iPhone Download World

Apple Store’s new self-checkout: Nice, but not flawless

Apple's new EasyPay lets you check out your own items at the Apple Store.

(Credit:Apple)

Apple’s new EasyPay self-checkout feature lets you pay for your own items at the Apple store, but it doesn’t yet have all the kinks worked out–at least in my experience.

The EasyPay feature requires you to download the latest 2.0 version of the Apple Store app. to buy an item, you’re supposed to scan its barcode with youriPhone’s camera, at which point it’s added to your shopping cart. You then pay for your goods using the credit card associated with your Apple ID and iTunes account.

Beyond letting you pay for your own items, the app allows you to order a product online and then pick it up at your nearby store. But it was EasyPay that I was especially keen to try out.

Over the weekend I headed off to an Apple store where I picked up two accessories for my iPhone–an AC adapter and acar charger. An Apple rep asked if I wanted her to ring up the items, but I told her I was interested in trying the self-checkout.

I fired up the Apple Store app, expecting to find an EasyPay button or option somewhere easily accesible. But no such option appeared.

I searched every screen and option of the app but could find no way to trigger EasyPay. at that point, the Apple rep came by to see if she could help. she also scoured the app for some trace of EasyPay but came up empty. Eventually another Apple rep joined us, and then another. So the four of us started working together to figure out how to launch this feature.

Finally, one rep found anotheriPhone 4S with the updated Apple Store app and was able to open the EasyPay screen on her device. Comparing her phone with mine, she realized the problem. my phone did not have the Notification Service turned on for the Apple Store app, which is necessary for EasyPay to detect your current store location. to conserve power in light of the battery drain issue, I had disabled most of my Location Services.

From there, the process proceeded relatively smoothly.

With the app’s GPS feature enabled, it found the location of the Apple Store, allowing me to pull up the EasyPay screen. I positioned the camera in front of the barcode of the first item where the app scanned and registered it. The app then asked me for my Apple ID and for my credit card’s three-digit security code. once the payment went through, an electronic receipt appeared and was saved in the app’s EasyPay Receipts folder. I then paid for the second item using the same process and was able to walk out the door with both items in tow.

One limitation is that you can check out only one item at a time. So you have to go through the same steps for each item. That’s not a deal breaker if you’re buying just one or two items. But if you plan on Christmas shopping at your local Apple store for all your family and friends, then EasyPay may not be the quickest option.

Also note that you’ll need to bring your credit card with you or at least know your security code to make the purchase.

Another limitation is that EasyPay works only with the iPhone 4 and 4S. those of you with older iPhones or the iPad or iPod Touch are out of luck. I contacted Apple last week to find out why the option is only supported on the iPhone 4/4S, but the company never responded.

I do have to tip my hat to the Apple reps who helped me. None of them immediately knew why EasyPay was not working on my phone. But they spent considerable time and research trying to track down the issue until the one person came upon the solution. Fortunately, the store wasn’t too busy, so they didn’t have a cadre of customers waiting for them. But still, their efforts were laudable.

I think the experience is also a good reminder to those of us busy turning off notifications and other services on the iPhone in hopes of preserving battery power. You may just turn off a certain service not even realizing that you’ll need it at some crucial point.

Overall, EasyPay is a useful option. But whether it saves you time depends on the store itself. In a store with light customer traffic and several free reps, you’ll find it quicker paying the traditional way. But in a packed store where all the reps are busy, you’ll likely get out of the store faster going the self-checkout route.

Apple releases iOS 5.0.1 for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

Love the fact I’m able to update over air on the phone itself now. So awesome.

Posted by vultr3 on November 10, 2011 at 11:41 AM (PDT)

#1- have you done it yet? I was wondering who’s brave enough to try this. given Apple’s track record on iOS update problems, I think I’ll stick with the old-fashioned way of downloading and installing as separate operations.

Posted by rockmyplimsoul on November 10, 2011 at 12:09 PM (PDT)

#2-worked fine for me.

Posted by C on November 10, 2011 at 1:03 PM (PDT)

A) That was a fast release!B) Over-the-Air update was seamless and quick and just plain awesome.C) The fact that my 1st generation iPad, Einstein, has multitasking gestures has made my day :o) Woot!

Posted by Karrie on November 10, 2011 at 1:53 PM (PDT)

Didn’t fix spotlight search. maybe next time….

Posted by beetsnotbeats on November 10, 2011 at 2:25 PM (PDT)

Posted by Renate Schuch on November 10, 2011 at 2:31 PM (PDT)

I’m trying the OTA update now (9:55PM). It can’t possibly be any more borked than installing 5.0 was and, once again, somebody’s got to be the guinea pig in my household…

And @10:18 it was successfully completed. Don’t think it saved me any time, but the process did work without any monkey wrenches.

Posted by Code Monkey in Midstate new York on November 10, 2011 at 8:20 PM (PDT)

I too had my reservations about updating the “new” way. What’s the worst that could happen? have to start over? Worked flawlessly, took about 19 minutes from start to finish!

Posted by SpecialK41 in Texas on November 10, 2011 at 8:22 PM (PDT)

I tried the OTA over the air with a mix of expectation an scare……It worked perfectly with no problem at all.The only thing I noticed is that the information related with the expected remaining download time is completely useless.in my case moved during the download from a minimum of 21 minutes to “More than 5 hours”….in the ends it tools about half an hour.

