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Which Broadband Provider to Choose For Online Gaming

Filed Under: Broadband, Broadband Deals, Compare Broadband Providers, Competition, computers, just for fun, Video Games by admin — Leave a comment

November 8, 2011

Online gaming is a concept that is becoming more and more popular as internet technology and graphics quality advance. The two need to progress together because high end gaming graphics can only be supported by high end internet connections i.e. something like a 50Mb broadband UK connection. A 50Mb broadband UK connection, however, is not the only thing you need to have a perfect online gaming experience.

There are numerous other things you need from your internet connection for you to have an unfettered and downright perfect online gaming experience. When you play a game online, there is constant sending and receiving of relevant information between your computer or console and the server that you are connected to. This is why, for high speed internet for gaming you need a high quality internet connection. Here is a list of a few aspects that you should focus on when choosing your broadband provider.

The Speed of the Connection:
The speed of your broadband connection, as is very obvious, is one of the most crucial aspects of your gaming experience. Ideally, a 50 Mb broadband UK connection should be enough for your computer or console to handle even the most graphic incentive games. However, while such connections suffice in most cases, most online gaming enthusiasts believe that there is nothing known as too much speed when it comes to their internet connections.

Stability of the Connection:
There is this phenomenon that can ruin your online gaming experience even if you have the fastest connection in the country. This is known as the jitter. Jitter, basically, refers to the stability of your internet connection. If a connection is unstable, there would be mini breaks in packet exchange between the server and your console or computer.

This can result in mini lags in the game which can virtually be fatal for your character in the game and your online gaming enthusiasm. There is nothing more painful than playing a game through lag.

Download Restrictions and Fair Use Limitations:
This aspect of your internet connection is as important as the speed because it actually determines how much you pay and how smooth your gaming experience is. There are different types of internet connections. The first is the limited wherein there is a limit on how much data you can download. The other is unlimited wherein there are no restrictions on your data download amount.

The unfortunate rule that many internet connections impose on their customers is the rule of fair use limitations. If your internet connection is under the purview of such rules then you would only have an unlimited download amount up to a certain point after which your speed for such downloads would be reduced. This is a major problem for most online gamers because their gaming experience starts getting affected if they play too much.

If you assess all the above mentioned points then there is no reason why you would have difficulty in finding the best 50Mb broadband UK connection possible for your internet gaming experience.

Tags: 50mb broadband uk, high speed internet for gaming

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The iPad’s Competition

Filed Under: Broadband, Broadband Deals, christmas gifts, just for fun by admin — Leave a comment

July 19, 2011

The iPad has become one of the most sought after electronic devices on the market. People have been constantly talking about it ever since its release. It seems like the iPad is at the top of the market when it comes to tablet computers. However, Apple’s popular device will be facing some stiff competition soon as people become aware of the other great tablets in the market.

Let’s talk about the iPad’s competition. Although there aren’t as many tablets like the iPad, the device is still up against a lot of other electronics. When it comes to being used as an e-reader, Sony’s ebook reader devices and the Kindle is still giving the iPad some resistance, especially since these device are cheaper.

People are also choosing netbooks and small laptops because they want to be able to use their applications when on the go. The iPad uses an operating system that is not compatible with the applications that are being run on regular computers. If the iPad’s operating system was fixed to support these applications, it would be another story.

Applications make the iPad very attractive. There are many publishers that are releasing games as a downloadable app. That doesn’t mean the iPad will be dominating the handheld gaming market anytime soon. They are up against the popular PSP and the Nintendo DS which continue to be hot sellers.

In response to the iPad, many companies are coming up with their own tablet computers. For example, the HP slate is a tablet that can run flash and also has a multi-touch friendly version of windows 7. For people who want to run Windows applications on their tablet, this is the perfect choice.

The Notion Ink Adam is another upcoming tablet. What makes it interesting is that it can switch from color to black/white so that you can use it as a tablet and as a e-reader. It also runs on android, supports flash, as well as the popular web browsers (Chrome, Firefox).

