Using Your Iphone Abroad And Avoiding Data Roaming Charges

We have heard a lot of horror stories about people taking their beloved iphone abroad and on return being hit with huge phone bills due to data usage whilst on holiday. In one extreme example someone on a standard £35 contract received a monthly bill of over £1000! Thankfully it is very easy to avoid these excessive charges.

When travelling abroad you must consider what you are going to need? Will you need your phone to text or make calls? Or will you just be using your iphone for music? If you only want it for music the easiest thing you can do is switch your phone to airplane mode.

All you need to do is go to general settings and then switch on airplane mode (pictured below); you will not be able to make or receive calls but if you want to just switch it back off. However, if you need the iphone to take calls this is not the solution for you. Read on below.

If you want to take and make calls make sure you leave airplane mode switched off just use calls sparingly as you would any other phone. However, one thing that you will want to change is the roaming settings. As a default these are already switched off but it is well worth checking before you leave.

To check go to settings –> general settings –> Network and then make sure data roaming is switched off (see picture below). This will mean you will not have access to the internet or interactive services unless you are near a wireless network which in many cases is free

Of course if you need to use your iphone abroad including data there are other options available. For example o2 offer 50mb bolt ons for £50 which is much cheaper than if did not have it. AT &T also has similar options available.

Review of Current BBQ Gadgets

When the sun comes out, people, especially the British, are guaranteed to do the following:- Strip off their clothing (as much as possible, regardless of physique and usually whilst wandering around the high street), sunbathe till they turn a rosy shade of red, blare music that should have been left in the early nineties from their tinny stereos (so that everyone from at least three streets away can hear!) and have a barbecue.

  bbq gadgets

BBQs With Gadgets

Back in the old days, when Summers were Summers and men were men, the barbecue was the ultimate symbol of masculinity and provided hope to thousands of women who, somewhat naively, thought that their menfolk would take up the cooking full time. No such luck for them. However, in this modern age of equality, whilst the men continue to take pride in tossing their sausages over the barbecue, they may also be seen more regularly in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, the Summers may seem to be a little more drizzly than they were back in those days, but at least barbecue technology has improved. Indeed, not least because this year’s British Summer is set to buck the trend of recent years to be a real scorcher, the increased availability of barbecue gadgetry makes the whole process that much more enjoyable than it has been of late.

Take the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, for instance, which features two triple plated cooking grates, two large cooking areas (47cm diameter) and a porcelain enamel bowl and lid. Although this curious little barbeque will have most men bamboozled as to how to operate it, or indeed what it even is – it looks like a prop from the original Star Trek series – the Weber Smokey is a delightful little barbecue that offers the superb bonus of slowly smoking a whole chicken and ham at the same time – result! The Weber Smokey also comprises an anti-rust aluminium vent and fuel door, so it should not be a complete disaster if and when the heavens open…

Nevertheless, with fingers crossed, the sun will shine long enough for there to be plenty of barbecue action this Summer. The ingenious sausage holder gadget is something that can be purchased for existing barbecues and is really extremely useful. Usually comprising a stainless steel handle and room for four juicy bangers, this little device can thwart the misery of losing the only perfectly cooked sausage in the history of barbecuing down the side of the grill, onto the floor (though note the five second rule) or to a hungry magpie (seriously). Another superb gadget that is suitable for existing barbecues is the smoking box, which is placed directly on the barbecue coals and contains various woodchips that can be infused with various flavours, such as a favourite beer or sauce. The smouldering woodchips will enhance the flavour of the barbecued food.

If you have the urge to travel this Summer, the Grilliput Camping Set is the smallest barbecue on the market. Because it can be carried around easily, with compacted dimensions of just 29cm x 2.2cm for the Grilliput and 16cm x 16cm x 8.5cm for the Firebowl, this product is perfect for enjoying the real outdoor barbecue experience and can be set up on even the toughest of terrains. Let’s just hope you have not forgotten the matches, flint or firesteel lighter when you get to the top of that mountain.

Another ideal barbecue gadget is the Landmann 3 burner gas barbecue, which features several adjustable cast iron burners, cooking grill, hot plate, drip tray, rain cover, wind shield and a lava rock grid. Gas barbecues are becoming more popular in Britain because they tend to be the cleaner and more reliable product, although it is especially important to be able to monitor food temperatures on a gas barbecue. If a standalone thermometer is required, the Weber Barbecue Beeper Remote Digital Thermometer is an excellent little gadget that allows the barbecue chef to prepare other parts of the meal without worrying about the meat on the grill. Alternatively, if you are the type who likes poking the meat quite often but does not want to catch something nasty, tool up with an Instant Read Grill Fork with Thermometer for increased protection.

