The Browser - November 2012 by Sola Akinfie

Casting the net November Issue

Alternative Social Networks

the new iPad mini | App reviews | halo 4 review

browser business

celebrity spoofbook

What's your fix?

Editor’s Message Sola Akinfie

Managing Editor

November is that time of the year where we begin to see many more pre-Chrismas deals online. From cyber-monday to black Friday, there’s lots of goodies to find. We have our search lights on and will be bringing you all the best finds. We also take a look at internet addiction. AS one of the elements of a successful medium, what’s your internet fix? Can you enjoy a healthy internet life without needing some sort of rehab? We suggest ways to have a healthy balance. As usual, we encourage your suggestions of great web destinations in our surfers vote.

November issue

• Features Writer • • • • Tincuta Moscaliuc • Graphic Designer • • • Natalie Chandler • Staff Writer • • • Zachary • Saumanhalli Gaming Editor • Lou Akin

Nicola Johannson News Editor

Gary Hammond Art Director

Joanna Nicholson

Features Writer

Dana Wades

Contributor

Joanne MacRae

Brandie Blackler

Browser Woman

Commercial Services Writers/Contributors Daniel Waite James Ellmann Thomas Hanson Helen Souza

Browser Business

Mediaworks Group www.thebrowsermagazine.com Contact us at:

info@thebrowsermagazine.com Reach Centrica Ltd London SE5 8QZ

The contents produced within this publication, and all others under the same trademark title are subject to copyright. Complete details are available from the publishers of Reach Centrica Ltd. All rights are reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or stored for retrieval without the prior consent of the publishers. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any views expressed in this publication.

Browser News Add to Cart - Online Shopping eBookshop Celebrity Spoofbook Crazy Classifieds Best 5 iPad Mini Review App Reviews Addicted to the Net Alternative Social Networks Microsoft Surface Review Browser Likes Halo 4 Review Online Games Browser Business

Browser News by Sandy Basset

Obama smashes Twitter record As if victory in the race to the white house wasn’t enough, guess who holds the world record for retweets? It’s not Justin Bieber or Avalanna, but yes, it’s good old Obama. We are talking about 750,000 retweets - triple the teen heart-throb’s record. @barrakobama posted a picture and it took just 18 hours to smash records on Twitter, drawing 3,762,000 likes and 526,000 shares. This picture, with the tag line “four more years” will probably do the rounds on every major news rag. Barrack Obama and the missus in a most romantic and genuine embrace after the victory, has even won the hearts of the Romney supporters. Popular opinion states that Michelle Obama is probably the most beautiful first lady the country has ever had, and that’s not just her physical looks. The tweet definitely gets our vote.

Giant comet hits electronics retailer The shocking news about Comet going into administration has unleashed a wave of chaos amongst both customers and staff. It’s a complete mess at the various stores with customer’s pre-orders in limbo. Many were not even sure if they would be getting their money back before Christmas. Similar to the mass withdrawal mayhem we had when Northern Rock faced closure; Comet’s customers are panicking to make sure that expensive gear made it to them before administrators finally shut the doors. It’s somewhat like a Christmas rush down there; to make matters worse voucher holders have been descending on stores to redeem their coupons double quick. Phone lines are down from overload and there’s a lot of angry Twitter traffic. Not to be left out, suppliers are withdrawing stock from the shelves. Our heart goes out to Comet’s staff.

Ethiopian kids make great hackers Wonders will never cease, it seems. The OLPC project was set up to aid access to education and learning in countries where poverty is prevalent. The project aimed to use computer tech to facilitate and prepare children towards learning. Never mind using the gear to learn English or a bit of science, these kids are making use of the solar powered Motorola Zooms in ways never conceived. As an experiment, the boxed tablets were left for them with no support or instructions. Within two weeks not only had they hacked into the Android operating system to get the Apps working, they also got the disabled cameras going and were singing ABC songs in English a week later, a language completely foreign to them before. Now that’s progress.

Amazon enters the wine business Dear old Amazon just couldn’t be content with its ever-expanding portfolio. They were only supposed to sell books a couple of years back, and now the dotcom giant has finally become a vineyard. It’s taken a while though. They tried to get the wine business going back in 2009, but it didn’t quite take off. Is this a case of over-branding? Maybe, maybe not, but all the same, share holders will be rubbing their hands with glee. However, they are not going to become a wine cellar just yet. It’s a partnership participation thing. Amazon is just the trade portal. Wineries would be charged $39 per month on top of a 15% cut in transaction fees, which is not a bad deal for the producers it has to be said. You get more than 1000 wines divided into categories, but there’s no free shipping.

Name and shame network Who says men aren’t great at multitasking? Computer worker Shaun Richings used his transferable skills to mastermind a logistical challenge of mammoth proportions to juggle his social diary to tend to 4 lonely heart victims he snared online. The serial womanizer efficiently managed simultaneous relationships spanning between a few months and 6 years between them. Shaun. Being an advocate of equal rights to all genders hadn’t left men out, but describes his relationship status as complicated (probably the most understated explanation). Once the lonely heart girl band found out about each other, they got together to set up a Facebook page under the category –‘public figure’. The page received a high number of requests for an introduction to Shaun with new members pining for a date with the chap. Shaun is most pleased with the results. What!

Gumtree robber’s YouTube fail We loved this one. A not very bright 19 year old Amari Ward lured two unsuspecting victims to his manor - a housing estate in Brockley, South London to purchase a moped he advertised on Gumtree. The pair got robbed with knives and guns from his equally daft mates shortly before bonfire night. The aspiring rapper had a YouTube link on his Gumtree advert, possibly promoting his music video. One of the victims did a YouTube search for Turnham Estate where the robbery happened, and came across Amari’s video. They recognised the lad instantly and passed the information over to the police. Our aspiring rapper was arrested and sentenced to 6 years for robbery and conspiracy to rob. It’s a real shame as we feel Amari was only trying to gain street cred to go with his rap video ‘True Stories’, however the poor lad probably went too far. Still, at least now he has plenty of time in the can to think up his next rap song.

Mum sells own breast milk over the net The credit crunch does weird things to people. Sometimes it can bring out the business head in us. This was certainly the case with Toni Ebdon from Exeter. She had been producing quite a quantity, and friends suggested she open a dairy farm. After the laughter and jokes subsided, Toni took the easier option and posted an advert on Gumtree in a bid to flog her mammary produce. She felt other mothers who where not producing enough would go for her DIY produce at $7 for 113 grams. But no! You guessed it - most of the punters were men. Though she did get to sell a good amount, there’s only so much you can get through those milk pumps before it all dries up. Who knows, this may be the start of a trend. Talk about self-sufficiency!

Facebook suicide pact - man changes mind For some reason only known to the couple - Gary Hamick from New York and Jane Garfield from Alaska - a suicide pact seemed to be the best option in sorting out their complicated lives. They had been engaging in a long-distance relationship for three years, having met online regularly playing one of the social network games on Facebook. Both posted their agreed intent disguised as a love poem. However, the agreement of eternal love kind of went pear-shaped when Gary Hamick came to his senses and didn’t go through with his own end of the deal at the appointed time. Jane Garfield was unfortunately none the wiser, and went ahead and topped herself dutifully. Hamick submitted himself for psychological evaluation and counselling and is currently living with newfound love Mary Crenshaw - a part-time clairvoyant from Romania.

