Square Cash - Use at your own risk

I recently ran into an issue where Square Cash took actions that ended up making me lose money.  Basically I was sending the $ back and forth to hit $50 total, and they decided to cancel all the incoming transactions.  The other person claims they didn't get the money either, so either Square Cash is lying or they are - either way Square Cash should have left the transactions alone, or cancelled them all - by choosing to only cancel the ones TO me I lost $50.

Of course their support is not helpful - you can't reach them on the phone, and via email they just give you the same pre-canned answered or don't seem to understand the issue.  Bottom line they told me to either try to resolve it with the person, or dispute the charges with my bank.  Of course some of the money was from my Cash App balance - so I can't dispute it with the bank leaving me out of options since Square Cash will not help me recover my loss.

To top it all off, they just advised me of the following:

"Our Account Services team conducted a review of your account and determined it to be high-risk. We are exercising our right under the Square Cash Agreement and have elected to deactivate your account."

Apparently having $50 taken from you then being a vocal customer who actually contacts their support about an issue they caused is "high-risk" because I know I didn't do anything else with my account that would be an issue.

"For security purposes, we cannot divulge further details regarding your account termination and our decision is final."

Well of course they wouldn't explain this decision, I am sure they don't have a good explanation and don't need one all they have to do is deactviate my account and I am out of luck.

Oh and to top it all off, I had pending referrals so that is another $10 per person they robbed me of.

So bottom line here, I no longer recommend Square Cash.  If you have problems they may not help you, and if you dare complain they will just deactivate your account apparently.  They need better customer service, like T-Mobile or Amazon -- companies that actually care about their customers as customers and not just profit.

Go here ( http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/12/money-transfer-apps.html ) for alternate options, personally Circle Pay and Google Wallet are my favorites.

NOTE: This is just my opinion, make your own decision.

T-Mobile DIGITS Beta

I signed up for the T-Mobile DIGITS Beta, and will update this blog post as I play around with it.

Initial Setup - I started off with the option of just using one number (my main one on a S7 Edge) on multiple devices.  I setup the T-Mobile DIGITS software on my LG tablet.  I used another phone ( non-T-Mobile ) for some of the testing.

Once everything was setup, I started to do a few tests.

Text Messaging

1) I sent a message from the non-T-Mobile phone to my number linked to DIGITS.  The message showed up on my S7E as normal and showed up on the LG tablet in the DIGITS app.

2) I responded from my LG tablet to the non-T-Mobile phone, and that worked fine.  I responded from my S7 and it took a minute or two for the response to finally show up on the non-TMobile phone.  The next test from the S7 to the non-T-Mobile phone worked much quicker, and the LG tablet showed the response too.

So far it seems like responses from the DIGITS app on the LG do not get sync'd over to the S7, but if you respond on the S7 it does show up on the LG.  I currently see this as a disadvantage when compared to Google Voice / Hangouts, which syncs the messages across both devices.

Calling

1) I called from the non-T-Mobile phone to the DIGITS number, and both devices rang.

2) I answered on the LG tablet using DIGITS app, it seemed to work fine.

3) I noticed a "switch device" option, when I pressed it two options showed up "No name" and "Sim Device".  I tried "Sim Device" and my S7 rang again.

So bottom line the tablet was able to answer the call, and hand off to the phone which was pretty cool.

Money Transfer Apps

Lately I have been playing around with various money transfer apps, so I figured I would share some thoughts on each one.  For the most part, they have the same basic features - send money, get money, and put it in your bank.  One important note - these apps mainly work with the concept of getting money from family/friends, some of these will charge a fee or have other requirements if you use it for business.

22 Feb 2022 Update: 

PayPal - This is a classic, not really going to focus on it - chances are you have heard of it.  It does have protections and customer service you can talk to, which are important.

Google Wallet - Another one that has been around for a while.  It gets the job done, and lately they added a feature that allows you to instantly put the money on your debit card without a fee.  So far, no other apps do that free - Square Cash can do it, for a fee.

22 Feb 2022 Update: Google Wallet is now GPay, you can still transfer to your bank for free but a faster withdraw to debit card now has a fee.

Venmo - This is actually owned by PayPal.  I really didn't notice any unique features that stood out, other than the social aspect.  When you pay or request money, you have to put in a note and by default that is a public comment.  If you get bored you can scroll through random payments and see some funny / awkward comments.