Posted by smiduri on November 11, 2011 at 3:28 AM (PDT)

I started the download on my iMac, and a couple of hours later got an error message there was a failure. Started over again, and it zipped through in about 90 minutes. then it got to the point of extracting files…I think that’s what it said. 5 hours later, still extracting. I stopped, and started again. Seemed to be going much faster this time, but then got another error message, which was not listed in support as one of the error message numbers that I might encounter. At that point I restarted the computer, and hooked my iPad (1st gen.) up via USB, and this time everything went smoothly. Glad to see that over the air worked of most of you folks.

Posted by jibbs41 in Boston, MA on November 11, 2011 at 7:04 PM (PDT)

The OTA update worked flawlessly for me. From start to finish it took 12 minutes for my 32 GB iPhone 4 and 16 minutes for my 64 GB iPad 2.

Posted by Jim on November 11, 2011 at 8:03 PM (PDT)

Afraid Of Customized Fund? Not Immediately after These Guidelines!

Customized financial can occasionally step out of keep control of. if you’re in a negative predicament with acknowledgement or financial obligations, after the advice and ideas beneath can assist you win back having a path of guaranteed economic duty. Utilize the advice and apply it you know today to not use the demands that financial stress may bring.

Add your critical personal financial documents of the catastrophe headache. Circumvent beginning to geared up regarding for earthquakes such as earthquakes and hurricanes but neglect to incorporate there are assessments, loan reports, and health insurance policies. if one thing area to your dwelling or belongings, you will need users important personal financial things.

Use online instruments to assist you manage your money. A person might drop minor slides of printed that you re-write economic information on, but probabilities are that you always know and where your pc is. Retaining your economical strategies on your computer makes it much simpler to locate and keep an eye on and take care of.

To reduce emergencies killing your individual finances, pay out your potential future assurance initial. Set aside 10 or more percent of these pure paycheck for simple unexpected emergency personal savings or possibly a liquid fund saved in cash, not an financial. Unforeseen obligations are planning to occur, this way soon after do they hit your protective moat and not you anxiety and tension.

Try to avoid using your bank cards if at all possible. You’re going to be capable of have a much better narrative of income that you are ponying up if you are spending cash. this will will not only make it easier you’ll be able to keep an eye on points but allows you to stay away from acquiring interest on stuff that you purchase.

If you possibly can installment an automatic withdraw out of banking account into your financial savings myspace poker chips, you should absolutely get it done. In the event you apply that money away from before you view it inside your narrative balance, you are more unlikely to miss it when it’s not there and you will bear in mind to maneuver it to personal savings.

Supervise your pennies. A lot of people currently toss pennies faraway and won’t recognize that they’ll add up if you help save them. Every last single penny can create a difference in the end and they should be counted as part of your revenue. You will notice that capable supply a respectable amount of cash for your financial savings.

Will be refinance a home, do not totally reset the calendar. In case you made new to pay off your property in twenty years, evaluate your new options. You might capable of paying off your home loan in less time than that. most re-financing organizations assise their cheap loans onto the authentic ideas: carry refinancing as a way to look for a far better method.

Discover how extended you need to retain certain personal financial reports thus they never mess up your daily life. like, pay slips are just essential for the year up till you get your Watts-2 structure and then they can certainly be thrown before the up coming twelvemonth. will not keep hold of printed can easily you have to you need your financial existence to become ready, bear in mind?

Very own long-terms achievement in economical hoping, consider financial obligation business opportunities. should you have a student loan at 2% appreciation but you will get a 2.75Per-cent personal savings rate in almost any banking institution myspace poker chips, it makes a lot more economical ” sense ” all things considered to make the a minimum of monthly obligations, time saving a lump sum to pay it back fully. Coversely, any debt with a rate of interest regarding green savings fascination efficiency should get main concern.

no fax payday loans using a savings account

If you use an online payday loan or cash loan option, don’t forget to subtract the number of the auto loan or progress, and moreover charges, out of the examine ledger harmony immediately. The actual, having extra toss your in print equilibrium into negative statistics, it’ll cart as an endless reminder specifications that you need to make sure that amount is accounted for whenever your following immediately advance payment comes by means of.

Keep away from payday loans. They’re enormous cons and will fee exceedingly high rates of interest. Payday loans are often unlawful and can result in problems of the cash. In the case an emergency develops and decide to take out a quick payday loan, have knowledge of the high rates of interest they cost.

Uncontrollably . payday cash loans if at all possible. They fee silly levels of notice and may trap you within revolving front door of renewing them any time you can’t afford to repay it. look at any other choices, inclusive of inquiring friends and relations for support, before going for an online payday loan.

At all times stay away from payday cash loans. They’re scams with exceptionally high rates of interest and difficult pay the price going terms. Utilizing them can indicate having to set up notable properties for equity, for example an automobile, that you just very well may drop. Investigate every last option to borrow emergency cash prior to looking at a cash payday loan.

As you possibly can see, these tips are simple to begin and supremely suitable for any individual. Learning how to control your personal finances can make or crack you inside economy. Well off or not, you could follow purposeful advice so that you can delight in existence without having stressing about complete cash.

For more information on cash advances payday loans wiki, visit the author’s website at – instant cash advance inc.

Smartphone Prices Shrink as First-Time Buyer Numbers Increase

Smartphones used to be reserved for those wealthy enough to fork over hundreds of dollars for a handset — and over a grand each year to actually use said handset over a data connection. But the times, they are a-changin’.

Although the iPhone dominated smartphone sales last quarter — with the iPhone 4 and 3GS taking the number one and two spots, respectively — a new trend is taking shape: super-cheap smartphones for the masses.

The average price of smartphones has dropped for four consecutive quarters, down to its current price level of $135. The NPD Group found that for those who intended to buy a smartphone in the $200 to $250 range last quarter, 64 percent ended up getting a sub-$200 handset instead.

A combination of wider budget-friendly offerings and price-reduced older models are key to this trend. And with consumers clutching their pocketbooks ever tighter, it’s a welcome turn of events for those hoping to dive into the smartphone scene. Indeed, 59 percent of mobile phone purchases last quarter were smartphones (up from 46 percent of all mobile phone sales during the same quarter in 2010).

“We’re seeing that middle tier of advanced feature phones disappearing,” NPD’s executive director of industry analysis Ross Rubin says. Consumer priorities are changing, particularly for those enlisted in the dumbphone ranks. “Mobile connectivity is becoming so important that they’re making an investment on a better handset with a higher monthly fee,” Rubin says.

And just because these new handsets are labeled as “budget” doesn’t mean they’re completely lacking in the comforts of other smartphones. Models typically bear single-core processors, yes, and also have a smaller screen, but the displays aren’t impossibly small. They’re often 3.2 to 3.7 inches, which is within the iPhone realm of 3.5-inches, though much smaller than 4.3- or 4.5-inch plus Android stunners on the market.

That said, the new entry-level smartphones often include cheaper parts, which can make it more difficult for software upgrades. Other than those caveats, the new smartphones have most of what you need: a capacitive-touch display, a major mobile OS like Android, 4G capability, and even high-end features like 8-megapixel cameras.

AT&T in particular has had a lot of success with budget smartphones, like the dirt-cheap $30 Huawei Impulse 4G and $100 HTC Inspire, Rubin says. And even the iPhone is entering this new mid-range space: Although the iPhone 3GS has been available for cheap since the iPhone 4’s debut, Apple has stepped up its offerings in the budget department by now offering the iPhone 4 at a lowered price — and the iPhone 3GS for free.

Although a phone’s price can be a big hurdle, monthly data fees are really the offenders that continually take bites out of bank accounts. In fact, carriers are keenly aware that less-pricy data plans are important in converting feature phone users to smartphone users, and are wisely making concessions.

“Carriers seem committed to adjusting their pricing to get an even greater number of people using their wireless data,” Rubin says.

Sprint just lowered its pricing plans for non-smartphone mobile devices like tablets and mobile hotspots. Verizon also recently began an offer for double the data for the same price. this tactic seems directly targeted at current smartphone users looking to get a better deal than their current plan offers, but could certainly aid new smartphone owners worried about incurring overage fees. Prepaid smartphone data plans are also available.

Does that mean premium smartphone purchases are on the outs? Absolutely not. Apple has sold record numbers of its shiny new iPhone 4S, and the HTC EVO 3D and Motorola Droid 3 were the third and fourth most popular smartphones sold last quarter.

“In general, the handset market overall is saturated. Gains are coming from people switching smartphones or trading up from feature phones,” Rubin says.

For now, the bigger gain for carriers and handset-makers alike are through first-time smartphone buyers, and we’ll likely see more price-friendly options cropping up alongside premium models over the coming months.

More Top iPhone Apps

Last week, I went through a list of apps I like and use. But I couldn’t stop at just 14, so here’s a few more.

Other apps I use:

The Weather Channel (radar map and hourly forecasts… should I bring an umbrella?)

Yelp and Around Me are great apps to find and evaluate retail based on your location.

ESPN’s ScoreCenter, although not as much since the Mets imploded this year.

The Old School and Hangover apps from the movies still crack me up. there are lots of different apps for each film, so as long as you get one with soundbites, that’s all you need.

Fooducate allows you to scan the barcode on many food items to get a health rating based on the ingredients. I have used it on items in my home but have yet to use it in a store (probably because I don’t do most of the food shopping).

I have used Zipar once when I was out of the office and needed a car asap. it is faster than going to the website on your iPhone.

Shazam is really cool but I have only used it once to demonstrate it to my kids. Hold it up to a speaker playing music and it will tell you the song, album, and artist.

I have foursquare and have used it a few times, but not in a while.

I downloaded the paid (commercial free) version of Chess by Optime which has got me back into the game and makes a subway ride go by very quickly. Strangely, I won the first two games I played and have got my butt handed to me ever since.

A friend suggested EasySign as he says he uses it several times a day. I have yet to use it but can imagine it will be useful when I need something signed ASAP when out of the office.

Of course, I have a few apps for my kids for those emergencies when I need it to fight their boredom or just to get them to calm down. I also have another 20 apps on my phone that I didn’t mention and really don’t use.

What do I dislike about the iPhone? it is a terrific device that is quite fun. But it doesn’t come close to a BlackBerry-like device (with buttons) when it comes to typing. also, and totally unexplainable, if I try to delete an email when I don’t have a cell signal (like on the subway), I get a message that says unable to delete the email. This is unforgiveable. I can’t believe that the OS can’t be programmed to hold deleted emails until there is a signal.

I would love to hear what apps people are using and why.