Archos is really making a big statement with their low budget tablet. While the Archos 7 processor isn’t as good as the iPad’s, it can run videos and applications without any problems. The company also released the Archos 9 which runs Windows 7. It features an HD 1080p screen, 32 GB SSD drive, and a webcam. Cable and internet bundles will help you stay connected with the device.

Speaking of bundles, many devices have Ethernet, wiFi, and Bluetooth capabilities. You can go withcheap cable and internet packages stay connected. You have many options when it comes to staying connected so that is something you don’t have to worry about.

While the iPad is still a hot selling product, it looks like Apple is against some stiff competition. The other tablets in the market have an operating system people are familiar with, support flash, and come with more connectivity options. Many people will soon realise that there are some great alternatives to Apple’s popular device.

Tags: Cable and internet bundles, cheap cable and internet packages

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Top 5 Gadgets of 2011

Filed Under: Broadband, Broadband Deals, computers, just for fun, mobile phones, Uncategorized by admin — Leave a comment

May 19, 2011

Technology is progressing at breakneck speed and it is not unusual to see new and fascinating innovations finding their way into the market year after year. All these impressive gadgets and services are aimed at making life simpler, helping people to work and communicate more efficiently, giving them enough time to enjoy the fruits of their labour such as the pay as you go mobile plans. As a matter of fact, it is not uncommon to see most professionals vying for the latest gadgets in the market, a trend which was hitherto exclusively associated with teenagers and youngsters. So, if you are a tech savvy individual looking for the latest, “must have” technological innovations, here is a look at some of the best products of 2011.

IPHONE 5: The new Apple offering pegged for release in 2011 promises to put the memories of pesky alarm and antenna issues behind. The IPhone 5 all set to be unravelled in summer 2011 is already one of the most highly anticipated gadgets in the market. The company is following its usual protocol and has thus far kept mum about the features of the product. However, what is obvious is that the phone will sort out all concerns that consumers had with its predecessor and of course, buyers will be able to use the Apple product with ‘pay as you go mobile‘ services.

Chrome OS Notebooks: The Google product which has created quite a flurry in the tech community promises to eliminate the need for installing an operating system with a CD. As a matter of fact, Chrome OS Notebooks are all set to change the way personal computers operate. Unlike regular machines that load the operating system on start up, the Chrome Notebook will only come with limited functionality which will help the user to start the computer in record time. However, once connected to the internet, it will open up a world of possibilities providing the standard features associated with a notebook and the promise of millions of free Google apps

PSP Phone: Being developed as the competitor to Apple’s IPhone, the PSP phone which is being developed in collaboration with Sony Ericsson promises to offer an unrivalled gaming experience. Unlike its competitor, the IPhone, the PSP phone will not only work on ‘pay as you go’ plans but also it will offer a spectacular gaming experience, making those long train rides more entertaining than they have ever been. The phone can also be used as a ‘pay monthly mobile’. Mobile phones from Sony have long been hailed as the best in the market and the PSP phone will certainly raise the quality bar further.

Vaio with 3D by Sony: The company can definitely be trusted to infuse the 3D technology is just about all their gadgets. After the successful launch of their 3D television sets, Sony is all set to unveil their laptops with the same spectacular 3D effect. Sony Vaio 3D will be available with Bravia glasses that will synchronize with the IR blaster. The laptop will come equipped with a 16” screen that can be used to enjoy PlayStation 3 gaming. A machine meant for a superlative entertainment experience, the 3D Vaio will also have Blu-ray drives and black frame insertion technology that will provide crystal clear images. However, all those amazing features will of course come for a high price tag, expected to be released for a whopping £ 1,500, the latest Sony offering has already got most techies vying for a look despite its exorbitant price.

Nintendo 3DS: Any talk about 3D technology would be incomplete without mentioning another highly anticipated gadget of 2011, the Nintendo 3DS. The ultimate device for gaming enthusiasts, this gadget is designed to offer a ‘true to life’ gaming experience; the likes of which have never been experienced before. Well before its release, this product has garnered an unprecedented amount of attention. The gadget comes with the promise of a host of features including backward compatibility with earlier consoles The built in function known simply as “streetpass” will allow users to download content even when the device is in the sleep mode and there are a myriad of other neat features that have made this device one f the most eagerly awaited products of the year.