ADD TO CART! Internet shopping anywhere and everywhere

by Sola Akinfie

Online shopping is evolving to meet a growing demand. E-tailers mean business and have raised their game. They want you to buy items from your TV, your console, your mobile and even straight from the fridge. It’s a brave new internet world and you are in it.

ultiplatform integration is the big thing we have come to realize with the internet. Having internet access on your PC and on your phone or tablet is just the start, console games, TV and other media devices are now getting internet time and we are embracing this to a great extent. You want to spend 10 hours a day on your Xbox, Playstation or Facebook, no problem, they’ll sell you stuff on there too. Internet on your fridge doors isn’t just a fantasy concept any longer; it’s on its way. It will work by scanning what you take out and put in, and can make orders for you when an item is about to run out. The data is also fed to the online grocer who will build up a shopping profile and create a bespoke offer list from time to time. Internet access is being planted almost anywhere and everywhere. This is the new trend as retailers follow us wherever we seem to be spending more time. This is especially true with console games. You can watch and buy movies on your Xbox, buy and download software and music, now you can buy a pair of jeans right from your internet portal in clear HD on your Smart TV. Word on the street is that some popular online retailers are setting up 3D shops configured for 3D TV and even using Kinect for the full experience. The idea here is to make shopping online a much greater experience with a big wow factor. They are not just competing for a larger slice of the trading take but now they’re aiming to be a much more attractive prospect than a visit to the local mall.

At last count

According to e-commerce week there were 228,000 UK online retail businesses, that’s an estimated 30 per cent more than the year before.” This year the online retail market grew by another 12%. The market just gets bigger, and with it comes new technology to further enhance trading figures. There is a shifting pattern for the various categories of items sold online, along with fashion and travel bookings enjoying a significant increase with more retailers dedicating more resources to mobile commerce or m-commerce as it’s known in the industry.

£1 in £10 is spent via the internet £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 2012 online

purchases divided by

Internet access via:

29%

40%

consoles

31%

phones

age groups 44%

56%

TV 35%

65%

40%

60%

Age 14 - 25

14 - 25

25+

Shopping via console

All the major consoles already have built-in Ethernet and/or wireless connections, and all three are now integrated with popular web-based services. Initially it was features such as Xbox Live or the Playstation network that allowed users to use the internet to buy add-ons or timed game play, then later came access to the SkyPlayer, BBC iPlayer, Netflix and the rest. So far, the applications are designed for the sale of music and videos and gaming related products, but there are plans to have general shopping made available while you take a thumb break from your gaming sessions. So far in the US, Microsoft have partnered with Whole Foods to create a Kinect Shopping cart as your ultimate supermarket companion. It’s labelled as intelligent shopping that works on your buying patterns and preferences in the grocery department and should soon become much more widespread beyond the US. Nothing better than doing the Christmas shopping if you can’t bear being away from your gaming console for a few hours or less.

Shopping via tablets

The tablet is a mini computer anyway, it’s designed for portable use but does much more than act as an extension to your computer. Shopping Apps are being developed in a huge number as more internet time is spent using the tablet. These days, more people are now using their tablets as a complete alternative to a desk top altogether. E-tailers have taken tablet optimization more seriously as they have come to realise that the tablet should really be a pleasing experience while scrolling down shopping items. Perfect for the touch screen interface, never mind the germ ridden screens we engage with. Just having a web site to be used for all devices was not going to wash. When you use a tablet, you expect a different

experience compared to when you are on a stationary device such as your desk top. The figures for tablet based purchases are encouraging but it seems like some categories benefit much more than others. Fashion, ebooks, and especially digital magazines are the popular choices.

Shopping via TV

You can get a cross-connection from your console or access the web directly through your wireless broadband. TV has always had its shopping channels like QVZ, but that was time specific and not designed that much for immediate and specific item sale to multiple retailers. Internet integrated on the TV will continue its rapid growth; this will be a done deal especially as a popular shopping portal with HD quality images. It’s a whole new experience to be able to browse for goodies on Ebay right in flat screen large panel glory. It may even be a significant contender to the desk top which is actually seeing a very significant drop in sales. The trial product was video-on-demand and it seems top have worked. With Samsung Smart TV and a few others you get a dedicated keyboard along with your remote control thus making your TV a full member of the internet family. Recently, Samsung introduced the M&S App for its smart TV and it promises to go much further than web styled shopping formats, there will be a shopping trend presentation hooked into the list of fashion items to view. It would be like shopping while a programme about fashion style is tied in with it. Gadgets and gaming and then other categories not far behind. Watch a holiday and travel programme in crystal clear HD and then while you’re hooked, you can click through to a purchase. It is certainly a game changer.

Shopping via mobile commerce

Mobile devices for online purchases

The UK, Western Europe and the US are the main players when it comes to online purchases with tablets or smart phones. This may be due to disposable income amongst other factors, but it seems also to be a result of rising sales figures for the expensive smart phones as well. 70% of the Android and Apple smart phones are purchased in North America and Western Europe. In the more advanced countries a greater number of businesses make Apps for m-commerce billing available, which is a major part of their trading facilities.

Mobile shopping on tablets/smartphones

15% food

20% gadgets

25%

30%

fashion

event tickets

35%

apps

40%

travel tickets

Mobile devices accessing the internet

10% 35% 55% Everywhere surfing may actually be a good thing for us consumers. It provides more opportunity to access competitive discounting and special offers. Shopping online has now become a leisurely activity - a new game if you will - finding where the great buys are online. Internet access on our specs we say, oops, Google have done it!

Fortunes of war By gordon zuckerman

FREE

£4.87

Set in the financial devastation of the 1930’s, in this riveting amalgam of political intrigue, poignant romance, and bare-knuckled action, six friends risk everything to thwart an international Nazi conspiracy. A gripping story that escalates at every turn.

An action-packed thriller in the bestselling tradition of The Da Vinci Code. In a snowbound village in the German mountains, a young woman discovers an extraordinary secret. Before she can reveal it, she disappears. All that survives is a picture of a mysterious medieval playing card that has perplexed scholars for centuries.

£11.58

dEvil Bones by Kathy Reichs

£5.55

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

The book brings to light the struggle of Charles Young who was a soldier’s soldier in the horse mounted Black Cavalry. A fascinating tale that makes the reader believe he is right there with Young through campaigns in the American West, the Philippines and Mexico in addition to his struggle with his own Army leadership. Great read.

When a careless plumber accidentally knocks through a wall, he is horrified by what he uncovers. Called to the scene is forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. What awaits her below is a ritualistic display of absolute horror. Must Tempe face the sickening possibility that Devil-worshippers are sacrificing human victims? The book is a white knuckle ride into insanity.

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is used to danger and adventure; they follow her at every turn. But when international murder hits dangerously close to home, this could be more explosive than exciting... A tale of disappearing travel mates and complicated jigsaw puzzles. The book grabs your attention from start to finish.

black officer by Brian G. Shellum

The book of secrets by tom harper

£12.99

The Foreign Correspondent by alan furst

what would google do? by jeff jarvis

The barbary plague by Marilyn Chase

From Alan Furst, the seasoned spy novelist The Foreign Correspondent is a great story set in the picturesque European parts and elegant surroundings. An inspiring and gripping saga of passionate fights in the war against tyranny in the 1930’s. A fight against fascism by the pen. Lots of exciting drama with the struggle of the resistance, and European politics. Plenty of twists and puzzling drama.

A book that’s one part prophecy, one part thought experiment, one part manifesto and one part survival manual. Internet impresario and blogging pioneer Jeff Jarvis reverse-engineers Google to discover forty clear and straightforward rules to manage and live by. At the same time, he illuminates the new world view of the internet generation: how it challenges and destroys, but also opens up vast new opportunities.

The plague first sailed into San Francisco on the steamer Australia, on the day after New Year’s in 1900. Though the ship passed inspection, some of her stowaways - infected rats - escaped detection and made their way into the city’s sewer system. Two months later, the first human case of bubonic plague surfaced in Chinatown.

six silent men by gary A. linderer

at canaan’s edge by taylor branch

the blue portal by eric brown

Based on his own experience and extensive interviews with other combat vets of the 101st’s Lurp companies, Gary Linderer writes this final, heroic chapter in the seven bloody years that Lurps served God and country in Vietnam. These tough young warriors - grossly outnumbered and deep in enemy territory - fought with the guts, tenacity, and courage that have made them legends in the 101st.

