We had such an exciting month here at bidorbuy, receiving all of the cutest baby photos we have ever seen for our Baby Photo competition.

With a total of 745 entries between the 16th of April and the 7th of May, and then an astonishing 10,442 votes in just a week, we were left with a list of the ten who got the most votes.

A random draw was held and the winner is…

Alyssa Pillay:

Alyssa receives R10,000 to spend in the bidorbuy Baby category. Thank you to everyone who participated, and better luck in our next bidorbuy competition. For details on this, keep an eye on our Facebook page and competition blog in about a week.

Are you a new mom, or still expecting? Well, raising a child is a tough job as it is, but then add shopping into the mix and it becomes almost impossible! That is why you should shop online, at bidorbuy.co.za.

Top 3 reasons why you should shop on bidorbuy (because you only need 3):

1. When you shop on bidorbuy, you don’t have to walk up and down the shopping mall about three times, all the while carrying a baby… (and still not find that thing you want).

2. When you shop on bidorbuy, you don’t have to juggle your baby and the trolley, struggle to answer your cellphone and find the purse… (you get the picture).

3. When you shop on bidorbuy, you do get a wide selection of products at prices that are as a rule cheaper than anywhere else, and you can pay via internet banking. At your leisure. From the comfort of your own home. It’s as simple as a click of a button.

So go in to our Baby category and shop for all of the baby essentials.

Find these items on bidorbuy: Items from Poogybear1

Find these items on bidorbuy: Items from dominiquesonline

Find these items on bidorbuy: Items from AZee Baby

You are a few simple clicks away from shopping heaven, and while you’re there, stop on by the fashion section for something a little special for you (because all moms deserve to be spoiled).

Then don’t. Read on to find out how to quickly pull out a USB device from your Windows computer without suffering the consequences of your impatience.

You have been warned about the bad things that happen if you snatch an external USB drive from your computer without going through the Safely Remove Hardware procedure.

And that’s perfectly true. The next time you use the un-safely removed USB device, you may be served a warning box informing you about possible problems with some files on it.

The Safely Remove Hardware procedure is there for a reason. It ensures that Windows is not reading from or writing to the drive at the precise moment when you are busy removing it, because that could result in corrupted data or even a damaged drive.

However, there is a way to avoid the several seconds (milliseconds?) long Safely Remove Hardware procedure without endangering the data or the drive.

This is what to do:

1. Plug in the USB drive (or several USB drives, if you have enough slots) and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Disk Drives and find your removable USB drive (or drives).
3. Right-click (or double-click) on the device for which you want to quit using the Safely Remove Hardware option.
4. Click Properties.
5. Click the Policies tab.
6. Make sure that the first option, Quick removal, is selected.
7. Click OK, and repeat for each USB drive.

Now that you have disabled the write caching, you can disconnect all USB devices marked with Quick removal without using the Safely Remove Hardware notification icon.

But, wait. Since the other option (the one that does require using the Safely Remove procedure) is called Better performance, are you actually sacrificing something onto the altar of your impatience?

Turns out, not really. According to tests run by several tech gurus, the loss of performance is negligible and worth a few seconds (milliseconds?) wasted messing with Safely Remove Hardware all the time.

Windows will remember your Quick removal settings assigned in the Device Manager for the specific USB device even if, several days later, you plug that device into a different USB slot on your computer. That means that you can keep unplugging it directly once you are done working with it.

However, do pay attention to the “once you are done working with it” bit. If you unplug the device in the middle of writing something onto it, you will probably encounter the “possible problems” warning box the next time you use it. In that case, simply click on the Scan and fix option the Windows presents to you in the warning box, and in most cases your problem will be fixed. To play it safe, it’s better to close the USB drive before yanking it out.

And now that you know how to remove them quickly, go shopping for a USB stick or an external USB hard disk drive.