Square Cash ( also called Cash App ) - Based on my experiences with this company I do not recommend them.

22 Feb 2022 Update: Circle Pay is no longer in service.

Circle Pay - This application seems to have the normal functions, but does have a few that set it apart:

• Send money via US Dollars, British Pounds, or Euros.
• Earn $ via referrals

At the end of the day, most people are going to use whatever is considered popular among their social group - no point having a way to transfer money if there is no one to use it with!

If you decide to try Circle Pay, make sure you read my posts on how to get your referral money.

Bank Alternatives

So this post is straying a bit from my normal posts, but lines up with my recent ones and I still think it is a bit "geeky" since Simple has a smartphone app.  As I talked with people about Square Cash and Circle, I ran into a surprising amount of people who simply did not have a bank account.  Some of them used prepaid options, but not a traditional bank account.

NOTE: 12 Feb 2022 Update - Simple has closed down.  SoFi Money is a good alternative to consider.

$25 from SoFi Money - You can save, spend, and earn interest—all in one account. Use my link to sign up and you’ll get a $25 bonus. Referral link: https://www.sofi.com/invite/money?gcp=baf027eb-93db-453b-a474-fe7aae805180

Of course the easy option is to go to a local bank and open an account, but I wanted to share some alternatives to consider:

1) If you prefer a place you can walk into, look into credit unions.  They typically offer the same services as a bank but due to how they operate they normally have less fees and better rates.  You can read up on credit unions here ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_union ) and start looking for one here ( http://mapping.ncua.gov/ ).  Also, just search Google for "why are credit unions better" and you will find plenty of articles.

2) If you are ok doing "online only" banking, you can look into Simple.  I personally have been using the Simple card ( www.simple.com ) so I am comfortable recommending it.  Here are the main things I like about Simple:

- No fees ( https://www.simple.com/features/no-fees )
- Features to help you budget
- Smartphone app
- You can get your paycheck via direct deposit
- Works with online money transfer options like Venmo, Square Cash and Circle.
- Sign up using my referral link ( https://simple.com/friends/BRYN323 ) and get a free wallet.  See here for more details ( https://www.simple.com/referrals ).

I hope someone finds this information useful.

If you want to see freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Get some free stuff or free money

(Last updated: 12 Feb 2022)

If you have looked at my recent blog posts, you will see that I have started to look into a few different offers where you can earn free money.  I decided to pull together some offers that would be useful, thinking back to my college days where basically anything free was good.

Other Money Apps

$10 Free from Strike - Hey! Join Strike and earn $10 when you sign up and verify your account using my referral code: BQANP2

https://invite.strike.me/BQANP2

Saving/Bank Accounts

$25 from SoFi Money - You can save, spend, and earn interest—all in one account. Use my link to sign up and you’ll get a $25 bonus. 

https://www.sofi.com/invite/money?gcp=baf027eb-93db-453b-a474-fe7aae805180

Qapital - Feb 12 2022 Update: This service is no longer free.

Rize - Sep 25 2019 Update: Referral program has been retired, but the service is still useful.

Simple - Sep 25 2019 Update: Referral program no longer valid but still a solid company.

Investing Money

SoFi Invest - Sign up and fund an Active Investing account with $100 or more, you'll get $25 in stock.

https://www.sofi.com/invite/invest?gcp=cca4bce7-4c67-43c6-bcd9-30417db86500

Robinhood - If you are interested in buying and selling stocks, you can use this app which offers stock purchases without a fee and you can get a FREE stock valued up to around $200.  Read more at my post or just go to my referral link.  You can also earn up to $500 in stocks by referring others.

Stockpile - Another good option for stocks, this one is very good if you plan to gift the stock as a gift.  Read up more on here on my blog ( http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/09/stockpile-review-and-free-5-stock.html ) for more info and a $5 free of stock.

This page ( http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/10/investing-in-stocks-get-some-free.html ) has some information comparing Robinhood and Stockpile, and has a link to some useful resources to start reading.

Mobile Pay/Transfer Apps - Great way to send/get money between friends, and for those in college it is a great way to hit up your parents for money!  I wrote up a summary of the various apps on another post ( here ).

