Blazing Minds » Technology

The Value Of Mobile Payments [INFOGRAPHIC]

John — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:08:42 +0000

It’s no secret that smartphone usage has increased considerably over the last few years, particularly in the UK and the United States. As a direct result of the internet browsing capabilities offered by modern smartphones, more and more people are now going online on their mobiles and even making purchases directly from their handsets.

The following infographic (put together by Cashlog) demonstrates just how popular mobile payments have become, and reveals some interesting and surprising statistics. For example, by 2020 there will be an incredible 10 billion mobile-connected devices, with mobile commerce rising 4,800% between 2010 and 2015 – it even predicts that mobile internet usage will exceed desktop usage by 2014, a statistic that would have seemed nearly impossible just a few years ago.

As always feel free to repost this infographic if you think your readers will find it useful, just please link back to Cashlog or the Blazing Minds website if you do.

The Value Of Mobile Payments [INFOGRAPHIC] is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

An Infographic On The Benefits Of Estimating Software Packages

John — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:00:39 +0000

For those of us who don’t work in an industry that involves making regular estimates (whether that be regarding time, money or materials), then the potential benefits of an estimating software suite will most likely be lost on us. For those that work in the plumbing, construction or electrical installation industries however, the benefits of utilising estimating suites can be considerable – often saving a contractor thousands of pounds each year.

So what exactly is estimating software? How does it work? What are the benefits of using it? Find out the answer to all these questions with the following infographic, put together by SEC Estimating:

If you’d like to repost the above infographic on your own site feel free to do so, just please consider linking back to SEC Estimating or the Blazing Minds website if you do.

Related posts:

Top 6 VoIP Benefits for the high Growth of your Business

The Broadcast Spectrum [INFOGRAPHIC]

Mobile Trends In 2012 [INFOGRAPHIC]

An Infographic On The Benefits Of Estimating Software Packages is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

Phone Hacking And The Proceeds Of Crime Act

John — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:41:56 +0000

The average man in the street would probably know by now that phone hacking is a crime in the U.K. The scandal emerging from News International and the ongoing coverage of the Leveson Enquiry have combined to push the issue to the forefront of public debate in Britain. Less well known are the punitive measures that might be applied to those who are found guilty of the offence.

Covertly accessing messages on a mobile phone is outlawed by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The act makes it a criminal offence to gain unauthorised access to information stored on communication systems, such as emails and voice message, without first having a search warrant granted or a production order. It’s this piece of law, which has been the basis of the successful prosecution of a number of investigative “journalists” this year.

The Proceeds of Crime Act gives the authorities the power to recover the value of the “benefit” derived from criminal activity. In some instances, the value of the benefit will be obvious and will amount to the whole of an offender’s income (ie in the case of a drug dealer who has no other source of income other than selling prohibited substances). In other circumstances the value of the benefit will be less obvious. For example, in the case of a journalist who has been retained by his employer, whose work included both legitimate and criminal conduct, the question of the possible application of the Proceeds of Crime Act is grey.

Should it come to be show that the executive officers of the businesses that employed the offending journalists were aware of the crimes being committed or even that they actively commissioned them, there will be a question of corporate criminal liability under section 79 of the 2000 Act. In fact, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act even makes culpable neglect a basis for criminal liability when it comes to phone hacking. So the question naturally arises, would the Proceeds of Crime Act have any application as well? Should the value of the benefit derived from the publication of information obtained illegally be confiscated? How would the authorities go about assessing the benefit?

Post by Jon from CoulsonReadLewis – specialist criminal, family law and divorce solicitors in Hereford.

Related posts:

Will Phone Technology Literally Kill Us?

6 Ways to Extend Your Phone’s Battery Life

LG Chocolate Touch a Gadget Phone Packed with Extras!

Phone Hacking And The Proceeds Of Crime Act is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

There’s An App For That, And There’s Probably A Greeting Card For It Too!

BigDaddyCash — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:03:45 +0000

When Henry Cole invented the Christmas card back in 1843 could he have imagined the multi million dollar industry the greeting cards business would become? Back then, when the Penny Post had only just been invented (before that you had to pay, per sheet of paper, to receive a letter, not send it), your only alternative was to write a letter and draw or decoupage a picture for your loved ones yourself.

