The Gadget Helpline are proud to announce that they are working in partnership with the newly unveiled Times Online website to offer its readers free help and advice live from Gadget Helpline’s team of experts on Friday afternoons at 4pm.

Customers can log on and sign up to take part in the Live chat with the Gadget Helpline team via the Times website and will be able to ask all those nagging technical questions putting them directly to a team of dedicated tech heads.

The Times Online is one of the UK’s premier newspapers and along with its sister publication the Sunday Times is one of the longest standing publications in Britain.

Last week the Times and the Sunday Times launched a new paywall subscription service to the Times Online websites, which will charge readers to access the new websites for a small fee of £1 per day or £2 for a full week’s subscription.

For now, customers can sign up for a free trial period to test out the Times Online service and can use this to take part in the Times and Gadget Helpline’s Gadget clinic tomorrow completely free of charge. The trial period will allow user’s full access to the Times and the Sunday Times for the coming weeks so users can check out the some of the exciting new features for themselves.

Click the image to register for the Gadget Clinic

The Gadget Helpline is seeing a constant growth in its customer base and is really proving that users want jargon free and comprehensive technical support for all their household gadgets. The Gadget Helpline’s CEO, Crispin Thomas, stated: “I am delighted to be working with a brand such as the Times and am looking forward to assisting it’s readers with their Gadget related queries” and he added: “we are excited about new media initiatives such as the Gadget Clinic and are looking forward to introducing the Times customers to our growing gadget club of satisfied customers”

So if your mobile’s had a meltdown, PC is paralysed, or you just want basic advice, join us on the Times online website on Friday at 4pm for the Live Gadget Clinic.

To visit the Times Technology section and to register for the Gadget Helpline’s Gadget Clinic sign up click here or to watch last weeks Gadget Clinic click here.

Click the image below to visit Mobile News’s online website:

Click to Visit the Gadget App article

To view and download any of the Gadget Helpline Apps search for “Gadget Help” in Apple iTunes or the Android Market.

We’re Writing About E3…

Oh yes, we are writing about E3. This week’s blog will show off some of the highlights of this year’s show, and bring to the attention of the huge fan base gaming commands some of the latest and greatest new innovations, new consoles and games from E3 2010.

Check out a few of these big time announcements:

• Sony confirms Playstation Move release date along with a selection of compatible games
• Nintendo 3DS breaks into our dimension
• E3 2010: Nintendo Wii returns to gaming
• The Slim Xbox 360 is official!
• Project Natal is dead, Long live Microsoft Kinect

Reaching new Highs

Reach: The Beta Was Only the Beginning (Duh…)

Yo Dawg, I heard you like videogames, so we put a Reach Beta in your ODST so you can play games while you play games.

Anyway, the long and short of this meme influenced opening is that when the literally hundreds of thousands of players logged into the Reach beta… they were being hugely distracted. While we all were going mad for the beta, Bungie were working on an even greater multiplayer feature.

So, ODSTs Firefight mode is dropping back into the next Halo, and boy does it look like it’ll blow multiplayer out of the water in terms of flexibility. In classic Halo style, Firefight is now THE most customisable ‘enemy defence mode’ we’ve ever seen, with Bungie rolling out multiple features for customisation.

You, yes, YOU, can freely fiddle with to your heart’s content:

• The length of the game
• The number of waves
• The number of rounds
• Equipment and item spawnings.
• What enemies appear during a wave
• The enemies in the boss wave
• Active skulls.
• Creation of custom skulls that affect player or enemy abilities, including appearance, shields, health or immunities
• The ability to pick weapons
• Generator locations for special generator defence games

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg… a lot more customisation options will be available on release. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, in Generator Defence, which you may remember from the Beta, you must defend your generators from waves of enemy covenant, making sure none are destroyed, and you can use a 30 second lockdown ability to defend them, similar to the Spartan armour lock ability.

So basically, as well as the predictable team deathmatch/free for all fun, there is the titanically customisable Firefight, and what’s more, using the miracle that is Bungie file share, you can seed your favourite game modes to the internet’s! What you can create is up to you… we came up with.

• Vehicle-only combat, with tanks-on-tank battles galore.
• A single-generator generator defence mode, with abundant long-range and defensive weapons for a long, drawn out siege against hunters and enemy snipers.
• A game mode that limits the amount of weapons and ammunition players carry, making sure players use accurate weapons to make every shot count against waves of unshielded foes for bullet-saving one-hit-kill headshots.
• Infinite ammo magnums only, against competent sword-wielding ultra Elites for a frenzied, desperate defence, with bullets blasting everywhere.

Crysis 2

Crysis 2 Takes the Fight Into the Next Generation

The phenomenal graphics and gameplay exhibited in Crytek’s product lineup, even as far back as the original Far Cry, have always been a talking point among gamers. The common consensus is that these days, Crysis, the most graphically advanced game ever to challenge our GPUs on the PC, is the benchmark for high performance PCs to run.

This reign has lasted ever since Crysis came out, but now it seems the games successor, