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We often hear about the media revolution that we are living through. And it's true that the internet has very quickly reshaped how wethink about accessing entertainment. But while it's possible that you can find many programmes to watch online - provided you are willing to dig around and put up with poor quality - the simple case is that for many households, the TV is still the central hub for entertainment.

The problem is that increasingly, the old ways of being a slave to the TV schedules are simply not compatible with our modern lives, and on-demand, streaming TV is the answer. And the best services - those that have the best content, and allow the most varied ways of consuming it - are starting to provide slick options that question the traditional model of free TV.

Is the internet evolving into TV?
Recent weeks have seen some interesting developments in the corners of our living rooms, with Microsoft's Xbox 360 - previously thought of mainly as a games machine - changing the way we interact with our TVs. Using the motion sensor Kinect device, users can now navigate through menus, find and play - and pause, rewind etc. - TV, films and more, simply by using gestures or their voices.

While this is not absolutely essential - and won't necessarily do anything more than using a remote control - it's an undeniably exciting and convenient option. Just as important, however, is the content itself; the broad range of internet-delivered, on-demand TV (for example, Sky Go, Lovefilm, 4OD), YouTube and social media platforms - not to mention normal video rental etc. According to Microsoft, this is the future of TV - though it's important to remember that while this content has been brought together into an intuitive package, it is also available on other platforms and devices.

The real good news for us is that, as more broadcasters enter the game, there is more choice - and more competitive prices for consumers. Recent days have also seen 'price wars' for streaming services between Lovefilm and US company Netflix, offering thousands of films and TV show instantly over devices such as games machines, tablet computers or PCs.

Meanwhile, for a potentially more rounded, but comparatively more expensive option, Sky's Go service, which has been around in one guise or another for a number of years, is also available on a variety of mobile devices, in addition to PCs or the Xbox.
Remember that if you want a really broad choice, then you are going to have to subscribe to multiple services. But while it can be confusing to know where to start, some are available with a free, no-commitment trial.

Internet sets
Internet TV sets work on a similar principle, allowing users to use either in-built apps on the TV, or stream internet-based services (such as Lovefilm, or BBC's iPlayer) using a normal home broadband connection. In addition to this, Apple has for some time had its Apple TV device, a small box which allows users to stream media to their TV, and to watch content from its highly popular iTunes store. Meanwhile, internet giant Google itself is predicting that by mid-2012, half of TVs on sale will features its own take on internet sets.

It's clear that these are exciting times for the way TV is delivered and consumed, but the way it is delivered is likely to be more fragmented in the short term, with a potentially confusing array of payment options for service and hardware (at least as far as traditional viewers are concerned).

If you're keen to get up to speed with the new technology, a credit card could be a useful way of helping you spread the cost - especially if you've got a card that offers a 0% period on purchases or rewards your spend - although you may choose to pay for ongoing services with a direct debit. Just make sure you're clued up as to when your interest free period ends to avoid being charged interest.

Issued by Sainsbury's Finance

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Deciding on the perfect Christmas present is often the hardest, and most stressful, part of this most enjoyable time of year. Such is the myriad of options available, and the huge range of requests made, just trying to think of an idea of what to get a certain someone, never mind several people, is enough to bring on a headache. This is where technology and entertainment gifts can be something of a godsend. Whether it's a new TV or games for existing consoles such as Wii Fit plus, one purchase can make an entire family's Christmas.

One idea is to help capture those magical Christmas memories with the giving of a digital camera. There are enough options out there to suit almost all budgets. Tablets are the must-have gadgets of the year and a variety of options are available this festive season.

In terms of apps, the Apple iPad 2 stands head and shoulders above the rest. The apps were designed specifically with the tablet screen in mind and therefore both look and work better than those created for the smaller screen of mobile phones. The iPad 2 is also a superb gaming tablet, taking you right into the heart of the action and, with many games either free or under £1, there's no shortage of options. Even a version of Grand Theft Auto has been planned for the coming months.