The best sites for clickmas

The Irish Times – Monday, November 14, 2011

Your shopping is delivered to your door, a few clicks gets you the best price and with the wild and wacky selection of likely gifts on offer, there’s no excuse for giving a pair of socks. This list of favourite sites includes ones recommended by readers

’TIS THE season to be clever and the cleverest people will be doing at least some, if not all, of their Christmas shopping online. But with hundreds of thousands of websites touting for business and just a handful of big players hoovering up most of that business, it can be hard to find your way to the best, most unusual and best-value gifts.

Last week, we asked readers to recommend the sites they favoured and they came back with dozens of suggestions, some of which we had heard about and others which are soon to become the first port of call for all our Christmas shopping needs.

And before you say it, we do know that there are 41 sleeps until the big day and that Pricewatch is frequently to be found railing against the early-onset of good cheer but when it comes to shopping online, it is important to get it over with early.

While many Irish sites – and some international ones – have a very quick turnaround and can deliver to you within days of buying, the simplest thing is to shop early so you don’t spend Christmas week fretting and sweating about all those gifts which have yet to arrive. Inevitably the big players in e-tailing such as amazon.com, play.com and even ebay.com are going to be popular again with Irish shoppers over the coming weeks, but for the truly original present, you may need to cast your net wider.

NOTONTHEHIGHSTREET.COM

This UK-based site has a bewildering array of cute and kitsch gifts, suitable for everyone in the family. it is not a single shop but a portal for scores of online retailers (not all of whom deliver to Ireland). there is a Reclaimed Comic Decoupage chair for just under €400, but if a chair decorated with cut-outs from old comics (decoupage) is not for you, the site has thousands of other gifts, from less than a fiver to several thousand euro which you will not find on the High Street. we were particularly taken with the “30 best gifts” for him or her. it could make you look like the cleverest most thoughtful person in the world. .

This is not any old website. it is an online crafts marketplace which cares about more than just money. Its stated aim is to “enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers” and wants “to build a new economy and present a better choice”. we like the sound of that and we like that it has over 11 million registered users across 150 countries and at any one time is selling over 10 million items much of which is beautifully eclectic.

If you think your nearest and dearest is secretly pining for a motorised golf ball cleaner, Isotoner SmarTouch gloves (which allow you to use your touch screen phone without taking off your gloves) or a Darth Vader Lego mini-figure alarm clock, then look no further. there are also tents that look like VW camper vans (to confuse people at Electric Picnic next year), underwater disco lightshows and crooked tree houses, making this site one of the most wonderfully ridiculous online retailers we have ever come across. Prices range from less than €5 to more than €15,000 so there should be something to suit all tastes and budgets. the site says it scours the world looking for the “next big thing” and sells it before it makes it to the mass market. “it is our mission to always be first with the latest hot stuff,” they say, which is nice to know.

We love Hairy Baby. there are not many online retailers that can make us laugh but this is one and it has done so on more than one occasion. and all it does is sell T-shirts. Hilarious T-shirts that no-one outside of Ireland would find remotely funny or even understand. Our favourites right now? “Where’s Granddad?”, “Who said mass?”, “Who’s Taking the Horse to France” and “A1 Sharon” (but that’s just because the Snapper was on the telly last week). If you have never checked this site out then all we can say is you need to right that wrong as soon as you can.

If all you want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague away kit then look no further than this site. obviously football strips are not everyone’s thing but they are popular and going down this route for a gift will create the impression that you’re at least thinking outside the box. it sells replica jerseys from days gone by – we’re told that Manchester United’s 1968 European Cup winning team kit is very popular. the site is to be commended for not limiting itself to English football and if you want to find a 1950s Shamrock Rovers jersey or a Waterford United kit from the 1960s, you’ll find them here.

Boom-time presents at bust-time prices – that’s the promise made by this members-only sale site offering designer clobber at knock-down prices. you have to register for Brand Alley but in return for your personal details you can save up to 70 per cent on designer clothes, beauty, shoes and homeware. Its sales last for just a few days and not everything is great, by a long shot, but patient trawling could see you score an amazing present on the cheap.

An Irish site, this was set up in 2004 by a couple who were struggling to find good quality wooden toys which were fun and educational for babies, toddlers and preschool children. In the intervening years, the site has grown and now offers a host of creative and engaging toys for a wider age range. there are dolls’ houses, play kitchens, construction toys and train sets, arts and crafts, books and puzzles, bikes and rocking horses. Toys are categorised by age and developmental skills making it easy if you want a toy to help with a child’s reading, co-ordination or social skills.

We love this site as it contains completely mental things which we never realised we wanted – or knew existed – until we stopped by. There’s a portable iPhone charger with enough back-up power for up to five hours of calls for less than €20, Pac Man soap-on-a- rope and a Sound Asleep Pillow which has a speaker buried deep inside which is inaudible to anyone except the dozer. As we sat looking at the new electronic banking version of Monopoly on our desk, we came across Nostalgia Monopoly on the site. a replica of the original gameboard from one of the first editions of the game, it has vintage-looking components, a built-in banker’s tray and a visual history of the decades. we want one.

This site stresses that it’s the thought that counts and, luckily, they have put all the thought into it so you don’t have to. it was set up by two Cork sisters and has all manner of hilarious, ridiculous and very clever gifts, some of which are very good value. Last year we were taken by the possibly blasphemous salt and pepper grinders in the shape of some rather well known religious figures and while they are still for sale, they have been joined by hundreds of other presents that will wow you and make you laugh in equal measure.