There really is no shortage of gadgetry that can be purchased for an existing barbecue and arguably the greatest invention of all time, including sliced bread and the wheel, is the Grillslinger Belt. Allowing the average man to feel more manly than a bare-chested face off between David Hasselhoff and Tom Selleck, the Grillslinger is a superb utility belt that has a compartment for each essential barbecue tool. A high quality knife, tongs and spatula are included with the belt, which is adjustable to a burger induced 60 inches. The Grillslinger reminds us all that barbecuing is man’s work!

Finally, when it comes to barbecuing this Summer, some people will demand only the very best. Indeed, both literal and figurative heavyweight barbecue aficionados cannot go far wrong with the Weber Summit S-650, which features 6 stainless steel burners, including a side burner, smoke box burner, infrared rotisserie burner and a spit fork rotisserie, in addition to a cooking area big enough for a whole farmyard of animals…

Sony X Series Walkman review

In the year 1978 the co-chairman of Sony decided that it would suit him well to be able to hear his favourite operas as he travelled on his transpacific plane journeys, and so, the Sony Walkman was born. For decades it not only dominated the portable music market but was the only option for anyone who wished to enjoy their music on the move. The Sony Walkman has changed a lot from the original cassette player, but to say it still dominates the market would be very far from the truth. The launch of the iPod and a variety of other MP3 players from leading technology providers has pushed Sony further and further from the limelight. Their only hope now seems to be to try something drastic and, as such, they have launched the Sony X series; straight into the feeding ground of the market-dominating iPod Touch. A stroke of genius or another failed attempt to add to the pile of Sony Walkman flops? To discover that we’ll need to find out exactly what the new series of Walkman offers.

The Sony Walkman X series boasts a 3 inch OLED touch screen, Wi-Fi internet access and digital noise cancelling. On first glance the new Walkman looks as attractive as you’d expect from a modern MP3 player. Its appearance is not so design focused as the iPod but comes across as having a more serious audio image. The screen size is smaller than the iPod Touch’s 3.5 inches but that shouldn’t put you off as the images are far crisper and more vibrant than its rival. The device gives the impression of being solidly built, complete with a unique glaze on the sides to please your fingertips as you hold it, and perhaps even save it dropping with over-exuberant touch screen action.

There are two models in the X series, one 16GB in size (costing £209) and one boasting an impressive 32GB (though costing a rather hefty £279), suitable for those with a larger than average music collection. The 16GB offering to the series would be able to store up to 4,000 songs or 60 hours of video. Double these figures for the 32GB model and you’re talking about an impressive amount of music.

An OLED (or Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen thrashes the closest rival out of the water in terms of picture clarity, providing an excellent platform for watching videos or studying pictures. Although the touch screen is generally responsive it is a little basic in comparison to the Touch’s, occasionally missing contact or taking longer to respond. The screen is also prone to smudging which could lead to prolonged periods of rubbing it on your jeans before showing it off. Fortunately not every action needs to utilise the touch screen. An assortment of hardware buttons on the top of the X series enables you to play, pause or skip with ease without endlessly removing the device from your pocket.

Possibly the pièce de résistance of the new Walkman is in the way that it plays music (what you’d expect from an MP3 player really!). Sony has added a new feature in their attempt to smite the giant Apple; that of in-built digital noise cancelling software. Pressing the switch on the right-hand side of the Walkman instantly provides a dulling of external noise even greater than that of the included headphones – that already do a reasonable job of cutting out the clatter. Unfortunately the noise cancelling is only compatible with the headphones that Sony does provide, so if you’re looking to use your own you won’t be able to enjoy this funky feature.

With Wi-Fi built into the X series, a web browser and a YouTube client you’ll be able to while away the hours browsing in whatever way you wish. The only barrier you may encounter is that of the somewhat frustrating keyboard. The headache of actually entering the required text might put you off struggling to search for that YouTube video that you so desperately desire to see. If you can get through the frustration you will probably be impressed with the fast-loading list of hits returned by your search.

Guitar Hero Metalica review

Metallica are the latest group to jump on the Guitar Hero bandwagon; following in the footsteps of Aerosmith. The newest title in the Guitar Hero series promises to fuel numerous hours of extravagant jumps from sofa to floor in the excitement of the moment, as people from around the world brandish their treasured plastic instruments.

Guitar Hero Metallica is compatible with all of the World Tour instruments; lead guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. It is also supported by all of the main consoles, Playstation 2 and 3, Xbox 360 and Wii, so no matter what your gaming preference might be you will be able to enjoy rocking the hours away at home to classic Metallica tunes.

