Take yourself back to the days before internet, when online gaming wasn’t even thought of and it was all about outdoor games and board games. Do you remember it?

Children would play in the streets, skipping over ropes, riding their bicycles and playing hopscotch while the adults played board games and card games. I remember those days so well, where families would come together with a board game in the evening and play, laughing and joking along.

Things had to change when we became a technological era, first we had computers and then the internet, broadband speeds get faster by the day and our lives revolve around our computers whether we’re buying groceries, searching for services, staying in contact with the office via email or catching up with friends on social media sites.

All Our Favourite Games Are Found Online

All our favourite card and board games are now played online; some even can be played by multiple users. The greatest thing about this is that you can play against family members without sitting in the same room, who would have thought this possible back in the day?

Whether you enjoy playing time management games that you need to nurture and build in order to achieve success or you enjoy playing hidden object games, there is such a wide selection available on various websites and through the social media sites.

The best part of playing on the social media sites is you can play against your family and friends; you can score high scores and challenge them, as though they were playing with you in your living room. It’s truly amazing how gaming has evolved since the days of board games and hopscotch.

Bringing Families Together In a Whole New Way

It still brings families together, laughing and joking just in a completely different way. People you played games with years ago can now play against you even if you’re in a different country. You can make new friends worldwide through the chat rooms and game play. It has remained a social experience but in a whole new light.

To me the most important thing about any game I play is the interaction. The only reason I used to play that old board game was because it was a fun and sociable thing to do. After a meal at a friend’s, the board game would be dragged out and we’d play until all hours. It was fun, it was sociable and it was a great way to spend the evening.

Websites have had to take the sociability and fun factor into it to enable us to get the same things out of online gaming that we did from old fashioned games. The only difference now is you play online, but with networking we can play against anyone in or out of our home, you can even play against people in different countries. It really is a complete change to how things used to be.

If you do an online search you’ll be pleasantly surprised to notice that all your favourite card and board games are available online, the principles of the games we play hasn’t changed at all, only the way we play them has evolved along with technology and the internet.

PokerStars is one of the websites that has taken everything into consideration from our favourite poker-games to the fun and sociable aspect of things. This way they are able to offer a wonderful and fun experience on the internet that you would expect if you were playing at home.

A good business mobile phone can help you unchain yourself from your desk and make sure you remain productive while you are on the move. However, if you are new to the market then the sheer variety of business mobiles can be confusing.

Thankfully, with a little bit of research and advice it is easy to find a business mobile that suits your needs. You and your staff can then remain on top of your work commitments whether you are out in the field, at home or just nipping out for lunch.

Although the Apple iPhone has become popular in recent years, for many people the BlackBerry range remains the number-one choice if you want business-based functions at your fingertips. The presence of physical keypads on BlackBerry handsets such as the Bold 9900 and the Curve 9360 means you get the kind of precision and speed when typing that is simply not attainable when using a touchscreen smart-phone alternative. In addition, the support for enterprise email, calendar synchronisation, high-speed web access and many other features makes it desirable to have a BlackBerry in your pocket at all times.

Applications

Added flexibility is given to the best business mobiles thanks to software applications which can be downloaded and installed to integrate new capabilities. Most major smart-phone platforms and the BlackBerry range in particular, have their own application-download services which are packed with thousands of programs that you can access in an instant. This means that even if a smart phone does not come pre-loaded with business-friendly software, you can always find apps to download independently for a bespoke mobile experience that will give it greater functionality and flexibility.

Secure

Data security is of the utmost importance for modern businesses. Since you will be using your smart phone to access and carry data in the form of documents, files and email attachments, it is worth checking to see what security measures are in place. There are plenty of horror stories about smart phones being lost or stolen with valuable business data onboard, so investing in devices which have a remote wiping feature is sensible. Being able to clear all data from a mobile’s memory without having physical access to it is a convenient failsafe which a growing number of models can provide.

Packages and Tariffs

Once you have decided on the type of business mobile you want to buy, you will need to check out the tariffs offered by mobile networks. The competitive nature of the market means that prices are usually quite low, but there are plenty of ways to save even more money if you play the field and look for deals that will meet your requirements.