This is not a shop but an online magazine “run by a few geeky ladies and gentlemen” who have too much time internet shopping so they can point you towards a “wide array of cool, fun, useful, and unique products”. the company’s philosophy is simple “we only want to display cool things you can buy on the web. when you visit ThisIsWhyImBroke, you’ll always see unique products that our staff was so fond of we felt it needed to be shared with you the viewer. many items listed on this site do return a small commission for product referral, however this is not the sole motivation for posting certain items.” fair enough.

This Irish-owned site sells gift vouchers as well as gifts which might make it useful if you’re buying for someone who has everything. because the site is local, sourcing “experience gifts” such as massages, hotel stays and spa treatments is easy and the range of Christmas hampers looks impressive.

Cosmetics for a fraction of the prices charged in Ireland. This site sells skincare, make-up and perfumes from brands such as Lancôme, Aveda, Redkin, Estée Lauder and Calvin Klein. the products are shipped from Asia so there is a good chance you’ll be hit for VAT and excise duty, which might take some of the gloss off the savings.

SCIENCEGALLERY.COM/SHOP

This is the online shop belonging to the Science Gallery in Dublin so it must sell a lot of gifts that only a physicist could love, right? wrong. This site is brilliant. it has bloodbath shower gel (red shower gel in a blood bag), incredibly funky looking toys and ornaments, a range of telescopes and dozens of other high and low brow gifts at prices which looked pretty competitive to us.

This is one of the UK’s leading online fashion stores and has all manner of catwalk-inspired women’s fashions at prices which are hard to beat on the High Street. it ships from the UK and charges in euro at – wait for this – the actual market rate. so if something costs £20 then it will cost €23.50. Marks Spencer and Tesco and the like could learn a thing or two about exchange rates from these people.

The gift genies are great. they sift through hundreds of websites, work out what is hot and what is not and then draw up lists of presents for boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, children, friends, colleagues and, um, mistresses (we are assured this category was kind of intended as a joke). the site does not actually sell anything but it will give you thousands of ideas you will never have had. it also works out what sites deliver to Ireland saving you the bother.

It does exactly what it says on the tin. you want cool little gadgets? You’ll find them here. On the homepage when we visited, the key products included a “speck fitted cookie camo iPhone 4 case, a world scratch map, and a griffin loop for the iPad.

Are you an annoying person? are you trying to buy a present for an annoying person? then this might well be the site for you. it has a whole category devoted to annoying people. and another one for lovers and one for kids and friends and partners. In short, it has presents for everyone in your life.

SHOPCREATOR. COM /MALL/NATIONALGALLERYOFIRELAND

It’s art innit. the official online shop of the National Gallery of Ireland has some wonderful books and prints for sale. we also liked the look of the children’s books. very good quality and not a Barbie adventure in sight. Result!

Fashion contact lenses? Check. a tankbot? Check. An arcade machine alarm clock? Check. This site may not have a huge amount of stock but what it sells is unusual and, if you choose wisely, you might find yourself with a present which has serious wow factor. the site seems pretty cheap too.

Pricewatch has actually paid cold hard cash for Annie West prints and we have been happy to do so for three reasons: they are hilarious, beautifully drawn and incredibly smart. all the collector’s edition prints are limited to 50, made to order by Giclée specialists and are supplied unframed.

Who wouldn’t love wine as a present? This UK-based site has many wines you might struggle to find closer to home. it delivers to the Republic, unlike many wine sellers based overseas, and readers have sung its praises.

THE GOLDEN RULES

1 NEVER FORGET that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you give your bank details to dansdodgydeals.com and hope to get a “genuine Rolex” by return, expect to be disappointed.

2 NEVER E-MAIL your credit card details to anyone and always check that the sites have a secure booking system. the page which asks for your financial details should have the url starter “https” – the “s” stands for secure.

3 IF a SITE is unfamiliar, check that the “contact us” page has full, real-world contact details, such as a valid address, telephone number, etc.

4 CHECK HOW the currency exchange rates are being calculated. If possible pay in euro. Credit card companies sometimes offer rates of exchange which are totally out of line with reality.

5 SPEND a few seconds Googling the name of sites which are new to you. If it throws up results which cast doubt on the bone fides of the site, you may want to walk away.

6 DON’T BE afraid to shop online – you actually have more rights shopping online than in the town centre. you can return items within seven days of receipt simply because you don’t like them.

7 ALWAYS CHECK the returns policy with an online retailer before committing to buy. If you can’t find them, look in the “frequently asked questions” area.

Sony Just Bought Its Future – SlashGear

Sony, with a $1.47bn check, just bought back its destiny. In agreeing to buy out Ericsson’s 50-percent stake in the Sony Ericsson smartphone partnership, the Japanese company brings to an end a decade of collaboration; more importantly, though, it buys the opportunity for Sony to come up to speed with its rivals and – if it leverages its strengths correctly – overtake Samsung, LG and even Apple in the consumer electronics market. “We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions” CEO Howard Stringer promised in the announcement, “that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment.” Big words, but Sony is one of the few companies that could ever deliver on them.