Alternatively, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 offers superior customisation, enabling you to adapt your tablet to exactly how you want. Lighter than the iPad, it's both well built and aesthetically impressive. For the businessman, it's hard to look past the Blackberry Playbook, while the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, with its long battery life, is perfect for students as it comes with an optional keyboard.

Similar to the tablet, 2011 has seen the inexorable rise of ebook readers. The new Amazon Kindle offers excellent value for money and gives you access to the comprehensive and easy to use Kindle store. An unrivalled library of books, newspapers and magazines are accompanied by numerous reader reviews to peruse before you buy. Also available is the Sony PRS-T1. It's responsive touch screen and additional stylus allows you to both draw and write text annotations as well as granting you access to books from a wide variety of stores.

When it comes to consoles, it's hard to beat the Xbox 360 250GB. Magnificent gameplay and an overwhelming choice of games with which to enjoy this quality, the Xbox 360 represents the very best of the console world. The PS3 is another option, while those who prefer a slightly more active excursion may be tempted by the Nintendo Wii.

As a stocking filler, it seems appropriate to enjoy the biography of the man who brought us so many of these innovations. Steve Jobs' tragic death in October of this year was mourned the world over. Find out what made the inspirational CEO of Apple tick as he set about shaping our technological lives.

When it comes to technology gifts this Christmas, there are more than enough options at reasonable prices to ensure everyone is left happy.

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With the end of the year marking an increase in spending for a number of households, finding ways to save money is more important than ever. Saving money can be achieved on a number of different purchases, but what are the best ways to keep your wallet in check this year?

Whilst the New Year might be the perfect time to set yourself resolutions over your spending, there is no reason why you can't start implementing some of your plans prior to this event. The end of the year is often considered the most expensive time for households, with bills and other expenses all being higher.

To save money, individuals need to look for inventive ways to reduce their outgoings. However, this does not necessarily mean that sacrifices need to be made and there are a number of ways for people to save money whilst maintaining their current lifestyle and standard of living. Its all about being creative.

Discounts

The easiest ways to save money is by taking advantage of discounts and money off coupons when shopping. These can help to ensure that people do not pay more than is necessary for certain items, allowing them to continue buying their favourite products, but at lower prices.

These types of savings will be available across a number of different products and are, therefore, an incredibly versatile money saving option. For example, products such as Pantene hair care items will be covered by these sorts of discounts, just as cleaning products will be.

Review

Another easy way to save money is to make sure that what you are buying is likely to be useful and efficient. This means that individuals should always look for reviews and customer opinions on different products before committing to a purchase.
These reviews will often be provided as advice style articles, and will be available for a number of different types of purchase. Health and beauty is one of the most common areas which reviews and advice are offered for, with beauty tips being readily available. This means that individuals will be advised on which products are best for certain conditions or situations, allowing them to only purchase products which will be useful - thus saving them money.

Budget

The last way to save money is perhaps the most obvious: set a budget! This is the fundamental step in securing future finances and is something which everyone should do.

When setting your budget make sure that you take into account the different expenditures that you are likely to have each month and ensure there is a portion of money kept aside for 'emergencies'. Remember that you may be able to treat yourself at the end of the month if you have budgeted correctly - especially if you have managed to save money through the use of coupons or discounts.

Ensure that your budget applies to all aspects of your spending and take care not to neglect any areas of spending - however small.

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Personalised cards were always going to succeed in the UK. We're the biggest nation of traditional card givers - £1.39 billion was spent on single cards in the last year - more than tea and coffee put together.

It is the most successful greeting card industry in the world with 31 cards being sent on average per person each year.

More and more of those are sent via websites offering direct postage and the ability to make the card almost totally bespoke.

Just like any good idea, plenty of sites have launched to offer the service with the card either being posted back to you for signing or on to your friend, sometimes with added gifts such as mugs and aprons.

It saves us a trip to the High Street and the end result is often treasured as a personal piece of art, staying up on the mantle long after the birthday balloons have deflated.