Most of these apps require a bank account / debit card, and I was surprised to find out many people don't have that.  I wrote up some alternatives to banks, check it out here and also did a comparison between Qapital, Chime and Simple ( http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/10/online-bank-prepaid-card-alternatives.html ).  I haven't had a chance to update those pages, but SoFi Money (mentioned below) is another good option for a bank account / debit card.

Other Money Related

SoFi Personal and Student Loans - Use my referral links below for the opportunity to get a $300 in SoFi Money when you refinance student loans or take out a personal loan.

Personal Loan referral - https://www.sofi.com/invite/personal-loans/?gcp=08f318fe-eef2-47b9-82ce-283a0488e360

Student Loan referral  - https://www.sofi.com/invite/student-loans/?gcp=bde66a0d-dc92-4a65-88cd-b32833844292

-- Everything below this line was from the prior 2019 revision, and may no longer be valid.  I am going to work on updating this post.

Truebill - Basically like a personal finance watchdog. The app watches your account and when banks or credit cards charge you sneaky fees they go after them to get your money refunded! On top of that, it automatically detects everyone that's billing you monthly and can automatically cancel charges you don't want.  It has already help me catch a few things I might have missed!  When you refer people and they save money, you get money too and you have a chance to earn $15 for every 3 people you refer!  My personal invite link is http://ref.truebill.com/okUG/rgfDIg9VzG

Online Bank / Prepaid Card Alternatives ( Chime, Simple and Qapital )

Shopping Apps

Giftagram - Use my Giftagram code: VJ264760, and get $5 towards your first gift. Download Giftagram from the Play Store http://ow.ly/vxMQ308kAqu or you can get it on Apple devices.  Once you setup the application, go to "More" then "My Credits / Promo Code" you should see $5 available, if not put in my code VJ264760 and click "Redeem Code".  Find a gift and order it!  Also, if you refer people they get $5 off their first gift and you get $5 credit when they make a purchase.

Hollar - Get a $2 store credit for Hollar.com.  https://www.hollar.com/share/429prm5b

Dosh - Get cash back from purchases (both in store and online) without scanning barcodes/receipts, mailing in rebates or putting in promo codes.  Also get $5 instantly in the app just by signing-up using my link and refer others for a chance to get $5 more per person you refer!  Minimum payout $15, and it can payout to PayPal or a bank account.  Use my link to sign up ( http://link.dosh.cash/YCLI/RtXNzi6pGG ) or check out my blog post for some screenshots of the app.

Drop - This application is very similar to Dosh ( above ).  I was able to quickly get enough points to earn a $5 Starbucks gift card, and I plan to keep trying it out.  Use my link to sign up and get 2000 points ( https://b.ewd.io/code?c=pkbs3 ) or check out my blog post for more information.

Ibotta - It’s an easy to use, cash back rewards app.  I used it on a few receipts already and saved money!  Use my referral code, gbpchfh, and you can get a $10 welcome bonus. Sign up at https://ibotta.com/r/ctirter

Instacart (Publix, CVS and others) - Get $10 off your order ( I think it kicks in when you spend $30 or more ) and they are offering FREE delivery on your first order.  I used this to get some stuff I needed from Publix.  Use my referral link ( https://inst.cr/t/p7dpsXEXB )

Swagbucks - This service has many different ways to earn points, and I have read about it being a good option.  I finally gave it a try.  I had an offer for $10 bonus by spending $25 from any of the stores they have linked.  I ended up purchasing something from Wal-Mart that I wanted, and I should be getting enough points for a $10 gift card!  I have earned points other ways also, normally I dont like survey apps but this one seems like it might be a good option.  Use my referral link ( http://www.swagbucks.com/p/register?rb=39735447 ).

Survey Apps
Streetbees - I just started using Streetbees, and already got $2 paid to my PayPay.  I normally don't do survey apps but gave it a try and I like the quick payout.  Use my referral code 843694, here is the link to the app ( http://onelink.to/streetbees )

1Q - Get paid $0.25 or $0.50 to PayPal for simple 1 question surveys.  Sign up here ( http://1Q.com/d5ywjk )

Rideshare Apps - Both of these apps are similar, a way to catch a ride somewhere.  If you haven't heard of them, come out of the cave :-)

Uber - If you haven't signed up for this use my referral link ( https://www.uber.com/invite/ubervictor-j ) to get some free $ towards a ride.  Once you have the app, invite your friends so you and your friend can both earn some free $ towards a ride.