In those days middle class children had a lot of time on their hands so creative crafts were commonplace; making dozens of greetings would have been quite natural to them. What Cole and his partner John Horsley did was to bring the burgeoning idea of mass production and automation to the festive season. They printed up two thousand cards with illustrations that we, today, wouldn’t find particularly Christmassy; they printed flowers, fairies and frolicking animals in an effort to remind people that spring would be arriving soon rather than remind people about the dreadful cold that was about. Remember, in those days it was thought that cold air itself was the cause of disease, hence the expression “to catch your death of cold.”

It took just over thirty years for the circumstances to be right for Louis Prang to be able to exploit the US market, in 1875 he started printing greetings cards but their popularity was to be his undoing. As has been the undoing of so many businesses his commitment to quality meant that quantity in the form of cheap inferior imitations flooded the market and he was forced out of business.

Post cards briefly threatened the greeting card monopoly on merry missives, originally plain, post card manufacturers began printing photographs and illustrations on their fronts but there was something about opening a card which arrived in a proper envelope, the mystery, the surprise, the potential for it to contain cash or cheques all made the Christmas card the paper product of choice.

I Pity The Fool Who Doesn't Love Santa!

Their case was helped hugely when Queen Victoria decided to produce an ‘Official Christmas Card’ late in the 1840s, a tradition which is still carried on today and in 1953 president Eisenhower instigated the first official White House card, these cards usually depict White House scenes rendered by prominent artists. This years card depicts The Obama family dog, Bo, resting by the fire with Christmas presents under a poinsettia or winter rose as it is sometimes known, on a table in the foreground. Of course Sarah Palin waded in on Fox (who else?) to start an argument criticising how the card wasn’t Christmassy enough, it doesn’t emphasise the Christian message of the season. However, some would say that the First Family were being diplomatic as the end of the year is a significant holiday for many religions and secular bodies rather than being a purely Christian celebration. Historically there have been many cards which reflected the season rather than any one particular religious affiliation, from both sides of the house. The Reagans even had one with Nancy sitting On Mr T’s knee. If that isn’t the real meaning of Christmas…

So, Cole and Horsley started the trend, but where is the now? There are cards for literally every occasion, not only for birthdays, passing or failing exams, driving tests and even congratulating people on their divorces. In the 1990s some businesses tried to introduce the ecard as a serious greetings proposition. They failed to take into account what had been the failing of the postcard, people like the mystery and surprise of opening the envelope, as well as having something to put on the mantle to look at and think of their correspondent, not have it buried under spam in their inbox.

The internet model that does seem to be working oddly harks back to the pre-mass produced days before the Christmas card. Today you can design your own cards, upload photos of your recipient, even write the sentiment that will be printed on the inside of the card and have it sent via the mail, therefore re-introducing the problems that the first Christmas cards were invented to overcome!

@DanCash is a features writer who lives by the sea. He’s also known as Grinch and Scrooge for his heartwarming attitude toward Christmas. But he’s just misanthropic is all, even his business cards say “word wrangler and grammar bully!”

Related posts:

Christmas Movies: Beyond The Traditional

Do we all have that Christmas Spirit?

The FuelMyBlog Friday Five!

There’s An App For That, And There’s Probably A Greeting Card For It Too! is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

What Should You Be Looking For When It Comes To Power Tools?

BigDaddyCash — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:30:41 +0000

Most of us don’t know what to look for when we’re buying power tools, There are plenty of gimmicky products which look lie they’re going to be really useful but then you get them home and you find that they’re not even worth the price you paid, not withstanding the massive discounts that have already been taken off.

Go with a brand you know. Household names are known throughout the land for a reason. If a company’s been trading for decades and it’s almost synonymous with the kind of tool you’re looking for then you can rest assured that it should be up to the job.

Buy with function in mind rather than form. You might find that there’s a decorative item on the market, I’ve seen floral print hammers and pink power drills in the past but do these novelties really beat the standard, rough and ready utility tools? Unlikely.

“Buy Cheap And You Pay Twice.” Buying ‘value’ usually means that the product is inferior. That doesn’t mean that discounts on RRPs aren’t good but flimsy tools which come out of the gate at a ‘competitive’ price will dull, blunt or break so quickly that you’ll wish you bought the brand name product in the first place.