Photographic Equipment is exciting because that is where you can find excellent deals on all kinds of cameras and accessories like tripods and stands, lenses and filters, flashes and lightening, plus everything else you need to pursue an absorbing hobby or a professional career, at prices that are as a rule lower than anywhere else.

Since the subject matter is so broad, we’ll focus our attention only on cameras. So, this is what you can currently find on bidorbuy, camera-wise:

• For casual photographers or shoppers on a budget, there are almost four hundred compact digital cameras under R1500. (You’ll find the cheapest first in our list.)
• Photographers with grander aspirations will want to take a look at some of about 150 higher end digital SLR cameras. (The prices in our selection range from R9000 for a kit with a lens, to about R75,000 for the camera body only.)
• For those who want the performance that’s close to low to mid level SLRs but object to lugging around a massive apparatus, there are plenty of advanced compact cameras that pack considerable powers into a slim, light body.
• If moving pictures are your thing, choose from among over one thousand video cameras and camcorders of all shapes, sizes, brand names and prices.
• And for those who feel nostalgic, bidorbuy sellers have film cameras too. (Just make sure that you can count on a steady supply of the film, and, if worst comes to worst, be prepared to do the developing and printing yourself.)

So much for the offer. Now, let’s see kinds of cameras bidorbuyers buy in an average week.

In the seven days spanning from end of April until the beginning of May 2012, about 130 cameras were sold on the site: almost forty compact digital cameras, a little over twenty digital SLR cameras, more than sixty video cameras, and – surprise, surprise – eight film cameras.

In case you happen to be among the people who hold the view that dedicated cameras are redundant now that every mobile phone has photo-taking capabilities (see this article), we beg you to reconsider. Digital cameras remain obligatory for anything more ambitious than a stamp-sized photo destined for a social networking site. (By the way, a proper camera is highly recommended for those among you who hope to attain fame in one of our forthcoming Snappy photo challenges!)

So, in the name of decent images, set your sights on the bidorbuy digital cameras selection. It may help you to know that the most popular brand search keywords in this section currently are: Olympus, Canon, Nikon and Sony.

The winner of the Star Wars competition is… Justin Hooper.

The force is definitely strong with you, young padawan.

Learn from your new master, Yoda-bobblehead, and one day you will be a Jedi Knight.

Here’s Justin’s winning answer to our question: “How many Yodas can you fit in a bidorbuy smart car?”

The force is not strong enough in me to make yoda do a goddamn thing. Do or no do there is no try and I’ll choose no do in this case. In the words of Admiral Ackbar: “It’s a trap!”

Theoretically though, a smart car is 2.5m x 1.51m x  1.5m (LxWxH) and provided we take 45% of that space for the car itself gives us 1.125m x 67.95cm x 67.5cm. Now we take Yoda as he is reportedly 66cm tall and we’ll assume 33cm wide. I’d have to say 8 yoda’s. Anything that may get in the way ie armrests etc can be Force pushed out of the way.

There may be flaws with the math but then there were the same flaws in the Death Star. (damn unprotected exhaust vent of doom!)

Thanks to Dark Carnival ZA, you’re prize is the whole set of bobbleheads, which will be delivered to you shortly.

Thanks to everyone for playing along with us.

And, May the 4th be with you today on Star Wars Day…

Pair them with a sleek, fitted boyfriend blazer and a cute mini dress (keep the colour neutral) or ruche up a pair of skinny jeans. In fact they’re really versatile.

Pick a neutral colour like black or grey glitter if it seems a bit over the top for you. Or go for gold or red glitter and really make a statement.

Find glitter pumps for sale on bidorbuy

If you haven’t entered the competition yet, you have until Monday. But why delay – go to our Facebook Competition App and do it now.

What happens next:

• Entries close on Monday the 7th of May, around noon. If you have entered, and your submission has been approved, you will receive an email with the link to your little one’s photo on our Facebook contest app.
• Post this link on your Facebook profile and send it to all your friends, asking them to vote for your little bundle of joy. The voting ends on the 14th of May, in the afternoon.
• The ten photos with the most votes become the finalists. The winner will be randomly drawn from among the ten finalists and announced on the 16th of May.

