Christmas is over, New Year is done and dusted and the sales have begun. Sales kicked off with a bang at the end of 2011; British shoppers spent a record £4.3 billion on the 26th and 27th December. Despite a tough economy this is a new record. The sales themselves were particularly impressive, with discounts of up to 80% off, so it’s no wonder some shoppers camped outside of their favourite shops overnight, waiting for the early morning 6am or 7am openings.

It’s not just clothes and electronics that have been reduced. The end of the December and January are by far the best times to buy a whole range of household items too. Washing machines, fridge-freezers and kitchen appliances are reduced to a great extent.

Dixons has some amazing sales on a whole range of household appliances at the moment, including the humble washing machine. There are a great many washing machines to choose from, but if you’re looking for a combination of a good discount and a top quality here are our top picks.

Bosch Exxcel 7

One of Dixons’ most popular washing machines is the Bosh Exxcel 7. It combines efficiency and power and at just £400 it represents fantastic value for money. This washing machine scores top points for energy efficiency, achieving the maximum A+++ rating meaning less energy is required by this powerful machine. Through its ActiveWater system, water is recycled and used economically, so it saves water as well as electricity. It has 16 settings including reduced ironing and energy saving options. It has a maximum spin speed of 1400rpm and can take up to 7kgs of washing in one go.

HotPoint WMAL641G

If you don’t have £400 to spend on a washing machine, this version from HotPoint is a better option (pictured). At £263 it is much more affordable, but it doesn’t compromise on quality. It has a wash capacity of 6kgs and a spin speed 1400rpm. It too has a range of settings, including quick wash and half load options, and an impressive energy rating of A+.

LG F1443KD

This washing machine is one of the best on the market right now. It’s a little pricy at £685, but it really does deliver on performance and quality. It can take a maximum load of 11kg and still manages a 1400 rpm spin speed and an A++ energy efficiency rating. For more information on energy efficiency in the home, check out the Energy Saving Trust website.

This is a cool little gadget, it is called the Lightspeed iHelicopter. I’m sure the little ‘i’ gives away how you control it – via an App.

You buy the Phone Controlled Helicopter from the ParamountZone website. Then you download the free app (Apple or Android) and get flying!

So is it any good?
The package arrived and I have to admit I was a tad excited. I already have one such gadget so was looking forward to trying this out. Opened the smart black box to reveal the copter and it’s contents. All very easy to open and get going via the included manual.

The helicopter itself has a nice simple but cool black and silver design. It is made of plastic, with the frame being metal. The plastic is good because Ive flown it into walls, windows, the TV and all sorts and all still seems perfect, the impact is absorbed. You do also get a few spare parts including blades should breaks occur. It also has a series of flashing lights which look wicked in a dim room. You do have the option to turn the lights off if you wish though.

How do you set it up?
To set up and get going is easy, although it will take a couple of hours to let both parts charge.

• First you charge the transmitter, via a USB cable.
• Second you charge the helicopter, via the same USB cable, but they have to be done separately.
• Third download the free app to your Android smartphone, iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad.
• Fourth slot the transmitter into the headphone socket and turn the volume to the maximum level.
• The fifth step is to get flying!

What’s it like to fly?
As with other remote controlled helicopters it does take a bit of getting used to. It takes a while just to be able to control it for 15 seconds. So I expect many hours of flying before it can be mastered. These sorts of gadgets do require a smudge of patience! However I would say I found this slightly easier to get the hang of then my other helicopter.

The controls are as simple as can be. The app works on Apple and Android devices. I haven’t tried it on my HTC but have tried it on my iPod Touch and iPad and both worked without hiccup. When you use it on the iPad it looks small, their is an option to double it’s size but the graphics lose a lot of their quality, so I stick to keeping it small as it is still easy to manage (see pic).

So in conclusion.
Currently priced at a penny shy of £30 I think this is a brilliant bit of fun. Fantastic value for money. A great gift for boys (ages 14+) who love fun gadgets to play with, and geeks who love their apps! Definitely a good gift this xmas. I rate it 9/10.

They also have other cool gadgets ideal as christmas presents at Paramountzone.

This is a photo I managed to capture mid flight, as you can see the shadows on the wall I’m sure you can guess how close it was to the wall! The office is small though in my defence!

Here are some more photos taken during the test.

Noise cancelling headphones are ideal for plane flights, train journeys or any place which can get noisy. I’ve been given a pair of ‘LINDY Active Noise Cancelling Headphones’ to test out, here are my thoughts.

For this product prices vary depending on which website you buy them from, the official Lindy.co.uk website has them for £40, and that is about what you can expect to pay elsewhere also. So they are ideal for those with a smaller budget.