For example, ordering in bulk to provide mobile handsets and tariffs for an entire office will usually reduce the long-term costs. In addition, if every employee is using a business mobile serviced by the same provider, then there will often be discounts when making calls within the same network. Finally, it makes sense to ensure that everyone within a business has a mobile that runs the same platform, so opting for an order made up of a mix of BlackBerry handsets and iPhone and Android models is unwise as issues with compatibility will surely arise.

Data access is arguably as important as voice calls, so you will want to choose an offer that includes enough mobile web usage each month to allow you to send emails, browse the web, download files and even conduct VoIP calls. It is becoming cheaper to invest in data-friendly tariffs, but you will need to check the small print because fair-use policies and download caps are common.

Daisy Group plc. are one of the UK’s leading provider of business mobile phones and mobile broadband, offering the latest business mobile handsets and tariffs at competitive prices. As an O2 centre of excellence and Vodafone premier partner you can be confident that we will provide you with a range of services, tailored to meet your business requirements. Our business mobile packages are designed to help keep your business connected whether your a single user, a small- to medium-sized company or a large corporation.

With the introduction of apps for Smartphones in 2008, the automotive industry was quick to hop on the bandwagon. Thousands of car-related apps exist, from driving games to educational tutorials, to route planners. There’s even an app that makes the sound of an revving engine every time you accelerate so that you can pretend your little Ford Fiesta is a turbo-charged Porsche zipping down the highway. Given the wealth of options out there, it’s hard to know which ones are worth your time. If you want to skip the games and find the practical, here are 5 apps that you’ll wish you’d have downloaded yesterday.

1. Cheap Parking. (Free) Sick of paying a fortune for parking? Download this app to get the find the best prices for parking even as you drive. All you have to do is feed the application your location or destination and it’ll find the cheapest rates parking station rates within your vicinity.
2. GasBag Australia. (Free) Perhaps the only thing better than finding cheap parking is finding cheap petrol. Or at least, the least expensive prices in your area. GasBag Australia uses pricing information entered by users to come up with the best petrol prices near you on a daily basis. It also plots these stations on a map so that you can easily find them, and even tracks your fuel usage and economy. You may also enjoy the GasBag Australia promotional video for more information about this handy new app. [Editor’s note: may be worthwhile embedding the video in place of an image]
3. ParkDroid. (Free) With this app, you’ll never again have to spend frustrating minutes wandering around trying to remember where you parked. ParkDroid allows you to save the location of your car after parking and find it again with GPS. It also points out the closest parking spaces and has a parking meter alarm which alerts you to when time on the meter is running low.
4. Car Minder Plus. ($2.99) If your car has ever been long overdue for an oil change because you kept forgetting to do it, this is the app for you. Car Minder Plus helps you keep track of both past and future car maintenance needs, including repairs performed or needed, and your next tyre rotation, tune-up, or oil change date. It also monitors fuel consumption and provides your average mileage, enabling you to quickly detect any problems with the gas tank.
5. iWrecked. (Free) Nobody wants to have a car smash but if you do, this app is one you’ll want to have on your phone and could help your car accident lawyers to win your case. iWrecked acts as a data collection point for all details relating to the accident. It prompts you to record information that you might be too dazed to remember at the time, including details about where and how the accident occurred, essential information about the other driver and his vehicle, and the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses or police officers at the scene. The app also allows you to take and store an unlimited number of photos with your iPhone, find nearby taxi or towing services, and even create a PDF report of all the information stored.

We certainly hope you enjoyed this introduction to five useful car apps for iPhones and Android’s. If you like a particular car app that’s not included in this list, please recommend it to us in the discussion comments underneath this post. Thanks!

This guest post is by Michael Law. Mike has extensive experience as a freelance journalist and legal copywriter, and has worked with a wide variety of clients ranging from compensation lawyers to insurance companies. If you’d like to get in touch, you can send Mike an email.

Search Engine Optimization is a top priority for any company with a web presence. In many cases, the problem of SEO is a confrontation between marketers and designers. Designers would like to use the latest cutting edge technology, graphics and user interactivity. On the other hand, marketers need to climb the search engine rankings, which is often based more on content than presentation. These goals are not always in agreement, and can lead to some tough decisions regarding company site strategy.

