i life Solutions is an awesome new home entertainment and home automation company that is taking home theatres to the next level. i life Solutions provides home cinema’s, multi-room audio and video, and control systems. These solutions are being places in home of the rich and famous, multi dwelling units and hotels and commercial projects.
i Life’s home cinema collection has some amazing projects (but im sure they dont come cheap). Projects can be found on the: River Thames, Bristol, St Albans, Totteridge and more. It seems like your basic home theatre setup will cost you around £10,000. I really wish I could afford to spend that on my living room, I cant even get my girlfriend to agree to a large screen tv.
St Albans is an iLife home automation technology solution. This offers a B&W 7.1 surround sound system complete with Denon amplifier / processor; Draper drop down screen; Sim 2 projector and Phillips Pronto control. This is great for anyone who loves their music and films.
If your looking for a home theatre solution and you have the pounds to shell out for quality, then you have to get in touch with i Life.
Musikki is a new musician directory which combines information from YouTube, Last.fm and more. On a typical Musikki page you can find music vides, tour dates, maps for tour dates, bio, twitter conversations, discography and more.
Musikki seems like a pretty good idea, but it feels like a cheap version of Last.fm at the moment. It needs to be a little more than just a simple music directory / search tool.
If typing “Artist Name” and “Band” into Google is way too much effort for you, it might behoove you to check out Musikki, a search engine especially for bands.Although simple — and still in the beta stage — Musikki is an odd delight to use: Simply search for a band to surface videos, tweets containing the band’s name, Last.fm events, bio, discography and photos.
Also — and this is probably the coolest part — the service suggests similar or related artists. A search for “Total Slacker” reminded me of the existence of Philip Seymour Hoffman (the band), which I promptly downloaded.
One can also share band search results via Facebook and Twitter.
Again, Musikki is nothing fancy at present, and still appears to have some bugs — a search for “Man Man” delivered The Tallest Man on Earth’s discography — but it’s definitely an amusing way to cruise for music.
Google Offers is expanding in the USA today. Google Offers is the daily deal service from Google that has been hyped up, but doesnt seem to have grown like the other services in the market. Anyways.. Google Offers will soon be available in Charlotte, Kansas City, Milwaukee, San Antonio and Tampa.
You can check all the debut deals for the new cities here and sign for the service over at www.google.com/offers.
If there’s one thing that CES is good for, it helps build up feverish anticipation for the latest consumer gadgets soon to hit the market in the coming year. Many devices stood out during this year’s convention, but few garnered as much critical praise as the Nokia Lumia 900. It’s got the goods required to make it one of the top-selling smart phones of 2012, and can easily do so as AT&T’s network continues to improve. Why is the Nokia Lumia 900 so widely-lauded? Let’s take a look at the relevant information, and you can decide for yourself whether or not the hype is justified.
Hardware and Features
Under the hood, the Lumia 900 boasts a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and 16 GB of on-board storage. It sports front and rear-facing cameras as you’d expect from any phone, as well as a few aesthetic touches that are lacking in other phones on the market at the moment for the same price. One thing that strikes you immediately when seeing the Lumia 900 for the first time is its effortless class. It just looks solid, despite the lack of brushed aluminum. It’s one of the slimmest smartphones phones available on the market, and comes in a distinctive cyan tone that’s tough to forget.
Software, UI, and More
Once released into the wild, the Lumia 900 will be running the excellent Windows Phone 7.5 operating system, one that’s gaining market share and consumers every day. According to MBA Online, Understanding market context is necessary for implementing innovative products. Microsoft understood that a competitive operating system today needed visible icons and informative home screens, and Windows Phone does just that. That alone should give potential buyers a reason to at least give it a shot. Aside from WP7′s technical merits, it’s particularly peppy on the Lumia 900. Microsoft doesn’t really get enough credit for WP7, because it really is a decent operating system. It looks great, and performs even better. It’s a bit of a change of pace from Android or iOS, but it’s well worth making the effort. Mango’s tile-based interface is easily one of the slickest mobile experiences you can get nowadays.
Network and Carriers
Like the Nokia Lumia 710 before it, the 900 will come on AT&T’s still-evolving 4G network. At present, the 4G layout of AT&T’s wireless setup is obviously behind that of Verizon. However, that’s hardly the drawback that many make it out to be. AT&T offers much the same speeds that can be achieved in certain areas on Verizon, though that’s more or less only applicable in urban areas. Elsewhere, you’ll have to rely on Ma Bell’s 3G HSPA+ service to get you through the night. Still, 3G with AT&T can be appreciably better than with other networks, as some field tests will attest.
Final Thoughts
The Nokia Lumia 900 has many things going for it, and none of them are particularly superlative in their own categories. The hardware isn’t dominant, the operating system isn’t Android, and AT&T isn’t really the best 4G network. The Lumia 900 is generating such massive levels of enthusiasm due in large part to its flawless execution. Some times these things happen by design, and other times by happenstance. Regardless, the Lumia 900 running WP7 is one of the most promising phones of 2012. Absent a gigantic solar flare that renders the world’s telecommunications infrastructure useless, it’ll be a hit because it’s one of the best overall phones to come along in a long time.