At Canaan’s Edge concludes America in the King Years, a three-volume history that will endure as a masterpiece of storytelling on American race, violence, and democracy. Pulitzer Prize-winner and bestselling author Taylor Branch makes clear in this magisterial account of the civil rights movement that earned Martin Luther King, Jr. a place next to James Madison and Abraham Lincoln in the pantheon of American history.

In 1935, writers Jonathan Langham and Edward Vaughan are summoned from London by their editor friend Jasper Carnegie to help investigate strange goings on in Hopton Wood. What they discover there - no less than a strange creature from another world - will change their lives forever.

£4.99

£3.86

£6.76

£7.99

£7.23

Cheryl Cole Married to: its complicatid, like Works at: The tabloids Philosophy: Any publiciti is good publiciti Music: I like Steps, like About

Photos

Likes 144

Map

Katie’s Interests

Mike from L’oreal

Friends

Cheryl Cole

See all

November 11th, 2012

Hi Cheryl, hope you like the new poster. Regarding your request to add your voice over, I don’t think we need to risk ruining the ad campaign. Just take the pictures looking sweet as you usually do.

Will.i.am

Colleen Rooney Tre Holloway

Chantelle

Putin

Barbie

Ashley Cole

Will.i.am Simon Cowell likes this Cheryl Cole Me maams always said I got a greet voice me, an

ahm the nations luv, I should be speekin in the advert cos ahm worth it!

November 11th at 2:40pm • Like

Alan Carr You just don’t get it love, your council flat Northern

Tulisa

Cheryl Cole

November 12th, 2012

Sorry babe, I’m afraid the guys at MTV are not going for the idea of your own show. They said it’s the accent. I can’t even understand what you’re saying half the time never mind the rest of the States. You gotta be honest, why would they want to have you front an MTV show? Balotelli and Alex Reid like this

accent wouldn’t work for Loreal my sweet. Do they have to spell it out for you?.. No, wait! that’d just confuse you more dear!

Cheryl Cole Me mam always says ahm a crispin lass, cos i’m worth it! Besides ahm national treasure.

November 11th at 2:45pm • Like

November 12th at 4:50pm • Like

Dustbin Weaver

Cheryl Cole

November 12th, 2012 - Posted from Blackberry

Hi Cheryl, baby! Baby! Baby! Why don’t you return my calls? This isn’t fair, sob I’m 18 now I promise you, I’d be the best boyfriend you ever had.

Hannah from Iceland

Cheryl Cole

November 15th, 2012

Hi Cheryl, have you given more thought to fronting our ad campaign for Iceland Stores? Like . Comment

Me man says he divint think it’s a good idea, says it wud make me look chav like

Cheryl Cole

November 15th at 11:20pm • Like

Hannah from Iceland

But yes my dear that’s the point!

November 15th at 11:27pm • Like

Louise Walsh likes this

I told you million times luv, ah like me blokes black an older than me like.

Cheryl Cole

November 12th at 5:37pm • Like

Forget little boy my English пудель, once you have hunky Russian you not go back. This my picture, you like? I am original Black Russian. Putin

Sarah Harding

Cheryl Cole

November 15th, 2012

Look at dis picta Cheryl, bleedin tribute band claimin they are the real Girls Aloud. They can’t even sing!

Like . Comment November 12th at 5:42pm • Like

Tre Holloway

She’s wiv me mate,All of yous should just back off!

November 12th at 5:43pm • Like

Cheryl Cole

Wot! Me an you?

Cheryl Cole Yes, but neither kin wee poppet. November 15th at 3:12pm • Like

Simon Cowell

You don’t say!

November 15th 4:10pm • Like

November 12th at 5:57pm • Like

Tulisa Simon Cowell

Cheryl Cole

November 14th, 2012

You know I always look out for you darling, you should get started with this course I posted. If you complete the 5 months, I’d be happy to have you back on X Factor.

Cheryl Cole

November 15th, 2012

Hey Cheryl, see the picture of your shoes here, they’re rubbish. Heel snapped wen I was leavin the club last night. You gonna give me my money beck den?

Like . Comment Like . Comment Jack Dee

You’d have to give her 5 years for the course mate!

November 14th at 12:09pm • Like

Cheryl Cole Ahm not even really the designer babe. I divint make the shoes, go speak to the blokes in China November 15th at 7:14pm • Like

Tulisa Why is your name on it den, it says Cheryl’s collection, I kin read you know. November 15th at 7:18pm • Like

Dustbin Weaver

Cheryl Cole

November 14th, 2012 - Posted from Blackberry

Thought I was lying about me driving. I’ve got a brand new Ferrari, and I’ve got me a real licence. I can post it to you if you like.

Ashley Cole

Cheryl Cole

November 17th, 2012

Hi Cheryl, let’s try again, you know you want to. Since you left me my game’s been off. Like . Comment

Divint bovver, it’s all bout you, you never supported my career like. I heard you divint even like me music.

Cheryl Cole

November 17th at 9:17pm • Like

The UK Selena Gomez likes this Cheryl Cole

Neither did we

November 17th at 9:20pm • Like

Dats greet! How much did you pay for the licence?

November 14th at 1:15pm • Like

He’s just jealous cos you’re national treasure. Take no notice love.

Sarah Harding

November 17th at 9:28pm • Like

e d c b a f a e

FOOTWEARCLUBWEARFOO

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Central Paris Boutique Art Deco Hotel

holidays

Rome City Break w/Flights, Dinner & Spa Credit

Quebec Condé Nast ‘Gold List’ Hotel

MS Grand Preziosa

Canary Islands

Broadway Travel has teamed up with the 4-star Welcome Piram Hotel in Rome to release this perk-filled 3-night city break for £149 per person.

The Relais & Chateaux property offers Travelzoo subscribers the opportunity to stay in an upgraded Luxe Room while saving nearly 50% on regular prices.

Decorated in luxurious style throughout, with modern furnishings. Back in the lounge bar you can still enjoy the views with panoramic windows looking across the Nile’s banks.

This is a fantastic cruise deal that is not to be missed! 13night Canaries cruise on board Oceana for only £49 per person per night for an inside cabin.

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At £72 per night, including free breakfast, you save 50% on the usual room-only rate at a hotel within easy reach of the city’s department stores and the Palais Garnier opera house.

jackets 5 best value for money

CMP F.lli Campagnolo Fleece

16 %

21 %

12 %

14 %

of f

women’s jackets

of f

w w w. z a l a n d o . c o . u k

Vila Alanis - Short Coat

Only Renate - Leather Jacket

Zalando Collection Classic Coat

Anna Field Classic Coat

Collar: lined, high-fastening. Fastening: continuous front zip. Pockets: Zip-up hand pockets. Sleeve cuffs: elastic.

Fastening: Zip fastening. Pockets: Inside pockets. Back width: 20.5”.

Fastening: Zip fastening. Lining: 100% polyester. Back width: 14.5”.

Fastening: Zip fastening. Pockets: Zip pockets. Outer fabric material: 100% leather.

Fastening: Button fastening. Lining: 100% polyester. Pockets: Inside pockets.

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£43

£70

£75

£80

£90

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w w w. z a l a n d o . c o . u k

s.Oliver Winter Jacket

% 43

Fox Racing Parka

Fastening: Zip fastening. Correct fit: Sizes run small. Outer fabric material: 60% wool, 30% polyester, 10% other.

Fastening: Zip fastening. Material filling: 100% polyester. Lining: 100% polyamide.

Material filling: 100% polyester. Lining: 100% polyester. Outer fabric material: 65% cotton, 35% polyester.

Free shipping.

men’s jackets

E&O Classic Coat

Bellfield Owen - Short Coat Fastening: Button fastening. Lining: 70% polyester, 14% nylon, 10% wool, 6% other. Pockets: Flap pockets, Inside pockets. Free shipping.