The game play is similar to that in previous titles, with notes appearing on screen in time to the music. Lead and bass guitarists must press the coloured button on the fret of the guitar as directed on the screen whilst striking the strum bar. Drummers will be directed to beat the appropriate drum pad, or to kick their bass drum pedal. Whilst anyone braving the vocals will be tested upon the pitch of their notes as they sing down a plastic microphone to their all time favourite tracks. Each player will be scored in accordance with their instrument; too many notes missed and the track will be failed. On the other hand a successful set of notes or phrases will provide a scoring multiplier to enable anyone to quickly become the household musical master. Keeping consistency with the on-screen instructions will also grant you the benefit of filling up the Star Power meter which can be released at any moment to provide an even higher score multiplier.

Multiplayer modes are available, such as the Metallica-themed Battle mode boasting such power-ups as “Fade to Black” which unsurprisingly completely blackens the on-screen notes for the opposing player. A career mode is also available for those days that your friends and family have abandoned you to your own musical pursuit. Fans of the Guitar Hero series may well be pleased to hear that songs are unlocked quickly through the progression of the career mode, preventing the previous requirement to play through a host of uninteresting songs in an attempt to access all content and progress through the career.

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous in your music-making you can even take your talents to the world through the web. The best gamers from around the globe are ready and willing to smash your ego into the ground as you stand up to their challenge. Watch your worldwide ranking rise (or fall) as you spend more time against your rivals.

In an attempt to challenge even the most hardcore Guitar Hero fanatic, the latest edition of the game has been deemed the hardest to date. Don’t let that put you off, though, as there are still beginner modes for the inexperienced amongst us. Five difficulty levels are present as in the World Tour game; however Guitar Hero Metallica offers the additional challenge of an Expert+ mode for drummers. For those dedicated enough to pre-order the game a bonus of an additional foot pedal and splitter, to allow two pedals to be used, was provided to cater for this Expert+ mode.

Don’t be fooled by the title into thinking that only Metallica hits are present on the game. Just over half, 28 in total, of the offered music collection has been created by the named band including classics such as “Master of Puppets”, “One” and “Seek and Destroy”. The other 21 tracks have been chosen by Metallica themselves to offer an increased level of variety to the game. Granted if you aren’t a great Metallica fan this game may not be top of your Christmas list, but for die-hard fans and those neutral to the creations of the ferocious rock band there will be plenty to enjoy. Tracks are presented in a roughly chronological order with enough information about the individual songs and band available when replaying to satisfy the desires of any who want to learn a little more about such an iconic band.

Guitar Hero and World Tour remain expensive pursuits with the full band kit still costing around £135. But with simple yet addictive game play combined with the allure of being a member of your own plastic-wielding band, the sets still continue to sell. As to this particular offering to the Guitar Hero arena your enjoyment will certainly depend on your music taste. If you’ve always disliked Metallica chances are you may get on better with a different version, however, lovers of the band and the Guitar Hero games are sure to enjoy it as much, if not more, as its predecessors.

Activision DJ Hero preview

It’s time to put down your guitar and don your DJ gear with Activision’s latest offering in the Guitar Hero series. A uniquely designed turntable controller, game play following the winning formula of previous titles and a large and diverse soundtrack promise to make this game an interesting and entertaining choice upon its release. But will DJ Hero be good enough to knock its big, guitar-wielding brother off the top spot?

Turning the Tables on Traditional Controllers

The DJ Hero controller will consist of a wireless deck split into two sections. One section will contain a movable turntable complete with three “stream” buttons. In the other section you will find a cross fader, an effects dial and a “Euphoria” button. A hidden panel will contain those less interesting buttons required for functionality outside of the game. The two sections will be detachable to cater for the left handed music lovers of the population. And what’s more, all of the major gaming platforms, Playstation 2 & 3, Xbox 260 and Wii, will run DJ Hero – so no matter what your console of choice may be you will be able to play this title.

Mash up your Music

A single player career mode allows you to enjoy the game when you’re on your own. Alternatively you can enjoy the multi player facilities of DJ Hero with friends or family. Competitive and cooperative modes are available so whether you feel like working together for the benefit of your “audience”, or smashing your opponent into the ground with your awesome mash ups, you will be able to.

If you are familiar with the simple yet addictive game play of Guitar Hero then DJ Hero won’t come as a complete surprise to you. However it will be a new challenge to master the new controller. The player will be instructed to hold down one of the three stream buttons in accordance with notes travelling across a spinning record on the screen. Two of the stream buttons will play the two tracks that are being used in that particular mix, while the third button will play samples that can be thrown in when instructed. The effects dial is used to vary these samples. Don’t be fooled into thinking that pushing three buttons and occasionally twiddling a dial will make the game too easy; the current player is also responsible for constantly adjusting the cross fader to match the symbols displayed on-screen. At certain points in the track you may be required to incorporate scratching sections which will be demonstrated on screen as a series of up and down arrows. Holding down the button and moving the turntable forward and backward in time with the arrows on screen will earn additional points for the player.