When it comes to creating and sending something that really celebrates your friends humour, try TheDogsDoodahs.com whose personalised cards offer to make you 'wet yourself laughing'.

Even if you do keep your underwear pristine, you'll appreciate their range and just as important in the world of ecommerce, the feedback on their customer service and Fan Page bring a smile to the face too.

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Long gone are the days of antiquated personnel records in manila folders with hand written forms, holiday charts and disciplinary letters - the world has moved on. Forward looking companies are moving to HR software to bring efficiency to the Human Resources Department and more importantly to personnel management.

It is astounding how many companies remain stuck in the mud of personnel management but it is even more astounding to see how many organisations worldwide are now using HR Software. HR Software makes personnel management an efficient and effective way to manage people employed in an organisation. HR software can provide a record about individual employees to include all information that is important for personnel management.

The efficiency of such software makes you wonder why all companies are not utilising its powerful organisational capabilities. For HR departments that need to access information and need a fast response to personnel queries there is no excuse not to be utilising HR Software and all that it can bring to a busy department. Some companies worry about utilising HR Software that is downloaded from an outside company but long gone are the days of insecure sights. HR Software can be purchased from a HR software specialist organisation and they will keep the software updated in terms of downloads etc. It is very economical as individual companies do not have to purchase their own specific server or for that matter to remember to back up data, the software provider will take responsibility to make sure the software is operating efficiently and that it is backed-up as per regulations. Storage of data is therefore kept secure and the most secure software providers will guarantee that all data is secure from external threats.

This method of HR Software solutions - that is - remote installation and monitoring is the way of the world in many different areas of business progression. Remote installation requires no on-site equipment, no huge secure, temperature controlled server room and no need to purchase software disks and all the hassle this involves. It maybe however, that Human Resources employees will need some training in using a remote installed HR software solution - but once training is completed the software offers a complete personnel management system that is so efficient it reflects in the competency of the HR staff. HR software can store huge amounts of data and provides HR staff with time efficiencies to concentrate on issues like staff development and staff training. The software can be accessed to indicate where skills gaps are within employee groups, or an individual's personal development requirements - making the job easy for HR staff to arrange future training. Such software can make payroll simple and effective as HR software and Payroll Software can easily link to provide accurate data and ultimately reduce payment errors. For instance an employee beginning maternity leave can have their data entered in the HR software and automatic links will then update Payroll. HR Software is a means to an ends in terms of efficiency and effective personnel management and for those companies that remain blowing the dust of old manila files, HR software solutions are leaving them behind.

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It doesn't matter whether you consider yourself to be a dog person or a cat fanatic. We can all agree that coming home from work to be greeted by the family pet is a lovely feeling.

But if the hairs from your cat or dog send you into a spate of sneezing because of your allergies, then your love can be severely tested.

Thankfully, the Dyson DC25 Animal Bagless Vacuum Cleaner helps man and his favourite pet co-exist by reducing the problem of irritating allergies.

This Dyson vacuum cleaner has a Mini Turbine Head to make short work of hair from cats and dogs, as well as other animal related dirt. It can get into tight places on stairs, upholstery and even in cars.

Using Dyson's Root Cyclone Technology, this upright vacuum cleaner will never suffer from a loss of suction. It is also as gentle as it is durable, with its motorised brush bars providing a soft touch on hard floors and delicate carpets.

The Dyson DC25 Animal Bagless Vacuum Cleaner has a HEPA filter with a Bactisafe screen to clean and expel air, making life easier for allergy sufferers.

You might think all these features would make the Dyson difficult to move around, but it weighs just 7.5kg and has the patented 'Ball' technology, so you can manoeuvre it with a flick of your wrist.

This Dyson vacuum cleaner is perfect for anyone who wants to live in a happy and clean home with their pets.

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The BlackBerry PlayBook is one of the most eagerly anticipated gadgets of 2011.

Consumers are expecting Research In Motion to follow-up its excellent smartphone series with a game-changing tablet.

