Miss Virtual Reality

Many people are sick of contracts for phone service, but they get you by offering fancy phones for low prices. Which they make up the loss of money from the phones in the fees of the contract. So prepaid or no-contract phones seem like an option, but many people wonder if that they are worth the money or any good. Here we will take a look at them and why they are not for everybody.

Prepaid phones and no-contract phones are different to a degree. The prepaid ones are exactly what they sound like, you prepay for the minutes that you think  that you will use for the next few weeks.

No-Contract phones are like contract phones via a monthly cost, but they are unlimited in a lot of ways and you are not tied down to them.

Both are great options and slowly they are now including smartphones like Android and Blackberry. But they do require a lot of money in start to buy those types of phones, or you can settle for the cheaper versions of smartphones. Here is a quick break down on the services.

The Good-

The monthly prices for services are low and you are not tied down to one company. You can unlock almost any phone and take it to them to get flashed onto their service. You will have plenty of companies to pick from and you could always switch to a new one if you do not like your old one.

The Bad-

The high just start fees and with prepaid it is annoying to have to pay for a few weeks. Some phone providers who use older phone models have limited access.

The Bottom Line-

If you prefer newer phones and unlimited service, no-contract would likely fit your needs. Prepaid is great for those who don’t use their phone very much. If you like always the newest, you should stick with contract phones.

Have you tried any prepaid or no-contract phones? If so, what do you think about them?

Dell has plans for an item called the Dell Streak that merged a smartphone and tablet PC’s together. Only the fact is that they failed to create a product that would be as chic as others like it on the market. Here are some of the details on it and why it has been called a failure.

Biggest issue people have with it? Size is the issue for many of the tech reviewers out there. They state that it is too bulky to be a tablet PC or a smartphone. They made claims that it does not fit your pockets very well and that sort of defeats the whole purpose of a smartphone or tablet PC.

It is also uses an older version of Android software and many people find fault with that. They feel that the Streak will not be up to date or would be able to use newer apps for the Android phones.

You can buy the Dell Streak for around $300.00(US dollars) along with a two year contract with AT&T(they seem to be the king of data plans for smartphones).

For years now rumors have swirled that the iPhone would come to Verizon, yet each year they find out that will not happen. Well once again, rumors have started that the iPhone will come to Verizon this upcoming January. But this time Apple is too late.

Why, you may ask yourself?

As I reported last month that the Feds have ruled that any smartphone could be unlocked for any phone service provider(within reason of hardware supported providers). But that is not the only reason why the Apple iPhone is little too late, rumors are also swirling that the HTC Droid Incredible HD(which is an Android based phone which is also on Verizon) will also come out on Verizon. What does this mean? That means if both rumors are true people can buy a newer and dare I even say better phone than Apple’s iPhone?

If I had a choice to pick either, I would go with the Droid because I feel that Apple has not supported thoses who wished to use their iPhone but they did not want a contract with AT&T. Don’t get me wrong, I like Apple(which I used to not, but I will explain why I do now in a future post) but I think that they have made a major mistake in the past.

What do you think about these rumors? Do you think they hold any truth or not? Do you hope both come out on Verizon at some point?

image source-mobilemag.com

Many people who use Wordpress have themes that are not widget friendly, but unfortunately at some point you’ll have a hard time finding a fix for it. But the good news is that there is a way around it and I am about to show you how you can make almost any widget appear on your site without using the widget options. So let’s begin! Let me say first that you do not need much if any PHP/HTML or CSS knowledge for this and it is really simple to do. Also, this is for self-hosted WP blogs, not wordpress.com blog since they do not allow you to edit your theme files.
 

First find the widget that you wish to use on your sidebar and copy the code. You can use the short cut of control(ctrl) and c.

Then go to your sidebar.php file and locate which area you want the widget on. Most themes use two columns, so be sure to pay attention to which column you will put it under.

Paste it using the ctrl and v combo. In the photo above, you see the blue area is the new code that I just pasted. After that is done, click on the save update. Be sure to know where you pasted the code or back up your sidebar.php file in case of errors before hand.

After you updated the file, you should see a banner that says “ file edited successfully”. Then click on your visit site button on the top of your WP dashboard.

Look for the location of the widget that you just installed. If you find it and it appears to fully work, you have successfully added a widget to your layout via PHP. If not, go back and see what you did wrong and make the proper edits as needed.

Let me know if you have any questions or want more info.

The other day I posted a blog post about how to speed up your PC, well today I am sharing a few examples of anti-virus and anti-spyware for you. It is important that you use both and not a two in one type. They will have flaws in it and will likely only give you more protection on one than the other. I should note that none of these companies are paying or asking me to promote them, this is all based on my opinion.