Don’t just buy on reputation, buy on recommendation. Ask your builder, peek through the boards around building sites, look at trade magazines and websites. These are all ways of finding out what the professionals use and therefore the most likely to be more than fit for domestic requirements. If a professional tells you that a bank robber’s tool drill of choice comes from De Walt power tools since it can cut through a safe like a hot knife through butter it would be churlish to buy another high street brand which no-one recommends.

Start out with the basic package and don’t buy more than you need. Buying the full range of bits and heads for each and every power tool you can find might make you think you can now single handedly face any challenge that comes your way but in reality you’ll spend a lot of money on additionals that you’ll neither need, understand and much less use.

Look out for safety features. Circuit breakers, goggles, ear defenders, gloves, masks and kneepads are all things you should be getting at the same time as your first purchase. There’s no such thing as ‘too safe’ and it’s no fun to find out how little you know about a power tool’s operation by putting yourself in the ER the first time you get your shiny new ‘toy’ out of the box.

And finally, have fun with it! There’s a great deal of satisfaction to be had from doing things for yourself. It probably appeals to our most primal instincts but making things around the house that turn it from a building into a home is something which brings pride and joy to any human being. If you started your DIY career out of necessity you’ll have come to the realisation very suddenly that the ability to make and do things for yourself gives an immense amount of satisfaction, doing it really well is something that comes with time and always makes you feel great.

@DanCash is a features writer and ‘man about the house’ on the south coast of England.

No related posts.
What Should You Be Looking For When It Comes To Power Tools? is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

Top 6 VoIP Benefits for the high Growth of your Business

Allina — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:45:42 +0000

VoIP or we can call as Voice over Internet Protocol is the communicating technology that is being used to make and receive calls from all over the world. It is not limited by any place or time. The main thing of VoIP is that it is internet telephony and works only with the connection of internet. Internet connection is the only requirement to get connected with VoIP telephony. So, VoIP can be used on computers, laptops or on mobile phones. This technology is gaining success day by day. Most of the businesses shift to VoIP internet telephony by knowing the various benefits from it. Let us discuss some of its benefits in the following:

1.)    Economically suitable

One of the great features of VoIP is that it suits to everyone’s economic condition and this feature is specially considered by business organizations that have mostly overseas clients. Using VoIP internet telephony, one can save 80-90% on the regular phone bills. In this technology, long and far away calls are either free of cost or of very cheap. So, VoIP is very cost effective in nature.

2.)    Easily Portable

VoIP phones are easily portable to any place of the world. All you need is to have an internet connection and a computer system or laptop. It has nothing like wires and other heavy hardware. You can easily shift VoIP system from one place to another.

3.)    Scalable

When the business expands, you need to increase the telephone connections for easy communication but somehow it is very expensive process to take so many connections of regular telephone lines. So VoIP is the best option for businesses to grow their business communication. Using VoIP, one can create as many phone numbers and extensions as they want for using within the office and also between the office branches. It’s easy and not expensive.

4.)    Clear and hurdles free Communication

VoIP provides you hurdle free communication. The recommended bandwidth for using VoIP is 90mbps. The Voice quality of VoIP is very clear and properly audible. So, you can enjoy hurdle free and cheap communication with your clients by using VoIP Internet telephony.

5.)    Inter- branch communication free

VoIP is absolutely free in inter-branch communication. VoIP is good for developing businesses. All Call communication within the work area is absolutely free of cost.

6.)    Advanced features

There are also so many optional features in VoIP that can take according to your business requirements. These advanced features can help you to maintain the communication records. Some of the features are auto attendant, PC to Phone option, call conferencing, call forwarding, voice mail, and fax mail, International Blocking, do not disturb, customize message alert, Caller ID with name, keep number for Life and many more.

Roberta Smith writes for http://www.toyotaplace.com. She enjoys content and writing about the social sphere.

Related posts:

An Infographic On The Benefits Of Estimating Software Packages

High Street Or Super Highway? Where Will You Do Your Shopping In Future?

HOW TO: Solve Your High-Speed Internet Connection Slow Speed Problems

Top 6 VoIP Benefits for the high Growth of your Business is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

Flash vs HTML5 for Web Based Applications

Nishadha — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:00:01 +0000

Adobe recently announced that they will stop developing Flash mobile browser and this led to many Flash vs HTML5 debates. Steve Jobs, being a visionary predicted this a while ago. There is no question that HTML5 is the future and any web based application should aim for the future and migrate to HTML5. But it is still not a widespread technology and there are still millions of Flash applications so it is important to make your decision based on facts and not on the hype.