A lot has changed in the ten years since Sony and Ericsson inked their partnership, and I’m not just talking about that oft-quoted pivotal iPhone moment. High speed cellular networks have proliferated in North America, Asia and Europe, delivering 3G and increasingly 4G speeds not only in patches but more consistently across states and entire countries. meanwhile user expectations have snowballed, beyond simple calls and the occasional SMS to include multimedia messaging, email and multimedia, along with persistent access to a range of cloud stores containing music, video, documents and other data.

“No longer is it enough to slap Walkman branding on a basic cellphone and coast through the marketplace”

Then there’s hardware. A decade ago, sub-centimeter thick tablets with all-day battery life, big touchscreens and processors as fast as computers were, quite literally, the stuff of science fiction. Cameras have gone from being chunky, standalone gadgets to ubiquitous accessories. In short, no longer is it enough to slap “Walkman” branding and a headphone jack on a basic cellphone and expect it to coast through the marketplace.

Sony Ericsson had already confirmed it was shifting its focus exclusively to smartphones in 2012, betting the farm on Android and the increasing demand for handsets that do more than make calls and play music. nonetheless, the company had struggled as an also-ran, in many cases, against its Android contemporaries.

Samsung led the way in cutting edge hardware, a benefit of its considerable manufacturing heft, while HTC had been in many ways the consumer choice, its efforts with Sense the most compelling and thorough of the UI modifications. Motorola had its close relationship with Verizon Wireless, and now of course is slipping neatly into Google’s back pocket. In contrast, Sony Ericsson was beginning to look precariously balanced on the periphery, with no homegrown tablets – only cousins in Sony’s line-up – and word of increasing managerial tensions over how well-established brands like Walkman and PlayStation would be leveraged. all the time, Apple continued to build momentum as the wunderkind of the smartphone segment, the “obvious choice” for fashion following consumers.

“Sony has always been the most likely challenger to Apple”

Ironically, Sony has always been the most likely challenger to Apple; in fact in many ways it already had a head start. the company’s BRAVIA TVs are well respected, and their position in the gaming segment firmly cemented with the PlayStation range; the VAIO line-up is one of the rare computing exceptions to the adage that only Mac shoppers will pay for styling. Steve Jobs even admitted once that he looked to the Japanese company for inspiration in their consistency of design and purity of product message, factors which have waned over the years.

What Sony has struggled to do is capitalize in its potential, only now beginning to rise to the challenge of interconnectedness across its various ranges. the company’s Google TV products sank after making little impact to the smart TV segment, while PC sales across the board have been drearily unimpressive. Standalone MP3 players long ago lost their charm as first the iPod and then smartphones took over their functionality. Most promising has been the DLNA and universal remote support in the recent Sony tablets, taking functionality that has been around for some time but dressing it up in a way that makes it more compelling, more instantly appealing to consumers.

Android will undoubtedly play a significant role in Sony’s mobility future, and by bringing Sony Ericsson fully into the family fold the platform’s potential can be leveraged. with some clever integration between phones and tablets, for instance, Sony could leapfrog Samsung in tying together ownership of both, similar to how Apple has positioned iPhone and iPad as ideal companions. the Qriocity subscription-based streaming media service begins to look a whole lot more compelling when you have multiple devices you can use it on. Then there’s gaming, an area that Apple undoubtedly lags behind in today but is forever rumored to be targeting as the next Big Thing, and which has the potential for truly engaging multi-device functionality for the company who controls not only your console but your high-powered smartphone, PC and tablet.

In the end, it’s control over its own future that Sony so desperately needed: the flexibility to react to the market and rivals by itself, to develop devices it finally considers truly worthy of its coveted branding, and most importantly control over the speed at which it can act. Buying up Sony Ericsson isn’t the be-all and end-all of this story – in fact it’s just the start of it – but if Sony can deliver on its ambitious “four-screen strategy” of phones, tablets, computers and TVs it could well make this a two horse race between it and Apple.