There are a number of problems people can have with their eyesight. They might be colorblind and so have trouble viewing certain sites. They could be legally blind and so unable to see anything, instead using a reader to help them navigate the web. Or, they could just have vision problems or “old eyes”, their sight deteriorating over time.
Whatever the case, if you are one of these people you might be wanting to make your computer a little more user friendly. Here are a couple of handy tools to help you along.
Are you tired of having to squint your eyes at the computer screen? Do you find yourself unable to turn the font size up high enough? This Firefox addon allows you to zoom in and out of sites either globally, or on a per-page basis. You are able to override the default of the site on text only and full page formats, and change foreground and background colors to your specifications.
Whether you have poor eyesight or difficulty focusing on text, this program for Windows can really help you. It isolates text and restructures it in an easier to view format that will keep you concentrating and reducing eye strain. It can be applied to compatible Windows applications such as Word, Notepad, Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.
URL’s are hard to read at the best of times, but when you have trouble with your vision it is especially difficult. The address bar can be increased, however, using this nifty little add on. It is compatible with the latest version of Firefox, and there is no configuration needed. Just download it and enjoy the larger URL bar.
Are you making a website and you want to make sure colorblind users are able to view it? Vischeck is an excellent program that simulates colorblindness in various forms, showing you want sites and images look like for someone who cannot properly process certain tones and shades.
This is a default format override addon for Firefox. It allows you to choose the layout, background color, font color and size of text and images. They have a manual select feature for simplified versions of the same text, as well.
Conclusion
You don’t have to strain your eyes or avoid certain sites. These tools are great for increasing the readability of any web page. What are some of the tools you use? Let us know in the comments.
Annie is a geeky blogger for Direct Sight, the premiere supplier of cheap glasses based in the UK.
I don’t know if there is anything I hate quite as much as listening to traffic reports on the radio. The grating voices, the lightning-fast run down and the annoying background noise make it impossible for me to keep track of what it is they are telling me. Especially if I want to think back to what they said before making a route choice.
Besides, in the world of satellite radio and in-car MP3 players, who listens to the AM/FM format while driving anymore? But I, like most, still love traveling by car, and so traffic jams are always a risk. Checking the net for traffic information isn’t helpful if you can’t do it on the road, with conditions changing through the day and a sudden accident enough to lock up a freeway for hours.
That is why I have turned – as I so often do – to my Android phone and the many apps that have been created to maximize convenience in today’s busy world. It is great that they now have traveling and traffic apps, because this smartphone is in my hand so often that my family probably thinks a prankster has super glued it there.
Here are some of the best apps for avoiding traffic jams to download onto your Android phone:
This can officially be labeled a classic choice. Google is the single largest web company around, and they are famous for their many products. One of their most used is their Google Maps, which you can now get on your phone.
You get the usual features of looking up any area on a map grid, but there is also a navigation aspect that they have on the program itself, which will give you good directions. It will also let you know of any traffic problems in the area so you can find and follow an alternative route.
A handy GPS unit, Waze is socially based, just like all of the biggest Internet products. It works by allowing you and other drivers to build interactive maps based on the on-board GPS unit in your Android phone.
They have a navigation tool to plan rroutes for walking, running and driving, as well as real time traffic updates to avoid trouble spots. But it tends to have more information than some other apps, such as information on local areas and a social networking feature.
Where is like an all-in-one travel app. Not only does it give you current traffic conditions updated in real time, but you can find local restaurants, events, places of interest, deals and offers from nearby businesses and more.
You can save personalized ”favorites” that keep track of spots you visit often to target results when accessed, such as any accidents or slowdowns on the way there.
There’s a similar app for iPhone coming later this year from Cheaphotels.org.
Conclusion
Don’t get stuck in traffic, or stuck listening for a quickly-spoke traffic report on the radio. If you have an Android phone, the details are just a few clicks away. What are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments.
When it comes to entertaining or taking care of pets, nothing is too much, not even the craziest iPhone apps for animal lovers! So if you have a cat or dog and want to get familiar with some of the most popular tools and apps used for improving their health and mood and for immortalizing the best moments of your animal, take a look at the list below!
By installing this app on your iPhone you get a professional veterinarian’s opinion on any concern and doubt you may have regarding your pets. The answers are provided by a team of specialists from the Caldas Veterinary Hospital in Brazil, one of the oldest vet centers in the world with more than 73 years of experience. Although you don’t have to pay for the consultation itself, you are charged a variable fee depending on the number of questions you ask.