The early indications are excellent. Packing a dual-core 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, multi-tasking is one of the strongest features of the new BlackBerry PlayBook. The BlackBerry Tablet OS can comfortably play a HD video while you surf the web.

BlackBerry's smartphones have been a big hit with people working on the go. The PlayBook's 3MP front-facing and 5MP rear-facing cameras are ideal for video conference calls and will appeal to professionals looking for a 'working tablet'.

But like its functional smartphones also appealed to a wider audience, the new BlackBerry PlayBook is armed with Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and a clever interface to offer something for everyone.

The PlayBook's touchscreen extends beyond the 7" display and to the edge of the edge of the bezel, which helps to unlock a range of menus and features - just swipe across the bezel and onto the screen to get more options from apps and the web.

Crucially, the PlayBook can work in harmony with your BlackBerry smartphone, wirelessly synching information from calendars, address books and task lists. Connections can also be made with other devices using WiFi, Bluetooth or across the 3G network.

The BlackBerry PlayBook's impressive spec suggests RIM will use what it has learnt from smartphones to deliver a breathtaking tablet.

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Thanks to the internet, the cloud commute has become a way of life for thousands of professionals who now work from home. These days, it is easy to be just as productive as you would be in an office while sitting at a table in your kitchen, relaxing with a cup of coffee and a croissant while you check your emails.

Using Powwownow for conference calls, for example, allows home-based professionals to communicate with colleagues and clients easily and cheaply.

Meetings are still going to be a vital component of getting the job done, but why should you have to travel for hours into the city to review financial performance and a business direction? By investing in the latest web conferencing technology, you have the opportunity to get crystal clear communications that allow several people to talk to one another without organising a meeting being too arduous a task.

The latest web conference calling technology from Cisco WebEx makes participating in a meeting easier than ever before. With many business professionals now working from home the opportunity to use Cicso's app to participate in a conference call will certainly be alluring. This means that wherever you are, you'll be able to participate in your 11.00 meeting without having to lug your laptop around with you all day.

Indeed, there is even the opportunity to participate in these conferences by using your Android phone, with nifty software that you don't have to register to use. In an environment where our time is limited and we need to make the most out of every second in our day, time-saving resources such as this are a godsend.

For businesses or individuals who fancy stepping into the 21st century, brand-new web conference calling technology allows you to see high-quality video feeds of all of the participants within your meeting. Thanks to the increasingly speedy bandwidth that many of us now enjoy because of fibre-optic broadband, this means that you won't have to worry about a person's connection breaking up in the middle of their sentence.

Have you just designed a brand-new newsletter, or another document that you want to show to your team personally? Then high-quality video offers the perfect opportunity to emulate face-to-face conversation, even if you're in London while your associates are in Lisbon.

Another advantage of WebEx is desktop sharing, where you can transform the video feed you are submitting to other meeting delegates into live pictures of your computer screen. If you have a presentation to deliver, a new promotion video that you want to display, or even if you need to show the team how to complete a certain task using specialist software, WebEx has all of the tools you need to do this efficiently and elegantly, giving you the productivity and professionalism you have ever dreamed of.

This product represents some of the latest Web calling technology that's available on the market today, giving competitors like Skype a run for their money.

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It's been estimated that around half a million iPad 2s were sold during its opening weekend in America - and it's easy to see why.

Apple's latest masterpiece received an equally rapturous reception when it was released in the UK, with many eager techies queuing to get their hands on one.

So what's all the fuss about? Well, how long have you got? The Apple iPad 2 is thinner and lighter than the original iPad - meaning it's great for looking at on the go.

Powered by Apple's dual core A5 chip, it offers nine times faster graphics, which is a major boost if you love your apps. And if FaceTime is your thing, the iPad 2 comes with two cameras to help you get the best from video calling.

The cameras capture all footage in glorious HD too, so your mates will never give you stick about the quality of your films. The battery also gives 10 hours usage, making it easy to keep the children entertained during long car journeys.