Fosters.com – Dover NH, Rochester NH, Portsmouth NH, Laconia NH, Sanford ME

NEW YORK (AP) — Many travelers have a favorite item or gadget they can’t leave home without — the equivalent of a teddy bear for grown-ups. Maybe it’s the GPS, or the inflatable neck pillow, or the Kindle, or the wheeled bag. at holiday time, as we struggle to come up with the perfect present for everyone on our list, it’s worth considering which of our treasured travel bring-alongs might make a good gift for someone else.here are some favorites from folks who spend a lot of time away from home, as well as a look at a few new and interesting items from retailers that just might become tomorrow’s must-haves.Caroline Costello of IndependentTraveler.com recommends the Sittin’ Bag, which she describes as “a wonderful gift for an older traveler or someone with an injury or disability.” It’s a carry-on-size rolling suitcase with a fold-out seat attached to the side. Costello says it “provides a convenient place to rest in long airport security lines or busy train stations,” available at magellans.com/ for $155.”I love my XShot, an extender rod to take self-photos/video, which I do often on my portable video camera,” says Robert Reid, U.S. Travel Editor for Lonely Planet. “Everytime I use it, I get comments. ‘Hey what is THAT?’ So it’s an ice-breaker too.” XShot — xshot.com/, $30 — is a telescopic rod that attaches to digital cameras or handheld video cameras, allowing the shooter to be in the frame without stretching an arm out or asking a stranger to take the picture.Pauline Frommer, travel guidebook writer and founding editor of Frommers.com, says one of the “best travel gifts” she ever got was a Tumi plug adaptor that came from fellow travel writer and editor Adrien Glover. “It comes in a little black case and it has prongs that can be pushed in and out, so it works everywhere!” she said. “Really great when you’re traveling to two parts of the world in one trip, as I did recently. I used one setting for Ireland and another one for Poland.” the electric adaptor is $50 from tumi.com and offers four different plug configurations in one unit, good for 150 countries for powering devices like MP3 players, digital cameras and mobile phones.Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of CruiseCritic.com, who spends about as much time on ships and planes as she does at home, is an unabashed fan of J. Peterman’s Counterfeit Mailbag — jpeterman.com/Counterfeit-Mailbag, $349, leather. “There’s plenty of room for my laptop, iPad and other assorted key items” and it can “easily fit everything I need for a long-haul flight,” she said in an email from her latest destination, new Zealand.George Hobica of AirfareWatchdog.com identifies the popular Bose quiet Comfort Noise-Cancelling headphones, $300, bose.com, as “the only gadget I can’t live without … drowns out screaming babies and screaming cell phone users.”Bags and gadgets are also among the items retailers are recommending this season. the “Pan Am” TV show has gotten a mixed reception, but whether or not you like the show, it’s hard not to love the retro style of a blue and white Pan Am airline bag, $74, from wayfair.com.Wayfair.com also sells Smart Tubes, $19 for a set of two two-ounce containers in pretty pastel colors. They’re the perfect solution for travelers who want to decant a small amount of a favorite liquid or gel product for hair or skin from a large bottle at home into a small portable container that meets Transportation Security Administration regulations for air travel. the light bulb-shaped containers are extremely well-designed, with a tight closing cap that prevents spills and offers a wide mouth for filling up as well as a small squeeze hole for dispensing.Practical and stylish, Safe Skies Locks is selling TSA-approved luggage locks that turn any generic black bag on a luggage carousel into an instantly recognizable fashion statement. the locks come in a variety of patterns and colors, including zebra stripes, leopard spots, and colorful floral prints, $13-$15, safeskieslocks.com/store/.Here’s a clever gift idea from the B&B industry: the Getaway Gift Card from BedandBreakfast.com, available for $25 to $1,000 and good at more than 4,000 B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada. the website promises that the card won’t expire or reduce in value and has no blackout dates or hidden fees. It’s free to customize the card with your own photo and is ideal as a last-minute gift that can be delivered instantly online via email or printed out at home for presentation in person. You can also have it shipped to the recipient for free. Now through Nov. 22, when you buy a gift card of $250 or more, you get an additional free $50 gift card with the promo code GCBELLS50 at checkout.Flight 001, the fun and trendy travel retailer with stores in California, Chicago and new York as well as online at flight001.com, offers a colorful variety of luggage, gadgets and many other travel goodies for the holidays in wide range of prices and styles, but one of its best offerings this season makes a great gift for travelers who vacation in wine country and like to bring home a bottle. the VinniBag, $30, is a reusable bag with inflatable air chambers designed to protect and insulate fragile items. Wine bottles are a perfect fit but the bag can accommodate many other shapes and sizes, and it’s covered with transparent material for visual inspection without opening.Anne Banas at SmarterTravelMedia.com says she’s hoping Santa brings her a Solio Bolt charger. “I tried it out a couple of weeks ago,” she said. “It’s cute, seems to be well made, is compact and it works as described,” and is eco-friendly, versatile and packable. the charger has an on-board battery and rotating solar panels, and it can juice up from the sun, a USB port or the wall to power your phone, MP3 player, e-reader, GPS or camera, $70 from store.solio.com.They’re not solar-powered, but Duracell also has a variety of portable chargers — the Instant Charger, Powerhouse Charger and Pocket Charger — to provide hours of extra power when the battery runs out on an iPhone, BlackBerry or iPod. They connect via USB cords to the devices, and recharge via USB cord from a computer. They’re compact, lightweight and starting at $20, may be cheaper than extra batteries for gadgets. They’re also getting rave consumer reviews online from folks who are on the go all day or are facing long trips and dreading the prospect of an iPod or cell phone that’s run out of juice.

Why is Iphone Handset so Favorite among the Masses?

Apple Inc. has introduced iPhone sometime back in the market of smartphones. it has proved to be a huge success, as more and more people are now buying this handset because of its many advantages. Mobile application development have become great source of gaining customers and increasing sales, so iphone application development is also on the rise. This smartphone is capable of supporting huge number and variety of mobile applications.

The reason behind increased demand of iphones in the market is directly associated with its huge success. If history of iphones is seen, you would find that in starting only few hundreds of handsets where introduced in the market, but now the number have reached millions. from different parts of the world the iphone users download various applications from online stores.

Many small and big companies are now deriving benefits out of iphone application development services for their businesses. This phone supports the 3rd party application which gives it a unique identity. by using this application the users feel like having access to entire world’s information and data. the technology used in iphone is very advanced and user-friendly. People can directly download application to their handsets, this is one of the unique features of iphones.

With ever increasing demand of iphone application development, the demand of mobile application developers has also gone up. Companies do not want to loose business and want to explore wider customer base through the iphone handsets. These professionals understand the working and technology behind this smartphone and likewise develop the applications in the budget of the clients. Experienced mobile application developers with extensive knowledge of this technology can handle the iphone application development projects in a better way.