Whenever you need some emergency information regarding your kittens or puppies, this app is the perfect tool to use! Providing valuable pieces of advice, pictures and detailed videos that explain you, step by step, how to give your dog or cat the first aid when dealing with cuts, bleeding, bruises, choking or shock. Very useful for anyone who wants to be always ready to help their pet, this iPhone app is definitely worth the money!
As crazy as it sounds, this app does exactly what it claims to: It translates your dog’s “words” and helps you learn the doggish language for free! All you have to do is record your dog or puppy’s bark and then let the app do its job and analyze the recorded sounds. In the end, the Dog Translator gives you the English translation of your pet’s barks.
Somehow similar to the previous app, Pet Acoustics gives you the perfect sounds and music for your pets’ entertainment. Whether you want your cat to fall asleep listening to a calming and relaxing music or you want your dog to get rid of all the stress caused by thunderstorms and loud noises, this app is the best tool you can use.
One of the best camera apps for taking snapshots of your cats, dogs, horses or parrots, PetSnap is very easy to use and features more than 30 different sounds specially created to attract your pet’s attention for the coolest pictures possible! From meows and woofs to bell rings, this app provides all you need for creating wonderful photos of your animals:
Last on the list of fun iPhone apps for animal lovers is Petcentric, a tool that helps you identify pet friendly locales in your area, whether you look for hotels, bars or restaurants. You can also locate pet stores and sitters, animal shelters, parks for dogs and cats, groomers and vets or you can add new locations that aren’t registered in the app already. Besides these features, the app also allows you to take pictures, read articles or watch videos with useful information on your pets.
There are, of course, lots of other apps you can use for keeping track of your pets so it’s up to you to find the ones that suit your taste and needs the best!
Sonia Tracy is the content editor for PsPrint and editor of PsPrint Printing and Design Blog. PsPrint is an online printing company, which you can follow on Twitter and Facebook.
Social sharing applications are starting to get more intriguing as new startups formulate novel ways of letting people interact and display their interests. While Facebook and Twitter are terrific ways for bachelor’s or masters degree students to keep in touch with their friends and family, they’re not as interactive as other services when it comes to sharing. Many people are interested in what their peers are looking at, which is why social bookmarking platforms like Stumbleupon, Delicious and Reddit have become so popular. However the makers of Pinterest have taken this idea a step further by creating a visual bookmarking site that allows users to categorize web content by image.
What is Pinterest?
In a nutshell, Pinterest is a digital mind map that allows users to submit photos of products and places they find and like online. Once you’ve signed up and logged in, you can edit your profile to include interests and other information about yourself. Currently an invite-only service, those interested in signing up can request an invite either directly from Pinterest or from a Pinterest member. At present Pinterest is run by a seven person team, so resources are limited. However they are to refine the service before opening it up to the public.
How Pinterest is Different
Pinterest is fairly underground at the moment, but it’s attracted a lot of interest already from tech-savvy users and critics alike. Unlike other social media platforms, Pinterest gives you a number of options when it comes to discovering new content. A user can create collections of different items that they like, and other users can choose to either follow that collection or follow the likes of the person that posted them. Items posted on Pinterest can also be commented on by users, giving each collection a forum or community feel that’s lacking in Twitter.
Design and Layout
The design of Pinterest is similar to Google+ in many respects. The layout of the site strips away decorative elements and lets content speak for itself. It’s clean, simple and attractive, and is extremely fast and responsive in everyday usage. Every image post supports comment threads which you can expand by clicking on its tab. Likewise, the manner in which Pinterest is designed makes planning for events or compiling shopping lists easy and intuitive. Basically, Pinterest is a digital cork board that can be rearranged by using the built-in search capabilities to bring up new images.
Final Thoughts
Pinterest is a highly visual way of allowing users to find things that interest them in the quickest manner possible. These days, the web is moving away from search and opting for discovery instead. Thus, expect services like Pinterest to garner more interest from casual web surfers as they learn what such visual discovery tools can bring to the table. While Pinterest attracted an overwhelmingly female following at the outset, it’s catching on with techies and other demographics as well thanks to its innovative concept and design. You’ll no doubt be hearing more about Pinterest in the coming months.
Unboxing of the limited edition Nokia Lumia 800 Dark Night Rises. This version of the Nokia Lumia 800 ties in with Batman, The Dark Night Rises. The phone wont be for sale and there is only 40 made worldwide.
There has been a lot of talk about Windows 8 recent, as it was announced that Windows Store will be integrated into all Microsoft products including Windows 8. However, when this was announced they accidently released that the Windows 8 beta will be available in late February 2012. Obviously Microsoft is yet to officially confirm this, but it is nearly 100% accurate.
This release date is much less consistent with a August or September release, so we are expecting Windows 8 to be officially released January 2013 (as seen with Windows Vista).
Again, Musikki is nothing fancy at present, and still appears to have some bugs — a search for “Man Man” delivered The Tallest Man on Earth’s discography — but it’s definitely an amusing way to cruise for music.