Another feature causing a stir is the Smart Cover. This natty piece of design uses magnetic force to lay itself across the front and back of your new iPad 2, ensuring the 9.7" LED backlit screen stays free of dust.

If you wake up in a topsy-turvy mood, the iPad 2 is also on hand to help, automatically adjusting its screen to display in landscape or portrait. For web browsing, the iOS 4 will take you smoothly and efficiently to the page of your choice.

With a number of premium new features, the thinner, lighter iPad 2 will make you the envy of your friends - be it in the playground, pub or office canteen.

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Dell Streak 7 is ideal for anyone searching for a powerful tablet that can stand up to the rigours of daily usage.

This touchscreen tablet is protected by Gorilla glass, so you can keep it in your pocket or at the bottom of a bag without worrying about its durability.

Within this Dell tablet's sturdy casing is a dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra T20 processor and 16GB of internal memory, effortlessly running demanding programs and offering ample space to store plenty of music and videos.

Google's Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system and Dell's Stage software combine brilliantly to deliver a slick interface for your programs.

Dell Streak 7 has a 7inch WVGA multi-touch screen with an 800 x 480 display. It supports Adobe Flash Player, so graphics and other rich content on your favourite websites will look sharp.

If you're constantly checking Facebook to see what your friends are up to, or following the latest celebrity gossip on Twitter, then the pocket-sized but functional Dell Streak 7 is the perfect social networking tablet for you.

Create memories on the move by snapping away with the 5MP camera at the rear of the Dell Streak 7, or take a picture of yourself using the 1.3MP front-facing camera and then upload it to your social network account via WiFi.

The compact Dell Streak 7 really is a practical tablet designed for people with a busy lifestyle.

Dell Streak

One of the hottest technologies to emerge on mobile phones in the last couple of years is something called Augmented Reality. If you haven't seen it in action you really are missing out. Augmented Reality or AR, as it is often referred to layers information,often linked to a geographical location, over a real world view. On mobile phones this means that when you fire up an AR browser and point it at a certain place it will give you information about that place.

LG is hugely excited about Augmented Reality and has developed its own AR system called ScanSearch. This is now available on the LG Optimus 7 Windows 7 phone , and in fact it is currently the only Windows 7 Phone to have the feature.

Using the LG Optimus 7's camera, GPS and web connected abilities all at once, the ScanSearch AR app gives you details of all the best places around you. You can use it to find the hottest nightspots, best restaurants and a whole lot more. It is very simple to use too. Press the Scan Search tab and then the browser will appear and show you a selection of nearby places.

Alternatively you can search for a venue or a type of building eg a cafe. Watch as the smartphone screen becomes an interactive map, updating in real-time and giving you directions to your location of choice.

ScanSearch is one of many reasons why the LG Optimus 7 is an innovative and hugely sophisticated phone.

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The LG Optimus 7 phone, with its unique features and innovative Windows 7 phone operating system, is a gem of a phone. In addition to its Windows 7 technology, it has a fabulous 5.0 megapixel camera with some cool features like intelligent shot and panorama mode, high definition video shooting, voice to text and full compatibility with all your favourite social networking sites.

The phone also has a wonderful augmented reality feature called ScanSearch, which allows you to easily discover what's around you.

We've had fun playing with a LG Optimus 7 phone all December, but now it's time to give six of our lovely readers who have filled out our survey the chance to own one.

The first three lucky readers that will be receiving a phone in the post soon are:
- Toby, UK
- Marco, Germany
- Hayley, UK

We have emailed you today, so if your name is Toby, Marco or Hayley check your inbox now.

If you haven't had a chance to enter our competition yet, you're in luck - we have extended the deadline until 3PM Wednesday 22nd December. Simply go here, add your name and email address, and take a quick survey before the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, and you may soon be owner of one of the three LG Optimus Windows 7 phones we have left to give away.

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LG's Optimus 7 is one of the best Windows Phone 7 devices on the market right now, packing in top spec features at an affordable price. One the best of these features is Play To which is LG's version of a fantastic new technology called DLNA networking. Here's a quick guide to how it works.