If you are web based applications there are few things you can do to determine the best course of action. The most important thing to remember here is that your customers don’t care about your product or the technology used in that product. What they care about is how your tool or application can solve their problem. The only exception to this is if you are selling to a geek community who are always looking for the latest technologies.

The first thing you should check is how many of your users are actually using mobile phones to access the application. This can be easily found out by using Google analytics. Go to Visitors -> Mobile -> Overview. If less than 1% of users are accessing them via mobile phones you don’t have to worry just yet. The type of the application also plays a major part when making this decision. One of my clients is Creately, a tool to draw diagrams online. Since drawing business diagrams require lot of interaction and screen space it is very unlikely that their customers will access the application through a mobile device. Some common sense also should be used when making the decision.

Another thing to check is the type of browsers your visitors are using. HTML5 is only supported by few modern browsers. Internet explorer is the most widely used browser in the world and most versions of Internet explored don’t support HTML5. If you’re a working in the technology industry it is easy to condemn Internet explorer and rave about the latest browsers. But the fact is most modern browsers don’t have a major market share and most users are content with IE. Your visitors’ browser usage can be analysed by going to Visitors -> Technology -> Browser & OS. If you don’t have Google analytic installed then you are missing out on lots of valuable data that can be used to improve your business.

If Google analytic data isn’t conclusive, then the next best thing is to simply ask your readers by doing a survey. You can giveaway some enticing prize to encourage participation. These tips will hopefully help you come to a decision about your web application, but it is important to build for the future, because HTML5 is the future.

No related posts.
Flash vs HTML5 for Web Based Applications is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

STOP! Don’t Put That There!

BigDaddyCash — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 07:56:34 +0000

My best friend who I never see (she lives in LA, I live in the UK) sent me a metallic purple mug in the mail one day, it glittered like a Christmas bauble and was near double size, holding nearly a pint of coffee. Of course it’s ruined now. I live in a shared house with a bunch of people to whom the dishwasher is known as “The Magic Washing Up Cupboard” so I guess they didn’t understand the legend printed on the bottom of the mug ‘do not place in dishwasher’ and went ahead and did exactly that.

My once glittering mug is now bland and grizzled with a few specks of metallic paint still clinging to it in heroic defiance. I don’t know who did it and they’re never going to own up. It’s just one of those things you have to put up with living in shared housing; cheap accommodation, no lack of company and all your nice stuff knackered.

When I was younger I had a particularly creative bent and one of the things I used to like to make was modelling clay lighter covers. The clay was a product called Fimo, you make your creation and then fire it in the oven so it goes hard. The covers I made came in the form of monsters, I’d make them for friends as they were cheap and every one was individual. I guess they were a good idea too because I heard about some-one who had tried to copy the idea, unfortunately it hadn’t occurred to them that they would need to take the monster off of the lighter before they fired it. They’d only been making one at the time so the explosion wasn’t so big, just a very loud bang and a terrible smell of burning plastic.

Every-one has heard about the woman who put her wet dog in the microwave to dry it out. No-one really believes it but it could happen, right?

Every now and again the news will report a cat or small child who’s climbed into a washing machine or tumble dryer and unfortunately not lived to tell the tale.

Putting things where things aren’t supposed to go isn’t a tragedy limited only to the accidental or ill informed either. Conservation organisation Forest and Bird lost 800 giant land snails that they were supposed to be looking after by keeping them in the fridge. Now tropical snails don’t belong in the fridge. They belong in trees and in warm, damp places. Their natural habitat was being destroyed by an open cast coal mine and so they were being moved and in transit some-one decided that a chiller would be a suitable resting place for them.

Another place where things aren’t supposed to go where things invariably get put are children’s noses. You can’t stop them, for some kids it verges on obsessional. If it’s about the size of a pea, up it goes. Particular favourites always seem to be legos, raisins, beads and small buttons. If you can see it you might be able to hook it out with tweezers, if not and the child is unable to blow it out by themselves you might want to try yourself. Fortunately the process doesn’t involve sucking, rather you cover the unaffected nostril and blow into the mouth rather like mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Of course that method doesn’t come with recommendation or endorsement, it’s just something you might want to try if the child is in distress and you are far from a hospital where they have the proper tools for pulling things out of children’s faces.

