Tag: .uk
Brits still like music CDs despite rise in Internet downloads
We’re still an nation who likes our CD collections, according to recent figures from the British Phonographic Industry.
Despite the rise in popularity of music downloading (both legal and not), nearly half of the people recently surveyed by PlusNet said that they thought it would be at least ten years until the CD becomes obsolete, with one n ten saying that the format would never die.
Brits not bored of SMS or MMS, and mobile Internet is taking off: research
The Mobile Data Association’s “state of the nation” report into how Brits are using mobile data suggests that — surprise, surprise — we’re not bored of texting or sending picture messaging. Mobile Internet is increasing in popularity, too.
During the whole of 2007, nearly 57 billion text messages were sent, along with half-a-billion picture messages. There were nearly 18 million mobile Internet users; around 23% of all mobile users in the UK.
On New Year’s Eve, 290 million text messages were sent — 30% up on NYE 2006 — while nearly two million video and picture messages were sent.
PC World/3 Mobile broadband offer now includes MacBook Air
Good news for anyone contemplating buying a MacBook Air, who is also looking for a decent mobile broadband package. PC World and 3 have announced that they’re extending their discounted PC offer to now include the slinky new MacBook Air.
Anyone signing up for the £35 per month mobile broadband service can now opt to get £250 off the new MacBook Air. That’s £100 less of a discount than other deals, but it’s still a saving worth having if you want the machine and were planning to make the most of the service as well.
As Stuart mentioned in the first announcement, it will otherwise end up costing you a lot more. Still, it’s not a bad way of getting hold of one of the most hotly talked about notebooks at a reduced price.
UK broadband prices at all-time low, levelling off
According to the latest survey by price comparison website uSwitch.com has found that average broadband prices have dropped by over one-third in four years. However, that’s your lot, apparently.
The bods at uSwitch reckon that no-one should now be paying more than £20 per month for standalone broadband. However, it can still be quite confusing to work out exactly what you’re getting when signing up for a service, particularly as some require a BT line, some come with other bundled services, others give you money off if you subscribe to other services, and they all seem to claim different “top speeds” and “fair usage” policies.
Rumours mount of 16GB UK iPhone going on sale today
And as usual, the rumours all seem to lead back to some grainy spy images allegedly snapped by an Apple Store staffer, which could just be a canny Photoshop job.
Brits mainly use their mobile phones for texting and voice calls
Despite the diverse range of mobile phone handsets boasting a myriad of advanced features, 60% of UK consumers still use their mobiles exclusively for sending text messages and making phone calls.
Three in five people who took part in the SNAPin Software survey said that they were simply not interested in using the other mobile services available on their phone, while nearly a third were confused about how they’d be billed, and one in five said they couldn’t be bothered to learn how to use new features.
Grand Theft Auto IV – coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 on April 29
Finally, the game the world has been waiting for has an official release date – GTA IV will arrive on April 29, and it’s such an important game it’s getting a simultaneous worldwide release.
Coming to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it was thought for a few worrying months that GTA IV might end up getting re-delayed back to the autumn, after it missed its Autumn 2007 original launch and was sent back to Spring 2008…
Dixons Group to stop selling analogue TVs
In a move which they claim is a first for a UK retailer, the Dixons Group (DSG International) has stopped placing orders with manufacturers for analogue TVs, which of course means that once their current stock is gone, they’ll only sell digital TVs.
They’ve also said that they won’t sell DVD recorders which have only an analogue TV tuner fitted.
It’s part of a committed effort by the chain, which includes high-street stores Currys and PC World, and Dixons online, to make customers aware of the digital switchover. They believe that almost one-third of tellies sold in the UK are still analogue, and while the majority of those can be converted to digital by adding a separate digital receiver such as Freeview or Sky, that’s not good enough.
Star Wars-branded Adidas Super Stars
It’s the time of the year when a man’s thoughts turn to what kind of new cool trainers he’s going to wear while not leaving the house this summer.
So you might want to consider these. They are about Star Wars. They use the Star Wars font, legally, and have the classic and proven chassis of the Adidas Super Star going-outside show for sporty people as a base. They will be ideal for putting on your feet and placing beneath any PC desk for 12 hours at a time.
Meet HECToR – the UK's fastest computer
HECToR is that room full of 60 cabinets to the left there. The cabinets are all linked up. Together they make one of Europe’s fastest supercomputers.
HECToR apparently has the power of 12,000 standard desktop PCs (or 250,000 if you base it on the one I’m using at the moment) and is now officially the UK’s fastest supercomputer. So as well as getting Crysis running at a really good frame rate…