The number one SEO killer on the web today is Flash-based websites. It has always been important to have an eye-catching website, but as the expectations of web users continue to rise, it’s hard to resist the visual appeal and interactivity of Flash. However, while there has been some improvement lately, search engines still have a difficult indexing Flash sites. Many large companies are now abandoning Flash in hopes of better page rankings.

For many designers, Content Management Systems (CMSs) have been a dream come true. In the past, if a client wanted to change the look of a site, the designer had to go through each page individually to update the site. CMS solutions make it possible to change one page and have that change disseminate to the rest of the site seamlessly. However, in many cases, the URL addresses generated by a CMS are not very descriptive. For instance, rather than say http://www.mysite.com/TopTenVacations.html, the CMS may generate a page that looks more like www.mysite.com?id=7623&cat=8104&country=12&lang=en. Of course, the first version is much more likely to gain attention on a search than the second.

Web designers often like things to be laid out logically. Each category should have its own folder, each department should have its own subfolder, each page should have a unique id, and so on. Often when a new designer is hired, pages are moved around, content is moved from one page to another, and whole site architectures may need to be redone. Unfortunately, Google and other search engines place a high premium on pages that remain consistent over time. The more changes that occur, the less Google “trusts” the site and subsequently the lower the site is ranked. In order to maintain a consistently high ranking, changes to sitemaps and architecture should be made as rarely as possible, regardless of how often designs are changed.

While it is typically the web designer who causes the most problems with search engine ranking, sometimes overly zealous marketers also create red flags for search engines. One of the most common mistakes is a form of spamming whereby a marketer submits bogus messages on forums or blogs with links back to their website. A variation on this method is submitting large numbers of links to social media sites such as Facebook, Reddit, or Digg. In almost every situation, this is more harmful than helpful to a site’s ranking on search engines. Google in particular is very diligent in pursuing suspected spamming attempts and blacklisting the offending sites.

While these pitfalls may be the most important things to avoid, the most important method of increasing page rank is also the most basic: good content. If a site contains accurate information or provides a reliable service, other users will link to them and the page rank will take care of itself.

This article was contributed by Green Shopping who specialize in carrying a variety of eco clothing.

There was a time when you had to pay fifty bucks for a new video game, and if you didn’t like it, tough luck. Gamers may have a warm nostalgic feeling for the games of the past, but we certainly don’t miss the business model behind old school games. Today you still have those mass market, fifty bucks a pop games, but you also have a world of alternatives on the web. Here are five of the top sites where you can play free online games:

Newgrounds.com

Newgrounds.com is sort of a Youtube for Flash creations with a huge gaming section. The site offers an opportunity for amateur and semi-pro animators and game designers to show off their stuff. A lot of these games are pretty crude and amateurish, others have a rugged charm in their unprofessional feeling, and others will leave you wondering why nobody’s paying this programmer six figures a year to design video games for a living yet.

Retrosabotage.com

This site is kind of a weird one, built around a fun concept: Classic video games remixed with a twist. They don’t just get new graphics or anything, rather, the whole way they’re played is changed. A remixed Super Mario Bros. has you jumping right out of the Nintendo system while a Space Invaders remix ends with a zoom out showing thousands upon thousands of invaders. Old games with a new twist make for a fun and weird gaming site.

Addictinggames.com

Most of the games on this site are just what they’re advertised as being: Addicting. Some of them are pretty simple, others a little more challenging, but all of them are hard to put down.

Semisecretsoftware.com

This site is host to some pretty amazing games. Gravity Hook is a lot of fun, but the real treasure here is Canabalt, a sort of endless platformer that has you jumping from roof to roof from some unseen threat just off the left side of the screen as enormous robots trudge around in the background. Canabalt will make you rethink how much fun you can have with nothing but a jump button.