These new age gadgets are all designed to enhance the quality of entertainment and communication while making work life simpler and more efficient. These services are the wave of the future that allows consumers to use their cellular devices more affordably.

Tags: pay as you go mobile, pay monthly mobile

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The Best of Broadband

Filed Under: Broadband, just for fun, social networking by admin — Leave a comment

September 27, 2010

Fast internet that could handle moving image crawled into our lives with cheap broadband deals, and now we’re hooked! The amount of viral films and images is greater that we can handle, but there are some gems that do deserve remembrance and immortalisation. To celebrate the ten years of its cable broadband, Virgin Media has set up “10 Things Project” that will gather all the favourite videos, virals, music, gossip and games that have been part of our decade long broadband experience.

The ‘10 Things Project’ is a social platform that allows visitors to pick and choose their favourite ten things from the web. Whether it’s watching Chris Crocker pleading to ‘Leave Britney Alone!’, the immortal Star Wars Kid, LOLcats, or even the classic Dancing Baby, ’10 Things Project’ is a platform to share thoughts, or just browse through other’s favourite picks and reminisce.

Web fans are offered ten categories through which they can build their own time-capsule of the funnies and weirdest web moments of their past. The site pulls automatically popular content to help the memory. All the lost, treasured and forgotten moments will be captured and saved for everyone to enjoy.

Jon James, executive director of Broadband at Virgin Media had said, “It’s only when you look back you realise how important broadband has been over the last ten years and how we’d feel utterly lost without it. With speeds increasing and our launch of 100Mb by the end of 2010, we’re proud to have been at the forefront of this incredible phenomenon and look forward to exciting new services the next ten years will bring.”

The home page of the Project displays an overview of all visitors’ choices. It forms a collective digital picture of the best of the last decade, and a great place to see what makes us tick, or just to go and have a laugh muttering ‘Oh, I remember that!’

To join the fun, visit www.10thingsproject.com and mark your favourite bits of history.

Tags: Broadband Deals

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Virgin Media rings up one million mobile contracts

Filed Under: just for fun, TV by admin — Leave a comment

May 4, 2010

Virgin Media today announced it has reached one million mobile contract customers. Virgin Media has increased the number of customers signing up to a mobile contract by more than 40% in the past 12 months, thanks to a range of competitive tariffs, high-end handsets and some exclusive benefits for Virgin Media customers.

Graeme Oxby, executive director of mobile and home phone at Virgin Media said: “We’re delighted to have reached the one million milestone as we continue to build on our unique ‘quad-play’ line-up of mobile, broadband, TV and home phone. With market-leading mobile tariffs, built on simplicity and flexibility, exciting new handsets and outstanding value for money across all of our bundles, more of our customers are choosing to take more services with Virgin Media and are making the most of the digital world.”

Virgin Media recently launched a range of new, high-end handsets, including the LG InTouch Max, HTC Desire, BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Nokia X6. Alongside a relaunched mobile portal with instant access to Twitter, Facebook, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger and virginmedia.com, this range of high-end data-enabled smartphones, has helped the company drive mobile data usage as more Virgin Media customers enjoy the best of the mobile web.

Mobile from Virgin Media has built on its pre-pay, value-for-money heritage to offer a range of compelling contract tariffs, including unlimited texts and unlimited web access from just £20 per month. To support the company’s quad-play strategy, customers who also take broadband, TV or home phone services with Virgin Media can take advantage of exclusive benefits and savings, such as a choice of high-end handsets for less, additional minutes to other Virgin Mobile phones or even unlimited Virgin Mobile to Virgin Mobile calls, all available on selected tariffs*.

Recognising the growing number of customers taking all four services, Virgin Media has introduced free calls from Virgin home phones to Virgin Mobiles, a first in the UK. In the first fortnight of this innovative new offer, Virgin Media customers made over 70,000 hours of calls, collectively saving in excess of £100,000 each week.