Lyft - If you haven't signed up for this use my referral link ( https://lyft.com/ida/VICTOR492868 ) to get some free $ toward a ride.  Once you have the app, invite your friends so you and your friend can both earn free $ towards a ride.

Other Apps

Atom Tickets - This application lets you buy movie tickets at many local theaters.  In some cities, you actually get a free ticket when you sign up.  After that, they offer various deals and a chance to earn free tickets when you refer someone.  Also if someone refers you, you get $5 off.

Samsung Pay - If you have a Samsung Pay compatible pay, I would suggest trying it out - they often do various promotions/deals that can earn you discounts or free money.  If you are new to enter my code ( BEDD85 ) as a promotion code before your 1st purchase to get $5 in rewards.

Amazon Related

Amazon Prime Student (New Users) - Get a 6-month trial which includes things like FREE two-day shipping and a chance to earn $10 per person you refer to Prime Student.

Amazon Prime (New Users) - Get a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime which includes things like FREE two-day shipping, Prime Video, and many other things.

Discontinued or I no longer use/recommend

Circle Pay - Sep 25 2019 Update: Discontinued

Square Cash (also known as Cash App) - I do not recommend this anymore, but you can still look into it

Clarity Money - Connects to your accounts and get useful information.  Sep 25 2019 Update: Not sure this has a referral program anymore.

Empower - Similar to Clarity Money above or Mint, it connects to your account and gives you insights into your spending.  Sep 25 2019 Update: Not sure this has a referral program anymore.

RushCard - Get $30 free when you sign up for RushCard, details here.  Sep 25 2019 Update: I do not refer this anymore.
( http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/11/rushcard-free-30.html )

Dvdendo - Sep 25 2019 Update: No longer free, so I do not use it or refer anyone to it anymore.

Acorns - Sep 25 2019 Update: No longer free, so I do not use it or refer anyone to it anymore.

Google Express - Get $10 off your 1st order using my link ( https://express.google.com/invite/7X6KS34V2 ).  Sep 25 2019 Update: Referral program no longer valid.

Expense Rewards - Get 500 points to redeem your first $5 gift card and earn more points when you make a purchase on your linked account or refer someone. To accept, use code 'NZAY05' to sign up. Enjoy! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.expreward&referrer=utm_campaign%3DNZAY05  Sep 25 2019 Update: Not sure this has a referral program anymore.

Circle Pay - Free Money

NOTE: Circle Pay discontinued as of 9/30/2019.

I recently made a blog post regarding Square Cash, a money transfer application (see blog post about money transfer apps) which allows you to earn free money via referrals.  I recently ran into another option which is pretty simple to do, and like the Square Cash approach it works best with someone you know/trust.  As a side note, I am no longer recommending Square Cash at this point.

NOTE: My link only provides you $5 but some people have codes that provide $10.  If you are on any groups where you can find referral codes, I would suggest finding a $10 code.  My code no longer gives me $ so I wouldn't be losing anything either way.

1) Sign up using my referral link ( https://www.circle.com/invite/CR9BRE ) which gives you an opportunity to earn $5.  If you download the app directly, you may have to enter my referral code in manually ( CR9BRE ).

2) Invite a friend using the app so they become your referral.  If you don't have someone that could help, you could reach out to me if I sent you this link direct.

3) Send your friend $25 (from your debit card) which completes your requirement, and earns you $5 free.

4) Have your friend send $25 back to you.  You earn another $5 referring them, and they earn $5 because they also complete their requirement.

For the steps above, if you don't want to send $25, for step 3/4 you can just send $5 back and forth 5 times ($25 total).  You can also have your friend send first instead of you.

So when it is all over, you should have $5 from referrals and your friend should have $5 from referrals.  Whoever sent the $5 first, should have that money back if the steps were done right.

Proof I send $ back, and that the person got their $5 free

$20 in a week, but you can make more of course

Easy right?

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Square Cash - Free Money

NOTE: If you already earned the referral on Square or want another one to try, check out Circle ( https://goo.gl/oxXLBO ) which is a similar application than can earn you $10 following my steps.