Carhartt Hickman - Parka Fastening: Zip fastening. Material filling: 100% polyester. Lining: 100% polyester. Free shipping.

£46

£55

£65

£85

£150

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women’s footwear 5 best value for money

w w w. u n i t e d n u d e . c o m

5 boots/wedges

Step Mobius Spat

Abbie Hi

Step Mobius Chelsea

Pin Quilt

Step Mobius Kate

Green textured leather + felt removable spat. Padded with stitch detailing. Leather piping. Zip on medial side. Leather sock. Free shipping.

Black nubuck + burgundy nylon canvas. Lining material is microfibre + leather+ faux fur. Faux fur sock. Metal zip on lateral side.

Green textured leather. Elasticated ankle bootie. Leather lining. Leather sock.

Soft Grey split suede. Leather + microfibre lining. Leather sock. Halfway zip on medial side.

Free shipping.

Black nappa + quilted microfibre. Chromed metal pin heel with ABS moulded base. Metal zip in back. Rubber moulded platform. Leather lining and sock. Free shipping.

£340

£234

£228

£284

£303

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Free shipping.

w w w. u n i t e d n u d e . c o m

5 heels/boots

Pin Naomi

Helix Hi

Eamz Patti

Lane Hi

Fold Deluxe Hi

Taupe + green nappa + kid suede. Elastic inserts. Chromed metal pin heel with ABS moulded base. Leather lining and sock. Free shipping.

Dark brown elastic + camel kid suede. Textured rubber outsole. Leather lining. Leather sock.

Dark taupe split suede. Double straps wrapped around the ankle Chromed aluminium heel. Metal zip on medial side.

Black elastic + red kid suede. Rubber moulded platform. Rubber outsole. Leather lining. Leather sock.

Dark fog elastic. Leather lining. Leather sock. Rubber outsole.

Free shipping.

£209

£165

£240

£178

£150

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gifts 5 best value for money

w w w. r e d c a n d y. c o . u k

gifts for him

Karlsson LED Cube Table Alarm Clock

Umbra Ribbon Clock Designed by Michelle Ivankovic. Material: Stainless steel. Dimensions: 30cm diameter.

LSA Boris Decanter The LSA Boris Decanter is a well chiselled looking carafe. Material: Glass. Dimensions: 1.4L.

£69.20

£55.30

£56

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Worldtime Aluminium Clock Karlsson World Time clock. The smaller dials display times for London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York. Dimensions: Height: 37cm x width 50cm.

Dreyfuss 500 Desk Phone Iconic design 1950’s styling, finished in the brushed chrome effect, with push button dialling. Plugs into standard phone socket.

£77

£49

http://bit.ly/WrI5NY

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w w w. r e d c a n d y. c o . u k

gifts for her

DeLonghi Icona Espresso Coffee Machine Polished chrome trim and wire detailing offset against the red panels gives this Italian coffee machine a highly distinctive 1950’s American Diner feel.

Butterfly Clock Red Material: Lacquered steel. Dimensions: 40cm Diameter. Designer: Susanne Philippson.

Omada Knife Block With Chopping Board Beech chopping board included. Dimensions (overall): length 23.5cm x width 16cm x height 35cm. Knives are dishwasher safe.

Baroque & Rock Coffee Cup Material: Acrylic. Dimensions: H7cm x D7cm. Designer: Baci Milano.

£159

£135

£45

£5.25

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Scarlett Ruffle Red Umbrella With a crook handle and a ruby red canopy, this is a particularly striking umbrella. Whether used in the sunshine or in the middle of a downpour, the scarlett umbrella is beautiful!

£23.60

http://bit.ly/TlT3nD

7.87”

5.3”

We hear the noises from the other side - not another one! It’s easy to think Apple are suffocating us with one new item to fork out hard earned cash for. But hey, there is a market for smaller tablets. Why leave it all to Google Nexus 7 and the like? So far so good, and the word on the street is positive.

iPad

mini

by Daniel Booth

Firstly, it runs on an A5 processor, the same as you would get in an iPad 2 so it’s a fast one. It also uses iOS 6 which is a duplicate of that on the iPhone 5. Being an Apple product, the iPad mini was always going to try to get one over its competitors. One of its main selling points is that it's the slimmest and lightest 7-inchrange tablet on the market. It achieves a more compact size of 308 grams and is 7.2 mm thick; we’re talking paperback novel size. This makes it a true smaller version and lighter to handle. The smaller surface area makes for less of a hand-ache like its big brother. The good side is that it doesn’t feel like a poor relation compared to the iPad. It needs to be too, as it boldly claims a much higher price tag compared to its immediate competition Subscribing to the iPad mini really depends on the user. Some may find the smaller icons and controls perhaps a bit too fidgety for big fingers. It’s most probably going to appeal to regular commuters. Popular opinion suggests that the iPad mini feels more comfortable playing games or reading documents as it fits the grip better.

The iPad mini’s front and rear cameras are thankfully competent - the rear camera delivers 5 MP stills and 1080p video recording while the front supports 720p video. Thus, we are ok there in regards to a minimized version of the iPad.

Visuals

For its display the iPad mini uses a 1,024 x 768 pixel panel, and the visuals bear the cost of shrinking the pad. The display is undoubtedly a compromise. Those who already own the iPad would notice a certain amount of fuzziness and low grade pixel sharpness. This is one blow against it as rival pads do a better job. In addition, the resolution is lower than its bigger brother as there is no retina display.

However, reading magazines or text books on the mini is actually great. Pages display nice and crisply, it warms to layout-sensitive reading, and carries great compatibility, with a mass of Apps to use.

Working life The iPad mini offers an impressive 10 hour battery life, which beats the Google Nexus 7 and the Nook (its nearest rivals) by a few hours.

Pricing This is where the problem lies. Starting at £269 for the 16GB and £429 for the 64GB, it may just be too overpriced compared to the Nook and the Google Nexus 7. This would have been an easier sell if the resolution didn’t face a compromise. Having said that, the iPod mini is still a beautifully crafted tablet and does accentuate the benefits of the Apple brand.

0.28”

App Reviews by Alem Spago

iPad Apps you like!

Photogene If you can’t get enough of taking photos with your iPad, then you will need a proper set of tools to edit your photos. Photogene is the iPad application which brings a smile on the face of all photograph freaks. It has a robust set of advanced tools for photography managing and editing features which is incorporated into a clean black design with a user friendly interface. This App contains no annoying gimmicks; tools found within will actually improve your photographic images or make it worse - according to your own photo editing skills. Once you are done taking and editing photos you can share them via ePhotozine straight through the App. Price: $2.99

X-Plane

Meet the ultimate flight simulator among iPad Apps. X-Plane brings the world of aircraft navigation down to your fingertips, according to your own tastes and boy-dreams. You can choose whether to operate a Boeing 787 commercial flight, F-15 Raptor, or an aircraft carrier. There are various aircrafts to choose from and you can set departure and arrival points. Airports and terminals are developed in 3D and they are equal to their reallife replicas. You will be blown away by the sheer detailing of the cockpit. Realistic levers, switches, instrument panels and knobs with voice - over flight control. The App gives you the most realistic simulation and aircraft navigation experience. How cool would it be to board an inter-continental flight and simulate it on your iPad throughout the journey? This is an App for that. Price: $9.99

iCut iCut is one of those quirky Apps that has taken the iPad to the kitchen once again. It’s free and is quite a nifty idea if you are into baking a lot. Yes, iPads in the kitchen is the in thing now. iCut will make your bread and cake slices cut to measured precision. Run the application, enter the number of visitors waiting for that tasty cake of yours, and lay your food on your iPad. The application will automatically calculate the size of each slice, making them perfectly equal. Your iPad will indicate the lines on where to cut. Don’t forget to use a protective layer in-between the cake and the iPad or the obvious would happen, not to talk about the usual tablet germs! Price: Free