DLNA stands for Digital Living Network Alliance. In its simplest terms, DLNA networking means that you'll be able to transfer pictures, music and video files from one DLNA enabled device to another wirelessly. The LG Optimus 7 enables you to do that via its Play To feature. Firstly you need to find out what devices in your home are compatible with Play To. There are different types including computers, televisions, games consoles, printers and more.

There's no need to connect your LG Optimus 7 with wires to a Play To compatible PC or TV, it works wirelessly. You simply go into the Play To section of the phone, find the content you want to transfer wirelessly (images, video etc), choose which device that you are going to send the content to and then you simply flick the content and it transfers to the other device's screen or speakers.

There are no limits to the number of Play To devices your LG Optimus 7 handset can link to, allowing for simple and fast access to all manner of content on your smartphone. With so many devices now DLNA/Play To compliant, LG's Optimus 7 is bang up to date and truly designed to make your life easier.

You can win an LG Optimus 7 phone by clicking here

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The LG Optimus 7 is the Korean electronics giant's first Windows Phone 7 handset. Full of neat little features, here we highlight 5 of the best things to keep an eye out for when using the Optimus 7.

Play To - The LG Optimus 7 lets you wirelessly transfer songs, pictures and video files from one device to another using its Play To feature. Syncing up with PCs, printers, TVs and other Play To compatible devices, you'll be able to send and share your handset's files without ever needing to use a cabled connection. You just go to the Play To feature on the phone, chose the content you want to transfer and flick it to transfer it. It is neat and very simple.

ScanSearch - Augmented Reality (using your smartphone's screen to overlay information onto real-world locations around you) is set to be the next big thing in mobile phone technology. Using the LG Optimus 7's camera, GPS and web connected abilities all at once, the ScanSearch AR app can help you find the hottest nightspots, best restaurants and useful amenities around you. Just enter what you're searching for and watch as the smartphone screen becomes an interactive map, updating in real-time and giving you directions to your location of choice. The LG Optimus 7 is currently the only phone in the Windows 7 portfolio to feature this.

Panorama Photos - Standing in front of a sight too awesome for a standard sized photo? The Optimus 7's camera features a nifty panorama mode, letting you stitch together multiple photos to create one seamless widescreen shot. It is very easy to use and the results can be quite dramatic.

Xbox Live Integration - If you're obsessed with upping your gamerscore and grabbing achievements on your Xbox 360 console at home, you'll be happy to hear that through the Windows Phone 7 OS, the LG Optimus 7 phone features Xbox Live integration. Achievements earned playing games on the handset will carry over to your console gamerscore, while you'll also get access to messages from your Live buddies and exclusive content too.

Exclusive LG apps - The LG Optimus 7 has many other cool apps, which are available from the LG app store. One we really like is the very useful Voice to Text. Using this technology you can say a few words and then the phone will transcribe your words and turn them into text. So in practical terms you'll be able to tweet, send emails, text message and more without ever creating a keystroke. It is fast, easy to use and very convenient.

Check out the app store for other goodies like the Photo Stylist, which helps you create even more interesting photos by using filters and Workout Track which enables runners to record track speed, distance and calories burned. LG is adding apps all the time, so keep coming back to the app store.

So if you fancy winning one - and we have six to give away - go here

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My name is Geoff Crawford and I am a freelance photographer. Normally I spend my days snapping pictures with my trusty top-end DSLR camera, and I must admit I rarely use my phone to take pics. It only has a two mega pixel camera and the images I have taken have been very poor.

The Shiny Shiny team and LG sent me out with the LG Optimus 7 to take images using its five mega pixel camera and here's the result. The pictures were taken in various locations in London from St Pancras station through to a church yard in the west of the city. I specifically went for pictures where I thought the camera would be pushed to the limits of exposure - the difference between dark and light. I didn't use the flash as I rarely use it on my own camera.