First off a few spec details; 16dB active noise reduction, high output 40mm drivers, frequency range: 20 – 20000Hz and sensitivity: 104dB/mW. Ok enough of the garble, how do they perform?

First Impressions
The delivery arrived safely in a secure package, inside all is contained inside a simple box. I open it up quickly and easily to empty out the contents. Included are a few connectors, which are an in-flight adapter, 1.2m cable, and 6.3mm stereo adapter. You get a nice carry bag for when they are not being used. An AAA battery is also included.

I took the headphones out of the container and immediately noticed some parts feel a bit cheap, others feel good. The side parts are a very thin plastic and feel very cheap. When you pop open the compartment to put in the AAA battery it feels flimsy, so perhaps trying not to be replace the battery too often may be wise, but it’s a shame I have to say that! However the cushioned earpads and arch over the top of your head feel nice and soft, it is supple leather and feels good to the touch.

Although they feel slightly cheap in some parts they do come with a 2 year warranty so if anything did break within the first couple of years you can get it fixed. And at this price range it is asking too much for them to feel beautifully made or super solid. For the price overall the quality is as I’d expect.

Fit and Sound
Once on the head they feel good. Size adjustment is easy, and once you’ve found your perfect fit it stays in place nicely. I found the comfort to be very good, they put a tiny bit too much pressure on my head but they are still brand new so that may improve a bit the more they are used.

The sound quality is decent, not fantastic, but good. The bass is strong, but the clarity is slightly lacking. The sound is much improved if you have the ‘noice-cancelling’ switched on. So ensure you always have a AAA battery spare in case the one inside the headphones goes flat. Many people use official Apple earphones for use with their iPod/iPhone, if you switch to these you will notice the sound quality is slighty poorer, but it must be said the sound quality of the official Apple ones are outstanding, and they are obviously only buds and not full noise-cancelling headphones. If you did switch to this you would notice the difference, but not be overly disappointed.

The noise-cancelling works well and I recommend you have it switched on at all times whilst using them, they drown out external sounds very well.

When I took them off, and had the sound level quite high you could hear them strongly so be wary of that, you don’t want to annoy the people around you too much when wearing them!

Conclusion
In conclusion I think the ‘Lindy Active Noise Cancelling Headphones’ are good value for money. Despite some cheap plastics the sound quality is satisfactory, comfort level high, and the noise cancelling works well. So for £40 I think that is a very fair price. The reviews elsewhere on the web are also positive, including many customers over at Amazon. Nothing spectacular, but you get good value for money, and are a safe buy. 8/10.

Read more about them and other products at the Lindy website.

 
Here are a couple more photos taken during the test.

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When you really need to connect to the internet you can almost guarantee that there won’t be an available WiFi signal in range, and even when there is, sods law saws it will be too weak or go down when you need it most. So what’s the answer? Well, if you have a smartphone and your contract includes a decent data plan, you could set up you mobile to use as a broadband modem.

Setting up your smartphone, or other mobile device to be used as a broadband modem, is known as ‘tethering’. Sharing your smartphone’s Internet connection can be done by wireless connection, via Bluetooth or by physically connecting to the device using a cable. Many of today’s phones come with tethering software already installed and doing so removes the need for a separate USB dongle.

How to Set Up Tethering on an iPhone

1. Go to the Settings menu and select Personal Hotspot.
2. In the Settings menu, select General and then select Network.
3. On the Network settings, click on ‘Set Up Personal Hotspot’. (If don’t have the Personal Hotspot service included in your iPhone’s data plan you will need to add this first by contacting your network provider.)
4. Slide the Personal Hotspot slider to On.
5. The password shown is the one you will need to connect to your Personal Hotspot using WiFi. You can change that password by tapping the password field.
6. Personal Hotspot is set to allow you to connect via Wi-Fi or USB by default. A pop up message will ask if you want to enable Bluetooth connection too.
7. That’s it! You can now share your iPhone’s internet connection with up to 5 devices at the same time via Wi-Fi.

How to Set Up Tethering on Your Android Smartphone

The Personal Hotspot feature is supported from Android version 2.2, also known as Froyo.

1. Go to the Settings menu.
2. In the Settings menu and select Wireless and Network
3. Next select Tethering and Portable Hotspot and turn on the Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot option.
4. Although Bluetooth and USB connectivity is already secure it is advisable to improve the security of your WiFi connection, by adding an 8-character password in the Settings menu.
5. That’s it! You can now share your Android mobile’s internet connection with other wireless devices.

How to Set Up Tethering on Your BlackBerry Smartphone

1. Connect your BlackBerry to your laptop using a USB cable.
2. Install BlackBerry Desktop Manager software. (BlackBerry Desktop is the software that coordinates the link between your smartphone and your PC)
3. Select the IP Modem option and connect your BlackBerry as a tethered modem by following the on screen instructions.