Cat Toys Lite

Have you ever found yourself busy and your cat just wouldn’t leave you alone? Here is a great application to keep your pet busy while you cook, study, or make a phone call. Cat Toys Lite simulates a mouse within a box. The fake mouse will quickly catch your cat’s attention with realistic movements and sounds. Once your pet manages to grab that little devil running around, it produces a high tone squeak just as if it were a real mouse. The Apps full version let’s you choose between five different for your cat to busy itself with. The display is scratch proof so no worries there. Cat Toys Lite App can be ran on iPod touch and iPhone. Price: $0.99

Zillow The anticipation of buying a new home can be a lot of fun, but we all know how much of a hassle it can be, and Zillow application is about to change your real estate purchase experience. Zillow App brings the most recent offers at the reach of your fingertips, including houses and flats for sale, rent, foreclosures and more. Choose the neighbourhood, set the price range, and watch your iPad display tons of offers, meeting your search criteria. Switch between the satellite and street view to get in real touch with your future neighbourhood and property you are interested in. While the design is not exactly top notch, the App gets the job done in a proper manner. Application is compatible with iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Price: Free

BudgetBook For all of you conscious money-saving consumers - BudgetBook is the eyecatching application you have been looking for. It keeps your budget pinned down to pennies, showing your business and personal expenditures, income, and expenses. Set up your budgets according to your own habits, schedules, and needs weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. It comes as a great money-saving tool. Simply setup the categories and set the amount you need to save each month. Your earnings can be allocated into your savings as well. BudgetBook has a clear and simple design. You will not find yourself having to tap in and out of different features looking for a ‘save’ button. BudgetBook is available in German and English. Price: $2.99

Zinio Download Zinio App for free and have your favourite digital magazines at the reach of your hands wherever you go. Once you launch it, Zinio creates a great reader experience with fresh clean layouts for reading the largest selection of digital magazines with page turning features almost like the print versions. You can browse the web right inside the App and explore all the links found within magazines. The choice of magazines is truly impressive, from world wide known magazines to impressive indies. It’s one of the joys of owning an iPad. Zinio is compatible with iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

Price: Free

Ask a Nomad

When you are abroad, finding valuable information on accommodation, restaurants, places to see or places to avoid can be really challenging. Ask a Nomad is an iPad application that has all the tricks in the sleeve when it comes to travelling. Whether you need an advice on public transport, a place to taste real local specialities or a handy spot to meet a lady, this App will load you up on information in no time. It can automatically locate your position or you can search for your own areas of interest. Application relies on robust database of questions and answers about pretty much all the tourist locations you might end up at. However, try not to get lost in the vast lands of Sahara to Ask a Nomad for the way out - it might be your last trip! Price: Free

instapaper Instapaper is a must-own application for all serious writers, readers, journalists or anybody who dealing with texts on their tablets. This application saves all of your texts for offline use. It comes handy in situations when you do not have Wi-Fi available and you have just stumbled upon interesting piece of text, website, article or whatever else it could be. Great feature of this App is a distraction-free reading environment. All the content you save is provided with author’s name, website’s name and date (if information is extractable). Instapaper is easy-to-use and clear design application that takes your browsing as important activity. Don’t miss them interesting articles anymore, Instapaper them instead! Price: $3.99

MISSING MISSING Last spotted in

2008 somewhere between Twitter

and Facebook

Last spotted in 2009 on

Second Life forum

Internet MISSING Addiction

LAST SPOTTED

somewhere

on Google searching for pirate downloads

the issue

is real By Helen Yukovich

Beginnings

Around the year 2000 when the global internet frenzy was in full swing, we new it was going to be a massive influence on our way of life, but not on this present scale. The internet is a great thing, but some have made it their lifeline and have become addicted with no hope at returning to the physical world. Come 2012, we are now fully plugged in and have learnt to perform most functions over the internet. Bit by bit, the internet changed the way we communicate, interact and inform. Soon enough it became an unavoidable part of our lives. The net went from the imaginary and unrealistic term to the essential medium we can’t imagine our lives without. It’s our staple diet and we are expected to use it for work or leisure. Early use of the internet brought countless benefits into the home and business environment. After a couple of years upon switching from dial-up connections we were still fully unaware of the extent of internet addiction. Faster connections, unlimited download and cheaper services from ISPs played their role and the first signs of addiction began to surface. It was just a tip of the iceberg as the problem existed for years and it only began to massively spread with the internet expansion, which has been happening at the speed of light by this moment.

Internet taking-over Today, we are witnesses to the rapid rise in internet dependency. Each and every segment of our lives is directly or indirectly internet-influenced as the world population becomes massively addicted. Referring to the Internet World Stats, the Asian population is the most addicted with a mind-blowing 1076.7 million internet users, China claiming 450 million of that. ‘Europe’ is at the 2nd place with almost twice as less users - 518.5 million. Remember the time way back, when the use of the internet was mostly done at the office with the dial up noises and page loads taking a decade to complete? Now it’s lightening fast and we can hop from one website to the next, or even visit a number of them at the same time. We’ve become laden with over information and it seems we want more. Internet use additionally skyrocketed with the development of smartphones and tablets. According to the Worldsnewresource.com, and the poll conducted by the Office For National Statistics, 45% of UK consumers use the internet while on the move, of which the highest rate has been noted among the youth population aged 16 to 24. The survey on this group of participants reported that 71% of use their mobile devises to surf the net.

Social media addiction Talking about socialization, it would be a shame not to mention social media junkies. This unique form of internet addiction is particularly present in United States; however UK is not an exception either. As you read this, almost 72% of US Facebook users are online, while 70% of the entire user base is located outside of the United States. UK Government’s Office for National Statistics reported 6 out of 10 adults as regular Facebook and Twitter users. Facebook, being the most popular site in the UK since 2011, picks up more than 2.5 billion visits monthly. Social media addiction often leads to stressful life situations and behavioural disorders. 34% of Facebook users check their Facebook accounts before they get out of bed. Job losses, divorces, and ruined friendships are just few scenarios which would be funny if they weren’t sad.

Back in March 2009, then 22-year-old, Connor Riley got a job proposal from Cisco. As a regular tweeter, she bragged about it and shared her news with the Twitter community. There wouldn’t be anything bad or unusual if she didn’t mention how her ‘fatty paycheck’ would come at the expense of ‘hating the work’. As you could have guessed, her tweet was read by a Cisco’s employee, and the whole story reached her hiring manager. She got fired before she had a chance to work. Oh dear! Social media addiction is just one of the common sources of internet addictions. Online gaming addiction is taking considerable number of ‘casualties’ too. World of Warcraft, besides being the most played MMO game, is known as a really addictive ‘matter’. Britain’s first computer rehab clinic in Westonsuper-Mare, Somerset was opened due to rapidly growing number of WOW addicts. Guardian.co.uk reports the story of Ryan van Cleave, a former WOW addict - Ryan played WOW whenever he had the chance – when his wife and kids were sleeping, before the classes, after the classes… He lost his University professor job and almost lost his wife and children. Luckily, Ryan came back to reality just in time to realize his life was falling apart due to his WOW addiction. He is just one example of one-ina-million internet addicts who suffered severe consequences in real life, due to their addiction to the virtual environment that is the internet.

Have a peek in a Starbucks café, a local bar or restaurant and you’d spot at least a couple of individuals sitting alone, completely entrapped in their own cyber-world. It is true that the internet has improved socialization, but it’s a virtual one, socialization on a personal level, which we were used to, is slowly becoming obsolete.