So, in future don’t put things where things aren’t supposed to go, read the instructions and check your washing machines tumble dryers, fridges and dishwashers before closing the doors.

This has been a public safety message from @DanCash

No related posts.
STOP! Don’t Put That There! is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

Hot New Appliances/Gadgets Xmas Gift List

Danielle — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:00:11 +0000

Anyone who had been to a shopping center or turned on a television in the last week has noticed the seasonal ads cropping-up. “Holiday shopping” begins earlier and earlier. Some consumers begin shopping as soon as stores start decorating with candy canes, other hold off until it gets deeper into the season. Either way, businesses use their most ruthless sales techniques in the winter and even if you aren’t shopping everyone starts building a little fantasy wish list in their heads.

The toys and gadgets that adults will be hoping for are pretty different than what kids want to find under the tree, but they are no less cool and often have even more bells and whistles. Whether they are more everyday appliances like stoves and microwaves or seasonal needs like fans and space heaters there are plenty of new appliances that will have adults jumping up and down too.

Original Babycakes Cupcake Maker

This adorable appliance can bake eight cupcakes in just five minutes. It has a non-stick coating so your confections should just slide out after baking but you can use paper cupcake cups too. Simply fill the cups with the batter of your choice and your creation will bake right up. Aside from the obvious sweet treats, this machine can also help you make muffins, tartlets, mini pies or many other creative creations. The system comes with a manual chocked-full of recipes and baking tips and cake decorating accessories. The Original Babycakes Cupcake Maker starts at $29.99.

Sharp Microwave Oven Drawer

This innovative appliance installs at drawer level just below the counter. The lower drawer makes it easy to lower something into the oven. Users can also stir hot objects without having to remove them from the oven. A view from the top gives you a better idea if your food item is done cooking or not. The drawer does feature a locking option so parents don’t have to worry about this very in-reach oven being abused while they are away.

The Sharp Microwave Oven Drawer goes for $1100.

The Babylone

If you didn’t know the Green Movement has made its place in interior design, then this piece proves it. This cutting edge lamp is also a planter. Depending on the plant you choose to put in it, the Babylone can quickly become a humidifier or air purifier. Greenworks produces this product and it is an obvious nod in their effort to bring the outdoors inside. The bottom of the planter is filled with pumice stone instead of soil. The stone has wonderful water retaining qualities so the plant doesn’t need watering often. This space-age fixture would make a forward-looking addition to any green or contemporary décor.

Danielle Rhodes, who blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands, enjoys spending her time keeping up with the latest innovations in home appliances.

No related posts.
Hot New Appliances/Gadgets Xmas Gift List is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

Bloggers Arm yourselves with Mobile Internet

BroadbandGenie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:32:49 +0000

While take up of mobile broadband has been strong on the UK, some people still don’t feel they really have a need for it. But if you’re a blogger, it’s safe to say that if you’re not getting online on the move, you’re probably missing out.

Ways To Get Online

There are two key ways to get yourself online on the move, the most common now being via a smartphone. It’s fair to say that the rise and rise of apps has been a massive boon for bloggers, and not only for the social networking opportunities that constant access to the likes of Twitter brings.

Blog sites have been quick to embrace the technology, with the likes of WordPress, Tumblr and Squarespace having dedicated apps so that you can blog on the go. You can also easily take pretty decent snaps with your smartphone, and then get them online straight away.

Modern Smartphones

But, even more simply, today’s smartphones let you get your ideas down – and even get opinions on them – as you have them. It’s fantastic to be able to just get your notes down and online in one easy move, even if you’re on the bus, in a tent, at a show – whatever you blog about you can blog from the scene.

Of course, going the extra mile and getting a mobile broadband deal offers you even more. While a smartphone slips into your pocket and is the ultimate in convenience, it doesn’t take long to lose patience with a tiny QWERTY or onscreen keyboard. For those of us whose blogs are more like novels, getting a mobile broadband USB dongle or Wi-Fi unit is a more preferable option.

A mobile broadband contract brings the full internet experience to you on the move, via a laptop, netbook, tablet – whichever you choose. It can also act as a fantastic back-up to your home broadband – or even a replacement. Just be sure you study each provider’s coverage checker before you decide on a supplier.

No matter what you blog about, you need to be dedicated, passionate, creative, connected and communicative. There’s no doubt that getting broadband on the move gives a massive boost to all of these traits when it comes to blogging – and for very little outlay. You owe it to your blog to at least look into the options.

