fair, will run from March 6-10, and advances in cloud computing and security are major features this year. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

New Windows 8 Operating System And Changes

The release of windows 8 is something that people are eagerly awaiting with a great deal of excitement. This new operating system will be released onto the market on October 26, 2012. If you are interested in getting a copy on the release date, you may want to consider placing your order right away. Since there is such a high demand for this new software, it will be very difficult to locate once it is released.

There is a lot of interest in this software simply because it solves many of the problems that people found when using older versions of the operating system. One of the newest features in this software would be the home screen that helps to organize the items that you use most often. Since all of this information is kept in one place, it becomes easier to get work done in a shorter period of time. Additionally, the improved organization of the graphical interface makes it easier to find anything you need without having to search around.

YouTube Trends Dashboard (Photo credit: DavidErickson)

YouTube has provided millions of people with a means of reaching out to others and building connections. Sharing a viewpoint on any topic or hobby has enabled these users to build an understanding in ways that were never before possible. When a person gets on YouTube to create videos, it allows them to spread their views and begin securing a following online.

YouTube has also enabled video makers to enjoy financial profits as a result of the videos they place online. Previously, these videos assigned a financial value based on the amount of views they resulted in. However, this is a practice that needs to be altered because of the fact that many people are making low quality videos. A video that is short in duration may only cover a small aspect of the topic. However, this is currently done in order to increase views and make more money as a result.

Microsoft arto-saila zaintzen (Photo credit: peru, lili eta marije)

Microsoft Office 365 Is A Steal

Microsoft Office 365 is a Microsoft ultimate steal. It doesn't cost very much each month so it will feel like a bargain. The software has the familiar things from Office desktop suite and it also Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft Lync Online, and SharePoint Online. These services work great on PCs, browsers, and phones. This software can be used at any time and from almost anywhere. It is easy to use and works nicely with Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. It can also work either offline or online. You can easily access your information easily and quickly. So if you like Microsoft Office, you will like Office 365.