Internet addiction disorder (IAD), or more broadly known as Internet overuse, problematic computer use or pathological computer use is excessive computer use that interferes with daily life. These terms avoid the distracting and divisive term “addiction“ and are not limited to any single cause. 24

OneSmartClick.com

Net gamblers anonymous Gamblers have found their holy grail with the internet breakthrough as well. Ease of access to various gambling websites, bingo and poker tables at the reach of a hand are the things every gambler dreams about - and the internet, it seems, makes dreams come true. Gambling addiction expanded almost as fast as addiction to porn, which can be found in ‘all colours’ all over the internet. How much money is spent on online gambling can be estimated according to the fact that revenues from online gambling, generated in 2010, were about 29.3 billion USD. According to the Techaddiction.ca, 3% of population struggles with pathological gambling, and 4% of teenage population have a gambling problem. Care.org.uk reports on the story about man from Edinburgh who killed himself and his mother after gambling away all of their savings. He ending up with five-figure debt. There are others that didn’t make the headlines

What to expect?

We are at the very beginning of tech age and what we know today will look ridiculous in 50 or 100 years. By the time we reach iPhone 10, it would probably be designed with a double screen opening, to cater for the increased use of mobile devices to surf the net. We’d be looking at the present handsets as old hats with limited usage. We will soon be totally dependent on internet use. Most already suffer great cravings when there is an occasional loss of broadband service. In the future, a shut down in broad band service will be equivalent to a power cut in the centre of London – complete chaos and economic disaster simply because almost everything will be wired to the net. Scary stuff! As internet technology takes over the remaining segments of our lives, where it hasn’t influenced yet, internet addiction will not be matter of choice as it is today, it will become a complete necessity to get anything done, we are nearing that now, as even utility suppliers are making plans to do away with paper based bills,

It’s all sent by email, airlines such as Ryanair are leaning towards online booking as the only option. As the use of internet based-devices expands, and society adapts to internet use on a non-stop basis - the internet will be the main source that connects to other social activities like watching TV, listening to the radio, doing a degree course via Skype or even seeing your doctor online. The tools to do all this is all there, don’t be surprised if we vote for the next PM by verified email. Our kids are presently submitting their home work by email on to a central system, these ideas of saving money or enhancing convenience will continue to grow. There would be the good and the bad eventual results, but we may slowly rebel and wean ourselves off the drug a bit, especially when we realize that it’s no more a question of choice. For now, let’s enjoy what the internet has to offer but remember we are not living in the game Second Life. Get out some more and enjoy the real world, it’s still there you know.

TAKE THE INTERNET

ADDICTION TEST

IF YOU DARE!

(

We already did and failed miserably, yikes!

(

Scan the code to take the test or follow the link: http://bit.ly/TE4wA

the others

Alternative social networks by Raymond Wicker

Social networks are trending towards specialist areas. Facebook now faces new competition as the ‘others’ claim new followers as niche destinations. Whatever your passion, there’s a social network for that!

Foodspotting.com

asmallworld.net

If you’re a fan of food and the art of preparation, foodspotting.com seems to be a very busy destination. It’s a social network to share or find food anywhere. It’s been around since 2009, and houses a whopping 2.5 million food postings by members.

It’s a small world indeed and these folks intend to keep it that way. This social network can be described as the snob’s perfect website. It caters for the well travelled and socially upward types. They are not necessarily bent on the numbers game. Membership is by invitation only which in itself is the best form of advertising. Small wonder the web club has up to 500,000 active members globally. 18 - 34-year-olds make up the majority of members at 43%. It’s certainly feels like an aspiring network to be on.

Members post images and give comments about great dishes they had in certain eateries based on locations near you or otherwise. Your location is tracked by your ISP address. You get a great map at the top of the homepage and you can scan for any type of food’ in the map area. You can also explore the website based on the same food in different locations. We liked the extremely wide selection of food choice from Sushi to Wild Rabbit Tabbliolini. If it’s tasty and edible it’s in there. Members are happy to whip out their smart phones and post a snapshot of the dishes they are about to feast on. Make no mistake; this website does not exist to teach you how to prepare the culinary delights on there but it’s aimed at telling you the nearest place to get the nosh, and categorises the best and latest food uploads for the area.

There is an interactive element with privileged members sharing information and experience of places that cater for their appetite for the good life. There is an iPhone App for making reservations at exclusive hotels and locations. As a member, you can upgrade anything from flight tickets to hotel rooms. According to Crunchbase.com - ASW consists of trusted members who have existing social networks of high quality in the real world. The networks are built by extending invitations. Asmallworld.com offers a cohesive platform that intimately allows members to enhance their networks and to reconnect with old friends.

kaboodle.com

Yelp.com

This is a social shopping website where anyone anywhere can discover, share, or search for great shopping deals or items not easily found online. It’s the kind of place where those that love to shop online hang out. Now sporting a Pinterest type layout, it uses powerful tools to help you organize your item lists and it’s useful in the sense that you can follow people with the same shopping wish, wants or tastes. It’s certainly not anonymous social networking; it’s a place where member interaction is encouraged a great deal. You can recommend, comment and advise on recent purchases sharing this with your group or the entire community.

Yelp is now a major contender in the social network fraternity. It’s a blogging social network with over 10 million global users world wide. Over 86% of users reside in the US, but over here in the UK we get ample member activity also. Majority of users are 35+ at 72%. The self run community is best described as a user review network covering various geographical activities members have experienced or about to experience.

By adding the caboodle tool bar to the top of your browser you can add items you find on shopping sites to your list. A snap shot is taken with an items description including price. Pretty nifty we think. With an active membership of up to a million users it seems to work well. The postings are not confined to fashion; you can explore gadgets, home products, and other things too. There’s nothing better than relying on user feedback before committing to an online purchase and this does a good job.

On its home page Yelp says - People use Yelp to search for everything from the city’s tastiest burger to the most renowned cardiologist. What will you uncover in your neighbourhood? This can be anything from nightlife, restaurants, events, bars, or health and beauty services. You can also find reviewed businesses on the go using the handy App. The community interacts with itself with comments, news and tips in the Talk Pages. The events area works very well as members post details of forthcoming events and also one’s they have been to, it’s quite extensive in London and the surrounding areas. Yelp seems to be a cosy hang out where the members appear to be a happy bunch who know how to get a life outdoors.

Microsoft Surface

HYBRID CONTENDER by Andy Hargreaves

It was just the matter of time before Microsoft joined the tablet race. Microsoft have not come through the back door, they simply waltzed through the front, launching Microsoft Surface with their own signature features and a confident price tag. Weighing in at 1.49 lb, this tablet doubles as a smaller or lighter version of a laptop with its own keyboard. With a slightly larger display from what we’re used to seeing with tablets, Microsoft Surface is pretty much similar to the other tablets in terms of physical appearance. The 10.6 inches display is made in 16:9 scales in order to fit the RT’s operating system. Microsoft Surface’s display has 1,366 x 768 in pixel count, and it relies on ClearType sub-pixel rendering technology. Display is optically bonded, with touch-technology based panel hidden behind Gorilla Glass.

The Science Bit

The Kickstand feature is proclaimed by Microsoft as one of device’s key features. Making a tablet look like a laptop when used, kickstand allows the device to stand upright. While it works reasonably well, it is not adjustable; you would have to make do with the one screen angle you get. The Gorilla Glass however, offers multiple versatile viewing angles.

Battery life:

Up to 8 hours.

Networking:

WiFi (integrated), 2.4 GHz; WEP, WPA,

WPA 2 encryption.

Camera:

Dual 720p with a 1,280 x 720 resolution.

The Good

The Bad

As previously mentioned, Microsoft Surface runs the RT platform, while the Surface Pro edition runs Windows 8. Both of these platforms perfectly fit your home desktop environment, whereas you can handle exactly the same operations as on your PC or laptop.

While we’ve marked the default keyboard as a ‘goodie’ it also has a flaw - the keystrokes are way too close to each other, it takes some time to get used to the right amount of pressure to apply.