UPDATE: I no longer recommend using Square Cash.  Read my reasons at the link below and decide for yourself:

http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/12/square-cash-use-at-your-own-risk.html

If you do decide to use it, here are a few suggestions:

• Only use it with people you know
• If you are sending money in a situation you feel might be a little risky, cash out your money and send it off your debit card that way you can at least dispute the charge with your bank

...


I haven't posted in a long time, figured I would toss something up that might be interesting some readers.

I like playing around with new applications, including ones related to financial things.  I have a Simple card ( www.simple.com ) for play money which replaced my Google Wallet Card when those went away.  Like most people I have PayPal and for transferring money, of course Google Wallet can be used but I have been playing around with another option that I really like - Square Cash.

If you have purchased food from a food truck, or items from a small business, chances are you may have seen a square white credit card reader on their smartphone - if so, that is probably a Square device.  The same company also has an app for exchanging money - Square Cash.

After using Square Cash, here are some of the main reasons I like it:

1) The person paying doesn't have to use the app they can just visit a special link and pay using a debit card.

2) The money can be stored in your Square Cash account or transferred to your debit card easily.

3) Great way to swap money between friends and family.

4) Offers a virtual debit card (VISA) number so you can use it online pretty much anywhere

As an added bonus, you can get $10 FREE when you sign up using my referral link ( https://cash.me/app/MMXNDHS ) and more money free when you refer friends!

If you use my referral link, you could get $10 for you.  Basically Square Cash gives both people (the person referred and the person who gave the referral) free money when the person referred sends $50.

You need to setup up an app called Square Cash that ties to your debit card (debit card has no fees, credit card has 3% fee).  It lets you send money back and forth pretty easily, useful for family/friends.

Common Questions/Concerns

Is this legit?  Yes, the company (Square) also supports many small businesses with credit card readers - if you ever swiped your credit card in a little white square attached to a phone or tablet you probably already dealt with Square and didn't realize it.

Why does it ask for my info? My guess is either to comply with federal rules, or to ensure people don't fraud their system by creating fake accounts to get referral money.  If you are too paranoid to put that info in, you should probably get off the internet :-)

I still think it is a scam  Understandable, but you never provide me your email address or bank account info so you don't have to trust me - just the company.  See the comments below of people that earned the free $.

How can I get my money off the card?  You can transfer to your debit card, bank account, or create a virtual VISA number for online shipping.

Step by Step Directions

NOTE: Per ( https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5588-supported-cards-with-square-cash ):

Square Cash supports standard, U.S.-issued AMEX, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit and debit cards. We don’t currently support ATM, PayPal, or prepaid bank cards.

1) Setup your Device ( If you already have an account, skip to step g )

NOTE: You must be 18+, and have a debit card (not prepaid) or checking account otherwise this probably won't work but feel free to try.

a) Install Square Cash ( https://cash.me/ has links for Android and Apple )
b) Put in your Phone # or email, a code will be sent to you
c) Choose "Personal" unless this is for a business.
d) Put in your debit card number ( pretty sure you must tie it to a card or bank account, if you don't have either it will probably not work ).  Not all banks work, check here for more info.  I would suggest you get your card/bank setup before going further, if you have issues submit a ticket to Square Support ( https://squ.re/cashhelp ).
e) Put in your name
f) Create a $Cashtag, confirm ZIP if asked, Skip the invite for now
g) Click on the top left circle, scroll down to "Enter Reward Code" and put in "MMXNDHS".  You should get a notice saying "You've got $10 waiting".  Hit Done.  If you didn't see the option, then this is probably an existing account that was created more than a few weeks ago.
h) Go into the settings again (top left circle) and make sure that "Auto Cash Out" is turned off.
h) Find your invite code ( click top left circle, then click link that says "Invite Friends" ).  You should see a link that says "cash.me/app/?????" and that last part, probably 7 letters, is your code.

2) Have your friend setup their device using the steps above, but they should use your invite code.  If you don't have someone that could help, you would have to use the person that referred you - if you want my help post a comment below.  You will not get the same amount, but at least you will get the $10.