Due to iphones application development more jobs have been created in the market for the mobile application developers. Iphones are now available at discounted price and offers are given in order to attract more number of buyers. For both personal and professional use this handset is used by the people. This makes it a cost-effective thing to buy, also the costs of iphone application development have also gone down due to competition in the market.

In business community the uses of iphones have increased, this happened due to 3G and 4G spectrums being introduced by the telecommunications companies. the features of iphones are highly customized, thus mobile app developers experiment with its features. This smartphones allows its users to enjoy many online games, 3D versions and many more things.

Spinx Inc. Mobile App Development Company providing iPhone website, application and game development services with professional team of iPhone App Developer across the World.

Kia pimps its rides with sports themes at SEMA

Kia partnered with customizers to build sport-themed vehicles, including this Blake Griffin inspired Optima Hybrid.

(Credit:Antuan Goodwin/CNET)

LAS VEGAS–As the meme goes, “Yo dawg, I heard you like sports, so we put sports in yourcar so you can play while you drive.”

Kia seems to have taken a page out of late ’90s TV show “Pimp my Ride’s” book when it commissioned the six custom models unveiled today at the 2011 SEMA show. this selection of Optima Hybrids, Rios, and a Soul feature designs and accessories that are based on the golf, basketball, surfing, hockey, and, of course, motorsports.

LPGA golfer Michelle Wie's Kia Soul features embroided artwork created by Wie herself.

(Credit:Antuan Goodwin/CNET)

The first model unveiled was a the Hole In one Soul built by West Coast Customs under the supervision of LPGA golfer Michelle Wie. The small crossover features a custom illustration of Wie’s name and a colorful rendering of a collection of cute cartoon characters that were drawn by Wie herself. Inside, the colorful theme continues with a pink suede headliner, blue painted dashboard, and snow white leather seats that are embroidered with designs that match the hand-painted exterior graphics. The blue-on-white 20-inch wheels are also hand-painted. Out back, the Soul’s hatch has been filled with audio and video equipment, including a Diamond Audio speakers, sub, and amp package and a 26-inch Samsung TV on which bystanders can play a round of virtual golf using a Kinect-enabled MicrosoftXbox 360. when Wie wants to play an actual round of golf, she can bring a friend thanks to a pair of loaded golf bags that are color matched to the rest of the vehicle.

West Coast Customs also built a custom Kia Optima Hybrid for NBA All-Star Blake Griffin (the reason for choosing the Optima should be obvious). Griffin’s Kia features an orange paint job with details that mirror the texture of a basketball. The hood is adorned with a “Blake Griffin” logo, but the most obvious addition to this sedan is the small basketball goal that can be erected in its trunk. The floor of the trunk and the cabin are covered in hardwood to further echo the idea of a basketball court.

While WCC was building its cars, Antenna Magazine was working its magic on a pair of Kia Rio 5-door hatchbacks.

The Retro Surf Rio by Antenna Magazine features an assortment of accessories.

(Credit:Antuan Goodwin/CNET)

The first is the Retro Surf Rio 5-door, which features a surf theme inspired by the handmade wooden surfboard that adorns its Thule roof rack. The Rio features a sunset-metallic golden-brown paint (trust me, you’ve never seen brown paint look so good) and a wooden front splitter that matches the surfboard. Inside the Retro Surf Rio features more wooden accents and accessories and aniPhone inlayed into its center console. The rear seat features a rack filled with surfboard wax, sunblock, and other beach necessities. The rear hatch hides an iPad arcade cabinet for impromptu classic gaming sessions.

Antenna Magazine also took a stab at developing a Rio 5-door for fans of cold weather sports–hockey in particular. The Hockey-Hatch Forte 5-Door features a rear hatch with space for storing hockey jerseys, skates, and pads, as well as a pass though that allows a pair of hockey sticks to be stored and viewed from the rear seats. However, back seat passengers will be too busy staring at the two 7-inch headrest monitors as they play a round of EA Sports’ NHL12 on the Sony Playstation 3. Up front is a small cubby for storing a few hockey pucks (although, I’m not sure why you’d need quick access to them while driving) and cupholders big enough to hold a pair of sports drink bottles. outside, the bumper features hockey stick shaped LED accent lights and the whole car is slathered in an icy shade of blue paint.

Drivers can transform a new Rio 5-door into a grassroots racer with Kinetic Motorsport's $14,000 B-Spec package.

(Credit:Antuan Goodwin/CNET)

Finally, Kia got around to motorsports with the unveiling of the Rio 5-door B-Spec, which consists of an actual $14,000 racing spec package that can be purchased from Kia’s racing partner Kinetic Motorsports and installed on a new Rio 5-door (or Kinetic will install it for you for an additional $6,000. The B-spec package includes everything needed to convert the econobox into a racer including a roll cage kit, racing seat, quick-release steering wheel, racing harness, race shocks, lightweight wheels, spec-series tires, and oil sump pan expansion kit.

The last car unveiled was a high-performance Kia Optima Hybrid, which will serve as the pace car for United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) races. The car’s intake, exhaust, suspension, wheels, and tires have all been upgraded in the name of speed, while the paint, aerodynamics, and lights have been upgraded in the name of style. We’re not really sure what use a pace car would have for a 2,400-watt Infinity stereo system and rear-seat DVD entertainment with dual 7-inch monitors, but it’s got those as well.

Check out our photos from the floor of the 2011 SEMA show in Las Vegas for a closer look at each of Kia’s unveiled customs.