Dual 720p cameras get the job done in terms of video streaming, video chatting or taking photos. They perform surprisingly well outdoors and indoors. During outdoor video conversation, pictures are highly resistant to wind intrusions. The tablet is aimed at users who prefer typing rather than screen-touching or the other way around. Default typing keyboard is pretty much the same as the keyboard you use on your home PC with the tab button being considerably smaller. The modern look of the tablet’s interface brings out a ‘tiled’ layout with snapshots of the data found within the folder/App you want to open or run. It’s an easier way to cycle throughout the files or find particular ones.

OS:

Microsoft RT - specifically developed to

support tablets. It has high similarities with

Windows 8.

Screen:

10.6 inches size with 1366 x 768 resolution.

Weight:

1,46 lb.

Internal storage: 32 GB Flash memory.

The Microsoft RT platform is a handy substitution for Windows 8 - but what’s the actual difference? Only one considerable difference caught our eye so far. It doesn’t support any applications developed for standard x84 Windows OS. The AC adapter has a custom plug which you’d have to take with you when using outside the home for more than 10 hours. The price tag is not exactly competitive at a starting point of £399 for the 32GB version.

Battery life is one of the pluses of this tablet. With visual preferences and number of applications running set to average, your tablet’s battery can work for a duration of 10 hours.

Report Ticket Considering the fact they entered the race pretty late, Microsoft did a great job making a unique device and not trying too hard to beat the competition at their own game. Microsoft Surface is a great asset to those who are looking to replace their laptop with a smaller and lighter device. The ability to arrange things and operate just as you would on your home PC is a good selling point. With robust software and hardware preferences, good processing speed and unique features it certainly has something to sell.

by Andy Hargreaves

The Cobalt

The Cobalt is a gadget for those with a taste for the classic treasures of yesteryear. It’s a stop watch designed by Adam Huffman, which he has been skillfully fused together old and new. This beauty not only tells the time and date in style, but houses a voice recorder, email and text facilities, The OLED screen offers you the latest touch screen technology, and it also comes with a temperature gauge. The screen can be customized to suit your mood or style (we liked it in green). It’s got a 007-style voice recognition software and even a compartment for a hidden key. The Cobalt is truly a modern gentleman’s gadget.

iPod Watch

Peter Burn’s design for the iPod Watch is a concept time piece that has been skillfully put together with a complete Apple-themed look. The watch essentially serves as a more portable iPod. There’s no wiring here either, as with Bluetooth tech the proposed 10GB player would seamlessly beam your music straight to the ear piece. The very sci-fi looking watch looks great and does seem to be a marketable idea. Let’s face it though, Apple can launch anything, and useful or not, it will always sell well. We’re not sure if it also tells the time, but who cares?! I want one.

Smart Bra

It not only looks sturdy and competent but the smart bra is designed to detect any early signs of breast cancer. It has been successfully tried and is reported to be quicker to detect cancer an amazing 6 years before a tumour is detected by current imaging appointments at the hospital. With thermographic technology integrated into the fabric, it tracks temperature changes and signals this to the user. The design closely resembles a sports bra and testers say it’s comfortable too. The Smart Bra may be available on the market soon as it has been proven to work well in the testing stage.

Comfort Sphere

This looks like a contraption straight out of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The pod/booth/spherical unit surrounds the user with pinpoint audio and visual theatrics. The integrated speakers are very high-end, being developed by Dynaudio. Once you are locked in this baby everything outside of it is a world far away. The curved screens work to give you a parabolic view to fit your sensory participation. It rotates while unloading you with audio/ visual information. At present, it’s only made for use at trade shows and conferences. What a waste, we think - imagine playing the latest console game in one of these. Pure bliss!

Pocket Tablet

Why get into the competitive debate between laptops and tablets when you can have both as one? This is The Pocket Tablet concept. Using flexible OLED technology, the unit folds out or in, depending on the user’s intended use, as a tablet or a laptop. The design of Patrik Eriksson under the Sony banner looks great and makes sense. It’s all about dual purpose, and it’s the first time a laptop is truly portable. Let’s not forget - it’s also a smart phone, so really it’s three in one. This makes sense in a market of must-haves. Even with a likely high price tag, it still makes sense to have it all as a pocket gadget.

AC portable office

We may be getting carried away with all this high-tech with an obsession for portability, but Alex Casabo’s design for the future portable office is packed quite neatly and presents itself as a good sell. It’s most suited to those in the creative and design industry but we can see most project workers wanting one of these. It’s built as stackable parts with various hardware and tools for the job. Colour copier, scanner, tablet and a smart phone plus Bluetooth connectivity, hard drive and lots of USB slots. The unit basically consists of all the tools needed to create or modify your project on the go. It’s all encased neatly as an A4-sized gizmo. Courtesy - tuvie.com

Electrolux coffee future

Hmm - coffee coming from this futuristic device has to taste good. It’s an absolute beaut from Electrolux. It’s named ‘Memory’, and for obvious reasons. Using hand print recognition, it can dispense coffee according to individual preferences. Your information is displayed on the panel as it recognises your hand print. You may have different ways you want to have your coffee depending on your mood or the time of the day. This machine has your data and will do wonders to put together the perfect brew for you and the rest of the home or office. It scores really highly in terms of design and concept.

Tong City Bike

With our recent cycling success at the Olympics, bicycle tech has claimed greater commercial attention. The Tong City Bike has arrived with great timing. The bike takes every element of streamlined air flow into consideration, the carbon frame is perfectly created to reduce air resistance significantly. Designed by Rudi Moosmeier, the bike not only looks amazing but is built for low maintenance and user friendliness. Gears, brakes, absorbers and so on are all housed together. We loved the colour changeable tubes (it looks very Blade Runner at night). It also comes with a portable safe to stash away the gear that comes with it. It’s still in prototype stage but we shudder to imagine the price tag should it be made available at your local Halfords.

Playstation 4?

Aesthetics these days can make all the difference when it comes to product sales. Technology has allowed for a better relationship between versatility, design, and function. Don’t get over-excited though, as this is only a concept PlayStation - sorry folks! It’s got touch screen tech and some sort of wacky oval unit for an embedded OLED screen. Before you get confused any further - it’s a glass panel controller. In terms of practical use during game play, it may not be as nimble in use as the traditional hand held controller, but it looks sub zero cool. I’d rather have it as some sort of music system with the black thing used as the speakers though.

Console Gaming By Alem Spago

It’s been almost 5 years since the release of the last Halo instalment, and Microsoft Game Studios has come up with sweet, juicy and delicate beginning to a new Halo trilogy. For all the Halo fans out there, this instalment of the popular franchise brings something new, innovative and different, while it keeps our beloved game story and outer-space environment as the main motives. Courtesy GameNewsOfficial launches things from the point they stopped at in Halo 3, on-board the ship UNSC ‘Forward Unto Dawn’. Our protagonist, Master Chief, is being awakened from cryo-sleep to step into the action straight away, as the ship is under attack by Covenant forces. They are not the only thing to worry about though, as you are carried to a Forerunner shield world that goes by the name of Requiem. Being inhabited by hostile Prometheans, don’t expect to be landing on Requiem for a holiday. There are three known classes, so far, of Prometheans crawlers, watchers and knights. Don’t cry too much yet however, as you can dispose of them with a robust and powerful set of futuristic armour.