So there you have it, a simple step by step guide to setting up your smartphone to use as a broadband modem. Do remember though that your connection speed will depend on the strength of your smartphone’s strength.

If you have any problems whilst setting up your smartphone, the best idea is to give your network provider a call, who with be able with more specific instructions on how to tether your particular device.

This guest post has been provided by www.broadbandchoices.co.uk; helping you to save on broadband deals.

Mobile operator Orange are to start offering the ‘Samsung Wave 578′ to British customers. Why is this significant? It is one of the smartphones which has NFC technology – near field communication. NFC has started to gather pace in recent times, due to the contactless payments that can be done, meaning less reliance (and potentially long-term no need) for cards. In fact the product is being launched in association with Barclaycard What’s more this is a budget phone so you won’t need an iPhone style contract.

Samsung Wave 578 spec details:

• 3.2-inch touchscreen
• Bada operating system (Samsung’s own OS)
• Quick Tap contactless payment technology
• 3G
• Bluetooth
• Built-in GPS
• Video calls
• Java capable
• 3.15 megapixel camera
• FM radio or MP3 player
• Battery life 7hrs talk time, 20 days standby

It is a fairly basic handset, and will have to compete against a lot of other smartphones at the lower end of the market. We will have to see if the near field communication aspect can win it many sales.

Here is a video of the smartphone in action.

The handset will be free for pay-monthly customers. As this time we are not aware of an exact date, as the Orange website simply says ‘coming soon’. Expect it to be only a few weeks now. As for price it should be cheap, but we have no solid figures. If the phone was on Android it would be much better as you would have access to thousands more apps, unfortunately the Samsung app store is only stocked with the company’s favourite apps. But if you aren’t too fussed about that, and more focused on the NFC tech then it’s not an issue.

If you really want one but don’t want a contract, their is a company called Sotel UK selling them already on Amazon.

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Click here to compare the best mobile phone deals from Mobile Phone Genie

Over the past couple of days, Netflix and its subscribers have been transitioning to the new pricing plan it set in place. Now customers will have to pay for the streaming service and the DVD by mail service separately instead of having them combined together. Customers are in an uproar and the company expects over one million of them (approx 30%) to leave and cut their subscriptions to the service by the end of the month.

Netflix may be going through a time of worry and upheaval, but because they are in a unique position in the marketplace, they are providing an excellent way to learn that the best online schools can’t even offer. Can Netflix survive a maelstrom of negative publicity while waiting for technological updates like Windows 8, the iPad 2, and other mobile devices.

A Lack of Competition

Netflix is an excellent service with almost no competition. There do not seem to be any solid alternatives to Netflix’s stellar selection of movies and television shows. Blockbuster wants to unveil its own streaming service, but must wait on Dish Network to set up a pricing package. Hulu is a free alternative, but only offers current episodes of television shows and has a lackluster selection of movies to offer.

Because they are in such a strong position, a small dent in the number of subscribers can be withstood while they figure out how to create strategic gameplan for the future.

Netflix is in the position of being the best service in town, and expects to break even from its price hike because of retaining enough people to its service. They are not expecting to lose any money over the deal, just the number of subscribers and the company’s growth rate.

By introducing new services like the Netflix for kids and increasing the quantity and quality of their streaming catalog, Netflix might be able to bring some customers back or gain new ones who are interested in the product.

Relying on the Near Future for Ease of Streaming

In an article in Forbes, Cablevision COO Tom Rutledge says that he would love to be able to offer Netflix as part of the cable package subscribers pay for. Instead of having to access the streaming Netflix library through a PS3, Xbox, or Smartphone app; people could have it stream right onto their televisions through their cable provider. As the author of the article stated, it makes perfect sense because the data is already coming in through the wire your cable company provides.

The streaming service is what Netflix is banking on in terms of profitability and user subscriptions. Their DVD service is the most expensive operation it has going right now. With the turmoil of the United States Postal Service and the rising price of gas, it is the safest bet to rely on the Internet for the greatest profitability.

With the emerging dominance of tablets, smartphones, and laptops, having to wait for a DVD to come to your house might seem like it takes too long. The instantaneous nature of the streaming service gives people the best access to what they want. Windows is releasing a new operating system with a metro-style interface which will cater to tablet technology and the iPad 2 will be an even more popular device now that consumers are starting to treat tablets as computing devices and not just frivolous distractions.

According to an article in The Week, about 10 million people subscribe to the streaming service, 2.2 million subscribe to the DVD only service, and 12 million people subscribe to the dual option.

Time will only tell if Netflix is going to meet its downfall with the recent price increase. Streaming video services and other similar startups can use the story of Netflix as a case study. Business majors and students all across the country have gained some excellent material for course papers.