Anti-Virus

AVG- free and paid versions

I currently use AVG on all computers in my household and I am pleased with it. We use the free version of it and I find that it does a better job than Norton does.

Norton-$49.99

Norton is perhaps one of the better known anti-virus software out there. While it isn’t the cheapest option or most high priced, it does not catch that many viruses that come in on your computer. Still, it is a trusted product and should work fine for those who are light internet users.

Avast-free and paid versions

I have yet had a chance to use Avast, yet I have heard good things about it. If you have used it, leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Kaspersky-$59.95

Same as above for Avast.

Anti-Spyware/Adware

Spybot-Search and Destroy-free

I use Spybot and I really like it since it scans for adware, spyware and even viruses. I find what AVG does not catch, Spybot will. Computer techs even recommend this as one of top softwares.

Malwarebytes-free and paid versions

This one supposedly covers all threats on the web, but they do offer two different levels of protection. So the level of protection that you get will depend on which service you use. Feel free to leave comments about this one if you have used it.

Firewalls

Windows Firewall-free and standard on all Windows PC’s with XP or later

This firewall is not only free and standard, but it does a good job.

Comodo-free and paid versions

Comodo is one of the more popular brands out there and they do offer two versions so it can fit anyone’s budget. Let me know if you have used this product and what you thought in comments.

Please feel free to tell us of more products in the comments or have any questions. I should note that I am not being paid for to endorse these products by any means. This is just a guide for those who need these kind of products.

Getting the best from broadband

Being able to get online whenever and wherever you are located has become
something that many of us now take for granted. Not only can we get high-speed
internet from our homes and offices but, thanks to mobile broadband, we can
now also stay online if we’re out and about too.

Access to broadband services therefore means that all of us can enjoy the
benefits of the online world, allowing us to work and use our leisure time to
optimum effect. If you don’t already have broadband then it’s easy to get yourself
setup and running, thanks to a wealth of different options from Internet Service
Providers, or ISP’s, and they have a presence in most territories around the
world.

Selecting a broadband package can be a little bit bewildering as there are so
many variations on the theme, but a free comparison website, like Broadband
Genie, makes the perfect place to get started. Here you can view the different
deals and packages, check line speeds to see if your home is able to receive
a service, and also view reviews of products and broadband services from real
consumers.

Why bother with broadband?

The reasons for getting connected to broadband are fairly limitless, and anyone
who has it will invariably wonder how they managed when they were on the
much slower dial-up style services that used to be the norm. Broadband
connectivity offers an always-on connection, it’ll deliver higher speeds and
also allow you to experience all of the additional content that comes with faster
internet access.

Now that a lot of content, including television programmes, movies, music
and catch-up entertainment shows can be accessed online using these fast
connections a lot of people are centering their lives around the computer. With a
new PC it’s possible to enjoy all of these things at home or at work, while mobile
broadband allows you to do similar things on a slightly lesser scale even if you’re
away from home.

Broadband at home

Most broadband services to the home will arrive via a fixed-line route, like those
supplied via the BT network using ADSL technology or, alternatively, a cable
connection like that supplied by Virgin Media. Mobile broadband can also be
accessed at home, but you can take it with you when you go thanks to the
connectivity being supplied via the airwaves in the same way as you use your
mobile phone.

When looking at the availability of broadband services in your area then
you’ll need to do some homework, which is where the broadband comparison
website can really pay dividends. If you’re going down the route of ADSL via
BT telephone exchanges (along with other ISP’s who sell their own packages
through this system) then be sure to check things like expected line speed and
general availability.

Services can be affected if you’re further away from the exchange, and also if
your home has older style wiring along with numerous other factors that can
impede the quality of your broadband service. Similarly cable broadband is not
available everywhere either, although at present it can also be relied upon to
be faster and more powerful as much of the cable network utilizes fibre-optic
cabling.

What to expect

If you’re good to go in terms of being able to have broadband set up in your
home then you’ll need to compare prices and deals, as these change all
the time. The humble broadband comparison website can help point you in
the right direction on this front too. You’ll find that there’s generally a one-
off installation fee involved then a monthly charge for a fixed-contract period.

You’ll need to check the terms and conditions of any deals you like the sound
of though. There are often caps on monthly usage, which means that you have
certain limits on how much data you can upload and download. Heavy users,
who download endless movies and large files could be affected by this and it can
incur penalty charges or affect your service.

However, ISP’s always offer initiatives with new deals or if you’re moving to
another provider, so lookout for special bundle deals where you can get things
like TV, broadband and telephone in one package. You should also look out for
free kit that is needed for getting set up including modems, routers and software.
ISP’s will often throw a lot of this in free too.