Halo4

Compared to earlier versions, Halo 4 brings considerably faster gameplay. Expect to be moving, jumping and hitting faster, in a more powerful and adrenaline-pumping manner. Don’t expect to confront NPCs which walk out in front of you to be shot, but rather expect highly intelligent foes who will not hesitate to throw your own grenades back at you. The graphics presentation is a story in itself. Try not to scream at highly-realistic scenes followed with strong and conceivable background sounds. If you called the graphics in previous versions a top-notch, wait until you see Halo 4. Multiplayer modes have not been left out this time either. There are a wide variety of modes to enjoy online with your friends. Each of them are pretty much the same as in earlier versions with slightly changed names. Terrific work has been done by Microsoft Game Studios with the release of Halo 4. Fast, dynamic and more aggressive gameplay in a high-res environment is guaranteed. If you love console first-person shooters then you can’t find an excuse for not trying out Halo 4. This little beauty is only available on Xbox 360 consoles for now.

We’ve completed our intro stages and are launching monthly issues online for a decent price.

Single issues: Back issues:

£3.50 £2.00

or save money by subscribing. www.thebrowsermagazine.com

Online Gaming By Alem Spago

This online sci-fi first person shooter game comes from the same publishing house as AVA (Alliance of Valiant Arms), while credits for development go to Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soft Inc. High quality graphics and complete combat manoeuvring with an emphasis on socialization with your teammates accurately describes this game. Genesis A.D is a sci-fi futuristic first person shooter online game. The plot is set in the far future; to be precise, the year 2231. As is usual practice with these sorts of MMOs, Thematic is a collision of two different worlds, where one is fighting for the survival of the human race, while the other one is, directly or indirectly, trying to end it in a really nasty way. After completing the tutorial you will be set off to choose your branch. The tutorial is straight to the point and nicely detailed, with

game cash a useful reward to gain after successful completion. Assault, Sniper and Supplier are the three branches you can choose from according to your very own skills. We advise you consider aggressive, patient, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helpful as the main characteristics to decide your branch. You will find the gameplay pace fast and dynamic. Team members are developed in a way where each one has to rely on the other in order to survive and accomplish objectives. In-game design is solid, with far better work done on the environment rather than characters themselves. Looking a bit more like astronauts than futuristic soldiers, characters are designed in a pattern we have already seen in the Unreal Tournament series. Genesis Another Day is free-to-play, however if you really want to play it free, then choose so at the very start, otherwise you might get easily dragged into renting the weapons for some real greenies.

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Online Gaming By Alem Spago

For fans of MMORPG games – meet your new reason to stay locked-on to your PC until the early morning hours and start making excuses to your friends and colleagues for those terrible eye wrinkles. Perfect World Entertainment has finally launched one of the world’s most popular massively-played online games. Perfect World is a fantasy-based MMORPG game. With a strong, entertaining, and colourful design, it also offers realistic in-game sound effects. Perfect World really makes it to the top of what MMORPG games have to offer. Just like other MMORPG games, it’s a no-end game. You can clock up endless hours of gameplay only to find you’re still at the beginning. Characters are continuously customisable. Beside small things to customize, like armour and weaponry, you will have to choose your race and class. There are ten classes: Archer, Assassin, Barbarian,

Blademaster, Cleric, Psychic, Venomancer, Wizard, Mystic and Seeker. Each of these classes has their pros and cons with regards to movement speed, damage they can inflict, attack style or hit points. Some of the classes have special abilities, like Clerics, who can be really valuable within a team due to their abilities to heal. The good thing is that each class is fairly balanced; not one can be called dominant. With large amount of quests to be done, intelligent foes to be fought and millions of other players to challenge, boredom isn’t an issue here. The best thing is that it’s free to play in its full package. The growing gaming community under this title is testimony to how well it has been put together. What more could you ask for?

www.pwi.perfectworld.com

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The Moshling Dotcom hero By Pam Ainsley Moshi Monsters is a social network, a sort of creative Facebook for kids. it has just hit the 50 million user mark, which is good news for Michael Acton Smith the man behind the company - Mind Candy. Back in 2008 Mind Candy was in danger of becoming yet another failed business, but this has all changed thanks to the massive success of Moshi Monsters.

ithin the first year the Moshi Monsters website attracted 1 million users and the company tried to generate sales of something called the MoPod, which was not very successful. This led Michael Smith to change his focus back to the online community. A great move it proved to be as the number of members in 2009 (1 million) to jump to 10 million within the first year!

The appeal of Moshi Monsters lays in the fact that all kids can relate to them and the creators of the site have made as many aspects of it to be as interactive as possible. Another reason for the popularity of the site is the puzzles and games that kids are able to play and parents are on board with this as they see them as an extension of learning activity that they have to do at school.

Members of the site can play for free or they (or more accurately, their parents) can pay a monthly or annual subscription to access more areas and play more games. It is these subscriptions that have led to the company being so successful in terms of generating income. Other sites for kids such as Club Penguin which also offer subscriptions have helped to pave the way for sites like Moshi Monsters as parents are more trusting of them.

Secret tunnels which connect to a members only disco are a unique feature of the site as are the Moshlings, which are pets for the Moshi Monsters that kids can ‘buy’ for their own monsters. Together these help to keep kids entertained and interested in the site and make them want to come back for more each day. In effect, the kids very own colourful Facebook - a webmaster’s dream.

Michael himself realised the importance of social tools which allow kids to interact with one another and this is what he capitalised on. By creating the site with kids in mind the team behind Moshi Monsters have made it super safe for them to be online. There are moderators watching the site and any inappropriate comments can be flagged and users removed. This in turn provides parents with the peace of mind they are looking for when it comes to their kids being online.

As far as the future is concerned more and more users are signing up, and the creators are expanding the site to make it even more interesting for kids. Physical products are also being looked at and Michael himself wants the brand to be ‘”Pokemon for the internet age” which is a pretty impressive aim that he looks set to achieve.

www.moshimonsters.com

Gaming time for sale by Sola Akinfie Tom Foxly, who’s only 14 years of age, got his whizz kid business idea with the help of his dad who works as a freelance business advisor. His business is one that is formed out of a passion for what he does well. And that is to do with what most teenagers can’t live without these days - gaming time!

om is a master ace when it comes to various types of console games often beating dad on the Wii, or Xbox console usually to an embarrassing level. From role playing games to shoot- em-ups, dad would often be left baffled at the depth of thrashing he would receive. He’d often say ‘Wouldn’t it be great if this talent in gaming could be worth some money? This was said a couple of times till the penny dropped after Tom had seriously out - gamed his dad in a popular game Assassins Creed. The Assassins Creed series is known to be a very excellent game with robust features and intelligent game play. It’s among the top five best selling console games world wide. Anyone with a console wanted to have a go at the game. The trouble with it, like a number of others is that it can be really complex to understand and play well. Too many button commands and actions, which requires memory and patience. There are lots of people who simply don’t have the time to learn the mechanics of a game; they simply want to get stuck in as pros in the first few minutes. When Tom plays the game online he finds he has to explain to the competing gamer at the other end how to perform certain actions and explain why certain things where happening during game play. Over the summer holidays Tom and his father put together a simple service, one that was hard to find and yet one with potential demand.

A gaming tutor! Using the internet as a medium, seemed quite practical. Tom would use Skype or communicate directly in game play using the head set and offer paying gamers on the other side some very direct coaching. He would go as far as record the sessions and make them available for the gaming customer after each session. It made so much sense, Tom would watch the paying gamer play the game he or she is trying to master over a closed server where other gamers wouldn’t be able to join in, and he would be able to give his customer full instructions and guidance watching the game play live. Gaming is more than a leisurely past time to some people; it’s even a money making venture and yes! A proposed sport for the Olympics. There is certainly is a market for it. Tom began getting screen recordings together with him playing certain popular games and with the help of his dad they would record the tips and explanation of the game play as a sort of teaser and upload to Youtube. If you wanted the full training, then you would have to use the link posted to get more booking info on Tom’s new website. Launched in February 2010 Gametutor takes on 14 hours worth of booked sessions 6 days a week and is now delivered by Toms gaming friends located in three different countries. Let’s just say earning 30p a minute has convinced Tom’s dad to reduce his own working hours and spending 3 hours a day developing his sons business.