Thank you to all of the entrants, and good luck!

May the 4th be with you on International Star Wars Day this Friday. In celebration, Dark Carnival ZA is giving away awesome sets of mini Star Wars character Bobbleheads to one lucky person who can answer our Yoda  question.

The Question:

How Many Yodas can you fit inside a bidorbuy Smart car?

“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.

Simply give us your answer by posting a reply to this blog post.

The Prize

You can buy these here too

The Rules

• The winner will be announced at 5pm on May 4th
• The winner will be chosen by bidorbuy and the decision will be final
• Please read general bidorbuy competition rules for more information

Good luck! And may the Force be with you.

Want more Star Wars merch? Dark Carnival has some incredible stuff so check it out.

Decorating your nursery can be an exciting, yet somewhat daunting experience. You sit in that empty room and dream of the tiny bundle of joy that will soon be coming to enrich your life. You want that room to be perfect – the dream nursery; the one you saw in the magazine.

One of the most important factors in creating any beautiful room, and especially a nursery, is colour. Colour can create an atmosphere, disguise flaws and enhance features. There are so many options available that it can be quite daunting, so here we have endeavoured to pinpoint a few basics.

For the girls

The number one option that comes to mind is pink, and let’s face it, what woman can resit going for this pretty, feminine colour! However, you can create many different looks with pink, so consider your options:

1: Bright pink and lime: this makes for a striking and stunning colour scheme. Pair it with white furniture and it’s a winner!

2: Pastel pink and purple: This soft look is perfect for a nursery. You can pair it with white and even a touch of soft green, but be careful not to go exclusively for pastels or you run the risk of creating a washed-out look. Create the perfect balance with dark wood (or brown painted/stained) furniture.

3: Pink and pink: This may sound dull, but when you pair many shades of pink together the look can be amazing! To keep the room still looking accessible to dad, paint the walls white, beige or even soft shade of grey. A neutral colour on the walls will bring out the pink on the linen and other accessories.

For the boys

A boy’s nursery is always so exciting to contemplate – there are so many stunning options. Here we examine a few of them:

1: Bold and bright: Paint your walls white and then have fun! A bright blue curtain with yellow stars and some colourful tiebacks, a bright red, blue and yellow mat, a lime green mobile… you can’t go wrong! Keep the furniture plain to bring out the bright colours and avoid clashing.

2: Navy, red and white: These nautical colours are sophisticated and striking and always look great in a boy’s room. Had a touch of yellow here and there to bright things up and it’s guaranteed to look fab!

3: Baby blue and beige: who says pastels are for girls?! Baby blue and beige are a soft and lovely option for a baby boy’s nursery. Pair them with dark brown furniture to bring the pastels out, and you’ve got a winner!

Neutral

Not sure yet if it’s a boy or a girl… or perhaps it’s both?! Don’t panic, there are many great neutral options available:

1: Shades of brown and ivory: you will have seen it often paired with teddy bear themed nurseries and it’s a fail-safe method for a neutral nursery! Later you can add pink or blue (or almost any other colour!) and it still works. Simple and sophisticated.

2: Green: Green is a great neutral colour and it’s available in so many shades to create a variety of looks: combine moss green and lilac, green and grey, or emerald and pastel green. Go wild and experiment!

3: Lime & Orange: This daring combo will create a “stop and look at me” nursery! Imagine lime green frogs with orange dragonflies, or a lime green octopus with orange fish… Stunning! Once again, pair with dark brown or white furniture for the best effect.

Find some products to decorate the nursery from dominiquesonline.
Also check out our Pinterest Nursery Ideas board for some more ideas.

Coats, boots, jerseys, leggings and gloves are winter wardrobe staples. And you can find them all in the bidorbuy Fashion category.

What’s your winter fashion inspiration?

Find all of these winter-wonderfuls here

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.