3) Send your friend $50, have them send it back - using the $Cashtags to do this.  Or you can have them send it to you, and you send it back.  Either way, no one loses money.  For the step above, instead of $50, you can send a smaller amount back and forth until you hit $50 total.  If you happen to owe your friend, or someone else, $50 then just sent it to them - no back and forth needed.

4) That is it.  You should get $10 for sending $50, and another $10 for referring your friend.  Your friend should also get $10 for sending $50.  You can leave the money in the Cash app for now for other referrals, or just cash out to your card.  Don't use the instant option unless you have to, it charges a fee.

Once you earn the referral money, I would appreciate if you post below saying it worked, and share the link with friends.  If you saw this on Facebook, post there it worked if no one else has.  Trying to help people understand it is not a scam.

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Proof it works below! (Names removed)

$60 in a week

Tontec 3.5 Inch Touch Screen for Raspberry Pi Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a Tontec 3.5 Inch Touch Screen for Raspberry Pi for a product review. The kit includes a case and the screen.

Setting up the case itself was fairly easy.  The product listing actually has a video but I didn’t notice that until after I put mine together -- there is a little diagram included in the kit, if you just pay attention to how parts are aligned and use some thinking skills it isn’t that difficult.  Installing the Raspberry Pi 3 hardware and screen wasn’t that hard either, but if you have questions/concerns make sure you reach out to the company or read the available documentation.

To test the screen, I started with a fresh install of 3/18/2016 release of Raspbian Jessie (not the lite version) on my Raspberry Pi 3.  Once I had the wifi setup, I connected via SSH and followed the directions included with the kit.  After following the directions, step by step, my screen was up and running.  The touchscreen was responsive, and the calibration did help improve the accuracy.

If you are looking for a general use screen for setting up your Pi, you might be better off using a larger HDMI screen however if you want a small LCD screen for custom/special projects this is a great option to consider.

Bottom line: Neat 3.5” touchscreen that works with the Raspberry Pi 3.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00NANNJLQ

Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Pack from Adafruit

Until recently I didn't have a chance to try out a Pi, but that changed when I recently acquired a Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Pack by Adafruit.  I also looked at a Pi 3 kit from SparkFun which was very similar but I ended up picking the Adafruit option.  Although the kit itself was made by Adafruit, it was ordered for me by Hackster.io in exchange for reputation points.

Here is what the kit includes:

• Raspberry Pi 3 - Model B
• Adafruit Raspberry Pi B+ Case - Smoke Base / Clear Top
• Adafruit Assembled Pi Cobbler Plus
• Full Size Breadboard
• Premium Male/Male Jumper Wires
• USB to TTL Serial Cable
• 8GB SD card for Raspberry Pi preinstalled with Raspbian Jessi
• 5V 2.4A Switching Power Supply w/ 6' MicroUSB Cable
• Embroidered Raspberry Pi Badge
• Misc Parts ( Photo Cell, Resistors, LEDs, Switches )

The kit includes almost everything you need just add a HDMI display, USB keyboard and USB mouse.  Once everything was up and running, I started to play around with the Pi.  Here is a quick list of a few things I tried:

• I played around with a LED and switch following the code listed here ( https://www.raspberrypi.org/learning/physical-computing-with-python/ ) but I have played with Arduino for that sort of hardware/software interaction so I didn't really focus on that for now.
• Played with New Out of the Box Software (NOOBS)
• Tested various operating systems (Raspbian and Ubuntu Mate) that are more of a normal workstation / desktop replacement
• Tested two media center options Open Source Media Center (OSMC) and Open Embedded Linux Entertainment Center (OpenELEC) 
• Used BerryBoot to load multiple operating systems on a single memory card
• Used BerryBoot to load an operating system on a USB thumb drive
• Tested RetroPie but didn't use it much since I didn't have a game controller handy
• Connected remotely via SSH and RDP (after installing xrdp)

Overall I was excited to see the number of options available for Raspberry Pi.  For now, I need to pick a project and spend a little more time on it.  I was thinking of setting up a network attached storage device, or I might just test the media center options a bit more since I don't have cable.

Bottom line - if you have been interested in trying out a Raspberry Pi and feel like you can get at least one project out of it, don't waste time and get one.  The kits are nice, but if you already have some of the components you need you can just get the board itself to start playing around.

Adafruit Product Page: https://www.adafruit.com/product/3058