Another degree of complexity is added to the game with the presence of “Euphoria”; the equivalent of Guitar Hero’s Star Power. Euphoria is earned by the successful completion of certain sections of the mix. It can be released by pressing the Euphoria button which will double the current player’s multiplier. A “Rewind” meter is also present and will continue to fill as long as the player is consistently successful in the creation of their mix. With the Rewind meter full, the option exists to effectively jump back in time, rewinding the song to fix any earlier errors. With all of this to keep in mind, as well as keeping up the performance meter to avoid failing the song, DJ Hero promises to be challenging enough to maintain interest.

Music for the Soul

100 songs will contribute to 80 different two-song mash ups providing plenty of variety. What’s more, every song to be included in DJ Hero has never been included in any other game in the Guitar Hero series, to provide something totally new to any avid supporters. Music ranging from hip hop to house, techno to soul and R&B to grunge will inevitably produce some entertaining mixes, while appeasing fans with a great variety of differing tastes in music. An impressive looking line-up includes tracks from the likes of the Gorillaz, Eminem, Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani and many, many more.

The Final Countdown

As the eagerly awaited release of DJ Hero draws ever closer, the question on the lips of many is whether it will be good enough to detract attention from the immensely popular Guitar Hero. An innovative design, interesting game play and popular play list are all attributes in its favour, but will the fans of all dance-related music genres covered by the game get behind it? Only time will tell.

Otterbox Blackberry curve 8300 series review

Let’s set the scene. You’re running late, that important meeting starts in half an hour and it’s going to take you that long just to get there! You grab your keys, straighten your jacket and attempt an elaborate manoeuvre to reach for your Blackberry even as you’re running for the door. Only it doesn’t quite work as anticipated and your beloved device plummets to your tiled kitchen floor. The story doesn’t end well. But never fear! Hope is at hand for the careless and the clumsy, or even just the unlucky, because Otterbox have released a new Impact Case for the Blackberry 8300 series. Granted, it doesn’t guarantee that it will protect your Blackberry from all misdemeanour’s – but it will certainly offer some protection for the fragility of the technology.

The slim design of the Otterbox Blackberry case is designed to be functional without the need for an overly bulky lump in your pocket. It’s inevitable that there will be some additional size with the case attached but it’s by no means the worst offering in the market. The case measures 4.32″ x 2.64″ x 0.85″ and weighs just 3oz on its own. The black colouring of the case and its somewhat sleek design mean that your Blackberry doesn’t look like a mobile phone that’s fallen out of the 1980s. Also the ergonomic feel and smooth texture promises a treat for the fingers as you hold and use it.

Three protective layers promise to encase your Blackberry in a layer of security with this Otterbox case. The first layer consists of a thermal formed protective and clear membrane designed to keep your screen and keys safe and free from scratches. Layer two is a hi-impact polycarbonate shell and finally layer three is a silicone skin to absorb bumps and shocks.

Clear instructions included with the Otterbox Blackberry Curve case will have you up and running in no time at all. There’s no need to worry about whether you’ll have access to the important bits and pieces on your device; this custom built case has holes in just the right places to allow access to the camera, sync/charge and headphone jacks, speaker, microphone and, somewhat essentially, the keyboard.

So you know that it’ll fit your phone comfortably and look fairly sleek, you know what it’s made of and, more importantly, you know that you’ll be able to access the important features. The question that remains is what the case actually does. Otterbox state that this case is not intended for protection against water and that it does not protect against dust. We’re informed that it will provide some added protection against bump and shock; the qualifier in place to ensure no legal action can be taken when the case is unable to protect the Blackberry brutally beaten with a sledgehammer. No doubt the layer of clear silicone that covers the screen and keys will prevent the somewhat inevitable scratches that have a tendency to creep onto even the most careful owner’s phone. The ingenious multi-layered design will certainly keep the edges and corners of the phone from unnecessary stresses and strains to maintain a permanent ‘as-new’ impression.

Alongside the case itself you’ll be given a few other bits and pieces to help with the ultimate protection of your Blackberry. A detailed installation card will provide all the instructions that you need to quickly and efficiently get the case onto the phone. A self-adhering clear film is enclosed for your phone along with a cleaning cloth. And just to sweeten the deal that little bit more Otterbox provides a one year warranty with their Impact Case for the unlikely event of a material or workmanship defect.

This Otterbox Blackberry Curve Impact Case will offer protection to the Blackberry Curve 8300, 8310, 8320 and 8330 models. As the case has been designed for this particular series you can be confident that it will fit to your own Blackberry perfectly.

If you’ve been searching for a way to keep your Blackberry Curve free from danger then this offering from Otterbox could be just the thing for you. Though it may seem that different makes and models of phone have recently taken over the market share that Blackberry once dominated there is still a dedicated Blackberry fan-base and, as such, a market for this Otterbox case. Otterbox may be a bit late with the release of this one but as they always say; better late than never!

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