Foddy.net

Foddy specializes in games that challenge you to do some pretty simple things like running or climbing a rock face, but with difficult and hilariously awkward button layouts. QWOP has you using the Q, W, O, and P keys in order to operate your runner’s legs with Q and P corresponding to the hips and W and O corresponding to the knees. All you have to do is run, but it’s a lot harder than it sounds and immensely satisfying when you finally get it right. This site is all about adding more challenge to the simplest of activities.

PlayFreeOnlineGames.tv
Video games have exploded. In the past, they were a nerd hobby or something for kids; they weren’t the kind of thing that just anyone could pick up and play, with a few exceptions like Mario and Tetris. Today, everyone you know probably has at least one game they love whether it’s Angry Birds or ZiGGURAT, and the market has responded with fun, pick-up-and play free online games. PlayFreeOnlineGames.tv specializes in classic games or at least they have a section dedicated to them. I personally love the old arcade classics like Pacman and Space Invaders. If old school games is more your flavor head over to PlayFreeOnlineGames.tv.

This article was provided by Shon. Shon is a avid online gamer with a passion for old classic games. Visit Shon’s site if you love to play the good old arcade games like Pacman and Space invaders. www.playfreeonlinegames.tv.

Remember the space race? Actually, there’s a good chance you don’t, considering that it concluded nearly forty years ago. And though we’re arguably still living in the “Space Age”, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the promise of a new frontier faded as quickly as it captured people’s imaginations. In the once futuristic sounding space-year of 2012, only a single nation has ever set foot on another world. In fact, only three agencies are independently capable of manned spaceflight. And even as the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) makes significant progress, NASA has been scaling back, currently relying on Russian Soyuz rockets to access space.

Nevertheless, a background level of enthusiasm for space is there in the background. In the news recently is that the UK (specifically, Scotland) and Sweden are courting infamous private venture Virgin Galactic for the chance to offer a European base for its unique brand of space tourism. In fact the UK’s space industry is reportedly already contributing £3.6 billion to the wider economy. And with Space a venue of limitless possibility (in theory, literally) governments around the world have space agencies, whether or not they actually have a launch capability. Without wishing to sound patronising, here are some of the lesser known:

Nigeria (NASRDA)

African nations are both the most unexpected and often actually the most logical candidates for launch sites. It is simplest to launch near the equator in the easterly direction, for instance. And spaceports typically require vast amounts of space, positioned away from over populated areas (for safety and the simple fact that rocket launches are disruptive!). However, even with the potential for economic gain, space travel is understandably seen as a luxury compared to more pressing financial concerns.

Nonetheless, Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is a standout example of an African space agency. At present the agency operates two satellites, one providing internet access in rural areas, and the second capable of taking images to monitor pollution, land use and other mid-scale demographic data. Considering the agency was only established in 1998, they’ve come along in leaps and bounds. And with a project to put the first Nigerian astronaut in space by 2015, and to achieve independent launches by 2018, Nigeria is a name to watch.

United Nations (UNOOSA and UNCOPUOUS)

My, those are long acronyms. There are UN offices for just about everything, so perhaps the existence of two (the first for ‘Outer Space Affairs’, the other for ‘Peaceful Uses of Outer Space’) isn’t entirely surprising. The fact that these agencies have existed in some form since the late fifties, thereby predating most other agencies is suprising. Also of note is the fact that UNOOSA is intended to be the first official point of call for any extra-terrestrial life, though the appointment of a specific ‘extraterrestrial spokesperson’ in 2010 turned out to be an unsubstantiated rumor. Also, Will Smith would probably get there first anyway.

Sri Lanka (SLASA)

The next decade will see several new players in the now orderly queue of the space race, many of which will focus on having their first satellites in orbit. Among them is the Sri Lanka Aeronautics and Space Agency, which is currently collaborating with UK-University-based Surrey Satellite Technology on two satellites – one of which specifically in a disaster relief role. In addition the University of Surrey is training up the SLASA’s future staff.

Israel (ISA)

With proximity to the equator and relatively healthy economies, Middle Eastern nations are obvious candidates for space infrastructure. Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia (as well as a forthcoming Arab League agency) are all in space. The ISA is particularly notable because Israel is the smallest country that has the ability to independently launch rockets into space. It is also notable for having sent humans into space (though tragically, its first astronaut was killed in the Columbia shuttle disaster).

Ecuador (EXA)

Much of South America is well situated to provide easy exit at the Equator, but the Equator runs directly through Ecuador. Seeing the potential, the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA) was established just five years ago, but are certainly one to watch in 2012. In addition to launching the NEE-01 PEGASUS, on-board a Russian rocket in the third quarter of this year, the EXA is pressing ahead with plans for their first manned suborbital flight before the new year. Thinking long term, the EXA has already planned Manned Orbital and even Lunar missions.

Steph Wood is a content writer currently creating content for a UK-based High yield savings company who offer Fixed rate bonds best rates.

In the present time, the ecommerce website has become almost a necessity. It provides businesses a purpose solving approach as the entire trade and commerce is brought down to just a click of the mouse. However a lot of corporate organizations have picked up the trend of ecommerce website development and thus, if you wish to obtain nice returns from your ecommerce portal, you have come to the write post. Below are given 6 top most effective web based tools and ideas which you can use to effectively market your ecommerce website. Have a look to know more:

1. Register your online store at eBay and Amazon –

ebay and Amazon, both are the giants when it comes to ecommerce website. However, now you have the liberty to gain from their phenomenal success stories. You can easily give your ecommerce store a kick start by registering on eBay and Amazon. You can demonstrate your product pages on these ecommerce web portals and customize the look of same.

2. Directory submissions and search engine submissions –

Directory and search engine submissions are a popular way to increase the visibility and popularity of your ecommerce store. You may start with the major directories like Alta Vista, Webcrawler, Excite, Lycos, Yahoo, and Infoseek etc. It is important that you choose those directories and search engines that correspond to the products and services that you are selling. After the directory submission is done, you may also submit your website to various search engines.

3. The benefits of E-mail marketing –

Email marketing is a really easy way to reach out to the expected customers in a really short while. If you have a popular website, you must have a loyal customer base who must have left their email addresses and would remain to be in touch for further services. Thus benefit from the same and gain from email marketing. At the time of new discount scheme or offer, send emails to your clients. You can also opt for acquiring HTML based emails for superior quality emails, which are web dynamic and fully functional. However, you must also make sure that you do not send the emails in bulk, as that will only result in your email id and all the emails from your account being marked as spam.

4. Use banners to effectively advertise online –

if you are not restricted by the budget constraint, you must also consider adverts on such sites which are offering the similar products and services as you yours. You can go about the same, either by purchasing the banner space from the sites that you have selected or you can hire a web advertising agency to take care of the same. Another cost effective alternative lies in utilizing banner exchange, such as Link Exchange for banner advertising.

5. Include the URL to your website in each and every collateral possible –

this is an effective way of promoting or publicizing your online store. You can combine the ecommerce store with other marketing collaterals, such as you can print the URL of the website on your business cards, flyers advertisements, in the stationery items that you use to promote your business etc. make sure to only provide the basic URL and keep the URL really simple for others to get acquainted with.

6. Always keep your ecommerce portal updated -

this is the best way to ensure the optimum performance of your online store. If you keep the content on your ecommerce portal, the website will remain a favorite of search engines and will deliver a better performance.

Following these 6 will contribute a great deal towards marketing the ecommerce website effectively on the virtual world.

This post is written by mark Wilston working at PixelCrayons, is a professional Business Web Design company which offers eCommerce Website Development, Hire Magento Developers at PixelCrayons.

Own a smartphone? Then chances are you’ll be interested in these on-the-go investment apps.

Smartphone Applications Explode in Popularity … And So Do Investment Apps

In 2008, the Consumer Electronics Foundation reported that an estimated 28 million Americans owned a smartphone. In 2011, that number nearly tripled to over 80 million. With this explosion in mobile connectivity, it’s no surprise that the number of smartphone (and tablet computing) applications increased dramatically as well. And in the past year, smartphone-owning consumers have latched onto a hot new market: the investment app.

Banks and Brokerages Creating Proprietary Investment Apps

Several top online brokerages already offer their clients a free application that makes mobile investing faster and easier. Instead of having to log in to a firm’s desktop site on a tiny screen, mobile users simply one-touch an icon and are led immediately to their own accounts, where they can buy and sell at will. Some users can even take a picture of a check and deposit it into their investment accounts, eliminating the trip to the bank entirely.

How These Apps Can Harm the Market

Many professionals suggest that these applications may do more harm than good, especially in volatile markets. A panicky investor may be tempted to sell during high volume, low price periods instead of waiting for the security to naturally rebound. The opposite could also occur. Either way, some experts say, ill-considered investment decisions lead to losses.

There are also security concerns. If hackers are able to infiltrate a user’s phone, additional information, such as emails and passwords, account numbers and passwords, and contact information, may be compromised. Since identity theft is one of the Internet’s fastest growing crimes, experts’ and consumers’ fears are well founded.

Nevertheless, in this age of instant, continuously updated information it’s difficult to imagine the investment app trend falling by the wayside. The rise in popularity of tablet computers, such as the iPad, make it likely the trend will continue to accelerate … and quickly. And average investors who take an active role in trading their individual retirement accounts will find the apps’ friendly features helpful, especially if an asset reaches a price target.

Not All Investing Apps are the Same

Interested consumers should carefully research the apps before committing, however, as all apps are not created equal. Some applications load faster than others, and some only allow access to certain types of securities, such as equities and options. The least functional apps only allow basic account access with no trading capabilities at all.

Consumers with an interest in oil investing and natural gas investing should take care to review apps capabilities as well. Investments such as futures and exchange traded funds are tradable on some apps but not on others. The application offered by TD Ameritrade offers investors the chance to trade $500,000 in a pretend futures account before they take the plunge with their own cash (the pretend account extends to equities and options, also).

If you’re new to investments and want to find the brokerage that’s right for you, it’s worth your time to investigate the application features offered. Although the majority of investors currently prefer placing trades at home, that may soon change, continuing the trend of holding the world in the palm of your hand.

James is an independent writer with several years’ professional experience in operations finance. She frequently writes about personal finance and investing, including oil investing. She graduated from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh with a degree in mathematics.

When it comes to your computer, there are many risks that can occur on a daily basis.

Just by simply surfing the Internet, playing games, uploading photos, or typing, there are multiple programs you will encounter in a single day, many of which are made to help and make life easier.

However, there are also those programs and viruses, by email, download, etc., that are made to harm your computer. But, just by being aware of what signs to look out for, such as symbols or tricky wording, you can help save your computer from bugs, viruses, or other potentially harmful programs.

The Basics

One of the easiest ways to avoid computer viruses is by only visiting websites that are secure. Larger websites or ones that are owned by big chains are the best bet for keeping a computer virus-free.

Another warning sign is a website that requires you to download or install any programs before you use it. Scouring the net for a place to watch TV or movies or finding bootlegged content is also a hotbed for computer viruses.

Secondly, it’s a good idea to install virus-catching software on your computer … before a problem arises. These programs can also be installed once a virus is found, but then it’s often harder to get into place and undo any damage that may have already occurred.

Anti-virus software, once downloaded to a computer, works by catching any harmful bugs before they hit. In essence, the anti-virus software works similar to rat traps, catching any viruses – or rats – before they can cause harm. This software, although it can be expensive, most often can be found at discounted prices, and even free as many companies offer free trials. Do a quick Internet search to find out more information or where free tests can be downloaded.

Downsides to “Helpful” Software

However, before you install anything permanently onto your computer system, it’s important to do your research.

Viruses, like rats, are tricky. They won’t be labeled “poison” or “here to harm;” you have to be on the lookout for their destructive ways.

Read reviews, promises, or side effects to anything before you download it, or worse, purchase it. Not all anti-virus software can catch every virus, and you never know, there may even be a virus out there disguised as an anti-malware device.

But, by keeping your eyes peeled and staying up-to-date on harmful spyware, you can lessen your chances of accidentally loading them onto your hard drive. So be sure and check with your trusted sources via the Internet, and get a second opinion before making any type of anti-virus provider decision.

Now that you know more about Internet viruses, consider expanding your horizons and learn more about how to figure out if that email offering cheap rat traps is safe to open or not. Post written by guest blogger Mary.