Related posts:

Testing Your Internet with a Broadband Speed Test

The Value Of Mobile Payments [INFOGRAPHIC]

Great News! Blazing Minds now on your mobile!

Bloggers Arm yourselves with Mobile Internet is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

BlackBerry Down Again And The Complaints Hit Twitter!

Karen — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:59:02 +0000

Image by Blazing Minds via Flickr

Yesterday was a major day for those of us who have BlackBerry smartphones and I don’t just mean the ones that have them because of the name, but those that use the phones to communicate with work colleagues and receive emails that are used for business and much more.

BlackBerry Server Crashes!!!

So yesterday the BlackBerry server in Slough crashed causing services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to have some down town, 20 hours to be exact, and this caused problems for those using their BlackBerry phones for emails and messaging etc that run on the RIM server.

Lo And Behold A Second Crash!!

So early this morning it was announced that the BlackBerry server was back online, yippee and there was much rejoicing:

BlackBerry email services restored. Some users still experiencing delays with browsing and IM. Sorry for inconvenience. ^HF
October 10, 2011 10:10 pm via webReply RetweetFavorite
@BlackBerryHelp
Research In Motion

But a few hours later it was time Blackberry to crash again, so far nothing on the official BlackBerry twitters, but plenty coming through from Tweeters who are really not happy with this second downtime of the services.

Choosing #blackberry over iphone feels like when my dad went not for VHS, not even for Betamax, but for Video2000 as format of the future
October 11, 2011 12:05 pm via webReply RetweetFavorite
@iainmartin1
Iain Martin

Not even a customer message about the #BlackBerry outage today on the #Vodafone website, just an old 7.35am message about "service restored"
October 11, 2011 1:31 pm via webReply RetweetFavorite
@AntonySavvas
Antony Savvas

How can #Blackberry mess up with so many of their users in #India and #MiddleEast... Fix the damn connection, Idiots!
October 11, 2011 1:30 pm via webReply RetweetFavorite
@LifeOfZee
LifeofZee

A Lot Of Disgruntled Users!

So as you can see a lot of unhappy people who have serious issues with this downtime from BlackBerry, with many asking for the company to “get it sorted” and a lot deciding to leave BlackBerry for the iPhone!

There is no mention yet of why and how the Slough data centre has crashed and as I type there are no updates on @BlackBerry or @BlackBerryHelp.

So hopefully they will get this issue sorted out soon, with these problems they are having lately it makes you wonder if the recent loss of staff has anything to do with the downtime!

Contact With Orange, My Service Provider

I have to give my service provider Orange a mention here for keeping me up to date with text messages to my phone, the most recent being:

Hi from Orange, We’re sorry, some BlackBerry customers are still experiencing problems with sending & receiving emails, browsing the internet & using BlackBerry Messenger. BlackBerry are looking into this urgently and hope to resolve it soon, so there’s no need to get in touch. Thanks for your patience.

The BlackBerry Waiting Game

So now it’s all down to waiting patiently in a hope that when they do get everything up and running we won’t be treated to a third data centre issue, surely this would be a good time for BlackBerry to say, “Maybe we should have a back up system to connect to when this one goes down!”

Related articles

BlackBerry Services Goes Down, Cutting Off BlackBerry Users (slappybear.co.uk)

No related posts.
BlackBerry Down Again And The Complaints Hit Twitter! is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

Four Industries That Could Use a Facebook-esque Timeline

vanessa.burke — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:15:54 +0000

The new Facebook timeline will set up all of our digital messages, links, and music into one easy to view profile website. While the morality of posting everything you’ve ever done on the social network is somewhat questionable, there is no doubt that the site has become a virtual history book for our online lives.

If other companies started using technology like the timeline, Americans would become more proficient and informed consumers. The technology could also increase our education levels by creating more detailed progress reports for students, parents, and teachers to gauge. Here are a couple of the industries that could benefit their products with timeline social networks:

Meat Industry

The meat industry has come under a lot of heat because of documentaries like Food Inc and Fast Food Nation. The deplorable conditions of cattle, poultry, and pigs has turned a lot of people towards organic food, vegetarianism, and veganism. The meat industry and FDAshould develop a social network that allows people to track where their meat is coming from and the chemicals that have been put into it.