The panorama mode was fun and after a bit of practice I found it easy to use. I also liked the phone's screen. It was great for reviewing images and those images certainly look superb on it. I was a little more wary about how they would look when blown up, but you can be the judge of how successful the camera on the phone has been. I am pretty pleased.

Overall I can see why people use the cameras on their phones a little more now. I wouldn't think twice about using a camera on a phone of this quality.

Anyway - have a look at the images and decide for yourself.

Sponsored post on behalf of LG.


Father Christmas in store window

Majestic London St Pancras Station

Travellers at London St Pancras Station

A bubbly display

Entrance to enchanted garden in London

Beautiful yellow leaves

Panoramic view of St Pancras

Panoramic view of St Pancras

The features of the LG Optimus Windows 7 phone explained:

This autumn Microsoft launched it's Windows Phone 7 operating system. A brand new OS, completely dedicated to touchscreen phones, and an entirely new approach to mobile from Microsoft. So what is it? How does it work? And what makes it different from other operating systems? Here's a video and text guide.

Incidentally if you fancy winning an LG Optimus 7 Windows smartphone just take our survey here - we have six to give away.

Getting Started

The home screen of your Windows Phone 7 device is populated with a number of 'tiles' or square widgets which can easily be customized to suit the user's requirements. The tiles themselves are quite large to make navigation easier. This means there are only two tiles to a row on the home screen. You can drag these tiles around to arrange them how you like, change their colour and of course add or remove tiles.

The tiles can be used as a simple app shortcut, or to display live data. For example, you can add your favourite contact to the home screen and the tile will show your contact's Facebook profile picture along with their name. The music and video tile will likewise show the artwork of the last song you downloaded, so there is no hiding your guilty pleasures. On the message tile, an emoticon will wink to indicate that you have received a new message as well as displaying the number of unread texts. These animations are a fun and playful way of letting you interact with the phone and do help you discover new features quickly.

Navigating your phone

To access anything that's not displayed on your home screen you simply flick the screen right to reveal a long alphabetical menu of the phones contents. It is through this menu that you can set up your accounts and adjust the phones settings. When navigating the phone, you can also press and hold down icons to reveal a context-sensitive menu.

Microsoft has clearly dedicated a lot of time to creating a seamless touch interface for Windows Phone 7. All the screens are on a loop making it quick, smooth and simple to navigate through. When navigating the phone, whether that is browsing photos, websites or simply opening a menu, the phone is quick to respond with great swishing transitions. Virtual keyboards can often be a bit of a pain, but we thought it worked wonderfully with relatively accurate automatic suggestions.

Browsing the Web

Due to Microsoft's strict minimum hardware specifications, all Windows Phone 7 phones have Wi-Fi, HSPA (the fastest form of 3G which means very quick uploads and downloads) and a screen of at least 3.5 inches. So although the phone is fairly large it can still easily fit into your pocket and is great for browsing websites in addition to watching videos and viewing pictures. However, similar to other smartphones there is no Flash support for Windows Phone 7. You are able to open multiple tabs with the browser and it supports multi-touch zoom, which all aid in the surfing experience.

Windows Phone 7 and the Cloud

One of the things that impressed us most about the Windows Phone 7, was the number of Cloud-based services that are integrated into the OS, such as Windows Live. This includes Hotmail, office, and back up to their cloud storage service SkyDrive. This integration, for example, means that you can automatically back up your photos to the web directly from your phone.

The multimedia capabilities of the OS are quite impressive as well. You can connect your Xbox Live, Zune, or Windows Live account to your phone, giving you access to these various services on the go. For Facebook fans, it is possible to sync up you account. This will then allow you to import your contacts' profile pics, updates, and photos into the photo gallery.

MarketPlace

Windows 7 also has its own dedicated app store called the The Marketplace. Although there is not currently a huge number of apps available, the store is growing quickly as many developers already familiar with Window's platform have begun to develop apps for the new phones. Most apps start at 79p, although gaming ones can be a bit more expensive.