Exploring mobile broadband

Good deals also come thick and fast in the mobile broadband world, with some
of the best offering free laptops if you sign up for a fixed contract period. Pay as you go mobile broadband can be a good idea if you want flexibility but not a contract; simply hook up a USB dongle device to a laptop or netbook and buy
some credit and you can get online without any kind of contract tie-in.

Mobile broadband can be used all over the world but the main thing is to lookout
for roaming charges as these can be very high. It’s often a very good idea to buy
mobile broadband access once you get to a country, rather than taking your own
dongle with you as these often don’t work abroad and if they do it could cost a lot
of money, even for brief periods online. As an example, if you’re looking for deals
down under then it’s a good idea to check out the Australian Broadband Genie
site for a great overview of services there. If you’re in the US then head over to www.broadbandinfo.com, who offer a wealth of information and selection of ‘Hot Broadband Deals’ to help you make the right choice.

About the author: Rob Clymo writes on behalf of www.broadbandgenie.co.uk, the independent comparison website for broadband and mobile broadband.

One of my readers asked me a really good question that many people probably would love to know more about. Everybody’s computer will slow down at some point and the more you use it-the more it will slow down. You can do a quick Google search for more info and you will come up with thousands of products, which promise to do so. But here is the catch; they want you to either download a program for that. The program will then give you “options” that are reportedly going to speed your system up, yet the real kicker is that they will not. Why, you may wonder? They will use more of your RAM and hard drive-as well as add more programs that will boot up along with your OS. Which is the main culprit in your computer slowing down in the first place? Here are a few tips on how you can speed it up, without adding more programs.

First thing is first, run an anti-virus scan and anti-adware/spyware scan. You should use two different products for that anyways, since either one is built for one or the other purpose. Use whichever one is your favorite or you can try Spybot and AVG(both are free).

Secondly, you should empty cookies and Internet temporary files. The way you do that will depend on what browser you use. If you use more than, do this will all browsers.

Thirdly, remove all programs and files that you do not need. Stuff that you do not use or use very often should be key here. Make sure that you do not remove any files that are created by your OS. For other files, back up music, videos and photos on to an external hard drive. Then delete them after you have backed them up.

Next, you can defrag your system. This can take hours depending on your system and how badly that it needs to be defragged.

Last but not least, you disable programs from start up. Depending on what OS you use, the way that you do this will vary. So use Google for that. Sometimes if you are like me, your startup folder will be empty-which is not a bad thing.

Share your tips or questions in the comments and I will try to do some how-to’s and resources very soon on this post. Also, if you have any tech questions or want to see a post on a certain topic, be sure to leave a comment or contact me.

I got the idea from my good friend Anna(aka: Shop In Chic) to have an tech/gadget advice column. So send me your tech or gadget questions and I will write a post about it. Sounds fun, right?

Send them at s_peel 00 @@@@ YaHo0 dot c0m

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is cracking down on cases of pirated video games for their consoles. Recently they announced that with their upcoming firmware update that if you use pirated video games(which is though who download and burn the disc for free) and have a modded console-you will be banned!

The firmware update with fix the console so that it cannot play the games at all. The only way to work around this is by not downloading the firmware update, but that would prevent online play. The choice will be for you to make.

Be warned and prepare for this upcoming upgrade. For those who do not use Xbox 360, be warned that other consoles may soon follow suite on this new policy.

Will this affect your console or not? Also, do you support Microsoft’s new policy?

Ever since blogging has become mainstream, many people(mostly journalist) have stated their disdain for bloggers. In fact, many have stated that bloggers are not a good source of info or they bend facts. Yet I would like to make a few points as a blogger about these claims that they make against bloggers. So let me begin!

1: Bloggers Are Not a Good Source

Most bloggers(including myself) get our news from either PR or sites that have journalist. Sometimes we do come up with our own topics and we can be more opinionated, yet that does not make bloggers a bad source of info.

2: Freebies For Reviews Is Wrong!

Many bloggers have gotten stuff for free, but many do not lie about the products. In addition, don’t many magazines get sent free stuff as well?

3: Bloggers Are Stealing Jobs

Again, this is not true. Many newspapers and magazines have started paying their journalist to blog for them as well. So that claim does not stand up. Also, it is very rare for a blogger to be hired by some big time newspaper or magazine to write for them. It does happen, but not as often.

If you can think of any more, please share them in the comments or your opinions. I think that bloggers should fight back the bad names that we have been given by the mainstream media. We need to show that we are more than just scammers or paid writers.

image source-freefoto.com