This would increase profits for the meat industry by making it more transparent. It would also turn a lot of people back onto the product because they know exactly what they are getting, making mystery meat a thing of the past.

Book Consumption

Amazon has recently introduced the Kindle Fire which uses cloud computing services in order to make recommendations and give access to an endless supply of streaming media options. This product will increase the literacy rates of America and make reading a more interactive experience than ever before. Instead of relying on books, newspapers, and magazines; you can read everything online and keep a detailed history of it. Children could see themselves progress from Dr. Seuss to The Outsiders to The Count of Monte Cristo over their educational careers.

Movies and TV

DVR, Netflix, and YouTube have already done a great job tracking what we watch on a daily basis. What if a company developed a tool that analyzed every program we watch, divided them all into easily digestible subsections, and rated our educational content vs. the entertainment we consume? By finding out how much and what kind of television we watch we might be more drawn to aPBS documentary over a laugh track sitcom.

Sandwich Orders

Click here to view the embedded video.

This might be one of the most superficial parts of the list, but it is a more efficient way to do business. Imagine yourself visiting the same place for lunch everyday and getting the same thing. By placing your order history and patterns into a timeline type of website, you can get your order faster and insure the quality and accuracy of the finished product.

While older people may be skeptical of these timeline innovations, a young person could use these technological breakthroughs as documentation of his or her entire life. This might be the permanent record fictionalized in popular culture.

No related posts.
Four Industries That Could Use a Facebook-esque Timeline is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

Food Tastes Better From A Kitchen That Costs More Than An Average Home

BigDaddyCash — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:30:27 +0000

Many people are thinking themselves lucky to have a job at the moment. Having a job is the new payrise for many people but then there are the others. Those others include the people who can afford to buy the Colosseo Oro by Marazzi Design. This fitted kitchen comes in a limited edition of ten and costs £300,000. More than the price of the average house in the UK.

Do people who can afford to spend that kind of money on a kitchen actually spend any time cooking? Or have they just bought their cook a really blinging workspace? The designers say that the target market for this object of desire is a confident, social food lover at the top end of the market who lies to entertain and make a statement. So, not people who think you can measure taste in pounds shillings and pence then? Paul Marazzi says not. Owner of the kitchen design firm who created this Sardanapalian scullery, Paul says that any kitchen’s value shouldn’t be judged monetarily. It should have “a soul and a presence, transforming the room into an emotional experience” which will be a “celebration of family life and convivial living.” And there I was attempting to microwave a ready meal!

Colosseo Oro.

Marazzi Design, who are based in London, showed their new design at Earls Court where a trade show for kitchen designers is currently taking place. It may be the epitome of cutting edge kitchens but what do you actually get for your money?

A Lot Of Lolly For Your Lunch

Of course you get an “Ultra luxurious” finish on your surfaces including crocodile embossed leather, twenty four carat gold leafing, metallic gloss appliances from Sub Zero and Wolf. (Proving the old adage that “if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it” their website gives nothing away, nor do those of their suppliers.) The kitchen doesn’t just have glass, how déclassé would that be? No, Colosseo Oro has ink stained Venetian gold glass. What else were you expecting? The cabinets and work surfaces have been finished with a dozen hand applied coats of lacquer and finished with a glitter effect to create a unique designer statement. The Swarovski crystal lighting is just there to complete the effect.

Does the mirrored steel oven hood improve the ventilation so much that it is worth every penny of its £8,000 price tag? Do designer taps which cost £6,000 turn your humble water into the finest mineral waters? Eau, what luxury!

@DanCash is a feature writer on a modest income who has a modest kitchen with a cheap washing machine  and a temperamental dishwasher. Finding £300 would be a stretch but £300,000? Still, one can dream…

Related posts:

Cut The Costs Of Luxury Breaks; Fly BA and Leave The Kids At Home!

Kick Your Kitchen Into The 21st Century

How To Keep Safe In The Kitchen

Food Tastes Better From A Kitchen That Costs More Than An Average Home is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

CommentLuv Premium Available NOW, A Bloggers Must Have WordPress Plugin

Karen — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:45:43 +0000

OFFER NEVER TO BE REPEATED. SO GET YOUR COPY NOW!!!

OK fellow bloggers today is the day and CommentLuv Premium gets it official launch and Andy Bailey, creator of the immensely popular CommentLuv plugin, has decided that CommentLuv Premium will be available for only 7 days for an amazingly low price!