Tags: mobile phones, Virgin Mobile

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Top Ten | Top 10 | Ringtones of All Time

Filed Under: just for fun, mobile phones, music, nokia by admin — Leave a comment

April 30, 2009

The ubiquitous ringtone – another one of those omnipresent features of modern life. And how far you’ve come, young ringtone. What started out as a collection of monophonic squeaks and squeals became a multi-billion dollar industry, almost overnight. Believe it or not mobile phone ringtones have been around for over a decade now, with the first commercial ringtone services said to have emerged with the Nokia mobile phones of early 1997. Gradually, they have become an established part of modern life with some of them becoming headline news over the years.

So as we look back over the history of ringtones, a few stand out as the “big hits” or “classics”. Though there are very few established lists of the top-selling ringtones of all time, we’ve tried to put together a list of the 10 most ‘influential’ (ie. Everywhere!) – of all time.

10. Crazy Frog

It was always going to be on here somewhere, so let’s get it out of the way first. The “Crazy Frog” ringtone was based on an animation called “The Annoying Thing” by Erik Wernquist, and made famous by the mobile content company Jamba who heavily promoted “The Crazy Frog” on TV and the internet. The ringtone spawned a chart hit based on a remix of “Alex F” which went to No.1 in the UK, Japan, Australia and a number of European countries.

9. Ridin’

Ridin’, Chamillioniare’s hit single of 2006 rocked the ringtone world. It sold the most ringtones ever to that point topping out at over 2.3 million sold, which actually eclipsed the amount of singles sold from the same single. “Ridin’” was awarded “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for Best Rap Song. Number 91 on VH1′s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

8. Sir Mix-a-lot

In 1992, Sir Mix-a-Lot, a rapper had a huge hit with “Baby Got Back” which was re-recorded as a ringtone with the lyrics “Pick up the phone! Pick up the phone! ‘Cause you don’t wanna miss this call and I cannot lie!.” This was one of the first “ringtone remixes” of popular songs to achieve success after being marketed by Jamba, the same company that produced the Crazy Frog ringtone.

7. iPhone ringtone

When Steve Jobs announced the launch of the iPhone in early 2007, his demonstration included a ringtone, which was quickly made available as a recording by a number of websites. The ringtone has been described as like “holy angels tinkling” and was eventually included within the standard ringtone set on the iPhone.

6. Eminem – Lose Yourself

Eminem’s Oscar winning song from the soundtrack of 8 Mile. As millions knew instinctually, the instrumental at the beginning made for the ideal ringtone buildup before the epic head-nodding audio explosion began. When this played you didn’t want to answer the phone. That was my excuse, anyway.

5. Classic telephone ring

With the rise of personalised tones a lot of people have decided to avoid them in favour of the classic “bell ringing” sound of a normal telephone. A number of surveys over the years have shown this to be one of the most popular tones.

4. CTU Ringtone

The popular TV show “24” features a highly recognisable ringtone on the phones in the CTU office complex. The same sound is now being marketed as a ringtone for mobile phones and is rapidly becoming a big hit.

3. Super Mario Brothers Theme

Created by Koji Kondo, the Japanese composer and musician best known for his scores for various video games produced by Nintendo. This is the number one selling ringtone ever in Japan, and set the benchmark that all annoying video game based ringtones aspire to.

2. Mr T. (Pick Up Yo’ Phone, Fooo)

Many things in life defy explanation. This is one of them. Do yourself a favor and find it. Truly, hours of fun.

1. Nokia Tune

The Nokia Tune, based on a 13 note rendering of “Gran Vals” by Francisco Tarrega, a 19th-century Spanish musician, is typically included within all Nokia handsets as the default ringtone and has therefore become famous or infamous due to its popularity. It is the typical ringtone of the middle-aged business man who hasn’t got the time or inclination to work out how to change it.

Tags: mobile phone, mobile phones, ringtones, top 10

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