Conclusion

Overall Windows Phone 7 is easy to use, fast ,and intuitive. It's a great OS that is packed with some useful features. If you are a fan of Xbox Live or Office Live and want a fun smartphone, this is a good option for you.

Sponsored post on behalf of LG

LG recently launched the Optimus 7 E900, their first venture into the Windows Phone 7 ring.

It's a solid touchscreen phone with an easy to use interface. It has a good weight and feels well-built with its back cover constructed from a durable metal. Like other Windows 7 phones, the Optimus has three buttons on the front: Back, Home and Bing search. Unlike some handsets the LG model had proper physical clicking buttons, rather than the touch-sensitive ones, making it just a bit easier to use.

High res screen

The Optimus 7 has a 3.8-inch WVGA LCD display, with a resolution of 800x480 pixels. In other words there is no blurriness, users can clearly make out detail and the colours are incredibly vivid. Although the phone is fairly large it can still easily fit into your pocket and is good for watching videos and viewing pictures.

Powerful battery

The phone also boasts a very efficient and powerful, battery which utilizes LG's own battery algorithm to maximize efficiency. By offering 1500 mAh, the largest battery capacity among WP7 devices, it delivers a reliable and stress-free experience for consumers. It also delivers the best talk and standy time of any Windows Mobile 7 handset - Talk time: 480 min / Standby: 416 hrs

Due to Microsoft's strict minimum hardware specifications, most of the Windows Phone 7 devices have similar specs including approximately 8GB of memory, a 1GHz processor and at least a 5-megapixel camera. However, the Optimus differentiates itself here by packing 16GB of on-board storage. This is particularly useful for users as Windows Phone 7 does not support external memory cards.

Games and music

Again all Windows Phone 7 handsets have the same user interface, which we will delve into further in our "everything you need to know about Windows Phone 7" post. However, some of our favourite features include the integration with Xbox Live, Zune music and Office. The phone operates through six hubs: People, Games, Pictures, Music and Video, Market Place and Office. These hubs are some what interactive, for example your avatar in the Games hub will be supplied from your Xbox Live account. To launch a hub you simply flick the screen right to access the next screen. The screens are on a loop making it quick and simple to navigate through. Also on the home screen sit static tiles which you can set up to work as shortcuts to applications.

Windows 7 also has its own dedicated app store called the The Marketplace. The number of apps is growing quickly as many developers already familiar with Window's platform have begun to develop apps for the new phones. Most apps start at 79p..

Fun stuff

The Optimus 7 comes pre-loaded with a number of apps including a fun panorama app and the ScanSearch augmented-reality app. The panorama app makes it easy to take snapshots of wide landscapes by lining up five images in a row, and automatically firing off the shutter when each image is aligned. ScanSearch, which is unique to the phone, is an Augmented Reality app that automatically detects any amenities up to a five-mile radius. The results including: restaurants, bars, hotels, public transit and banks, appear as icons, which you can then tap to reveal that specific amenities phone number and exact location.

The Optimus 7 has a 5-megapixel camera and comes with an LED flash, which is always useful if you are trying to take a picture in dimly lit rooms. The camera has a number of other noteworthy features including the automatic 'intelligent shot' which is useful if you want to quickly catch that snapshot. In addition to taking photos, it is also capable of capturing 720p high definition video. Or if you want to get that cinematic feel, you can even capture video in a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Sharing media from the Optimus 7 is made very simple through LG's DLNA sharing feature "Play To." This allows you to transfer your music, photos and video to any other DNLA-equipped device, such as your TV, provided that it is on the same Wi-Fi network.

The LG Optimus 7 is a fast and easy to use phone with a number of great features.

As you may know already during December we are running a competition to give away no fewer than six fabulous LG Optimus smartphones. All you have to do to enter is click here and fill out a quick survey.

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No more tangled mess of cords or searching for the right adaptor. Just put your enabled device on the Powermat to charge!

Want to show your digital snaps to friends without you all having to gather around a tiny LCD screen or mess around hooking up the camera to a big screen? Nikon has the answer. It's the world's first camera with a built in projector.