Complete madness!!!

So now is the time to get your hands on what has become a a buzz amongst bloggers, including myself, that have been using CommentLuv Premium as it went through its BETA stage and believe me it’s fantastic

You may have already read the post I did about the forthcoming release of CommentLuv+ laast week and the fact that I could removed loads of plugins that CommentLuv Premium can do on it’s own.

With this 7 day release of the WordPress plugin you will get 8 plugins in 1 and also the benefit of a special offer that you can pay a ONE-TIME fee and being able to use the CommentLuv Premium on ALL YOUR BLOGS at a price that will never, yes I said never, NEVER BE OFFERED AGAIN!

You will also automatically become an affiliate when you purchase a copy of CommentLuv Premium, so what are you waiting for? Need to know a little more? Check out this video direct from the man himself Andy Bailey.

A Personal Testimony From Me

I’ve been using the original CommentLuv plugin since I started Blazing Minds and it’s always proved an essential part of my blogging, not only for myself, but for those visiting my blog, having the option to give something back to those that take the time to comment, is a way of saying thank you for commenting.

Now with the CommentLuv Premium plugin, I can now give more options to those commenting, such as letting them leave their Twitter name, giving their comments a bit of DoFollow Linky Luv.

I’ve now also got a handy system for trackback spam, all built in to the CommentLuv Premium plugin, plus, I have an option to give social network incentives, such as tweeting a post will allow readers to get a selection of more posts from their blog or to give them a DoFollow or even both.

Want To Get Your Hands On CommentLUv Premium?

It’s easy, for the next 7 days you can get it with all the bells and whistle and the chance to install it on as many of your blogs as you want, so that’s a multi-site license not a single site license.

Other Enticing Reason To Buy CommentLuv Premium

Social Eticements

A Superb Bonus Ebook

EXTRA ADDED BONUS FOR A SHORT TIME ONLY

No related posts.
CommentLuv Premium Available NOW, A Bloggers Must Have WordPress Plugin is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter

We Can Put Men on the Moon but Can’t Locate a Fallen Satellite?

Business.com — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:01:33 +0000

Space exploration is something that has wowed many of us for decades.

Whether it was putting a man on the Moon or constructing an international space station, man has done some amazing things beyond the planet Earth.

So, how then, could NASA lose track of where a fallen climate satellite finally came to rest this past weekend?

NASA’s Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) re-entered Earth’s atmosphere overnight last Friday officials believe somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Okay, we get it that the sea is extremely big, but too big to locate a satellite?

According to a NASA spokesman, officials may never know quite where the satellite, which was in the process of breaking up upon its descent, landed in the vast ocean. NASA officials point out that they and the U.S. Joint Space Operations Center at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base use ground-based radars and optical sensors at more than two dozen locations around the world to compile information regarding the whereabouts of dead satellites.

Remember Skylab?

This is not the first time an American space project has come back to Earth with fanfare. In 1979, America’s first space station, Skylab, fell to Earth, leaving a debris field over parts of Australia and in the Indian Ocean.

Space officials went on to note that given they have received no credible reports from witnesses on the ground in North America claiming to have seen the falling UARS satellite, they must reason that it fell somewhere over water. So can we conclude from this out of sight out of mind?

Launched some 20 years ago from the space shuttle Discovery to observe Earth’s ozone layer, the 6.5 ton satellite went out of commission six years ago. While much of it would have been ripped apart and burned up upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, officials say some two dozen or so pieces would have survived the fall.

As for the fear a person or persons would have been hit by the falling debris, NASA officials had put that risk at 1-in-3,200.

Keep Your Hands to Yourself

Lastly, should a piece have actually fallen on land or been located at sea, NASA informed the public that it was to contact the agency and not collect the material. As NASA sees it, the satellite is its property and that of the U.S. government, making it an unwise choice for someone to keep a piece for a souvenir.

While NASA says the satellite did not have any dangerous chemicals or radiological material on it, individuals who may find a piece of the debris could be injured in trying to retrieve it.

Given that the Earth is composed of 70 percent water, anyone up for a fishing trip?

No related posts.
We Can Put Men on the Moon but Can’t Locate a Fallen Satellite? is a post from Blazing Minds Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.

If you enjoy reading my blog, then please support me with a donation and Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter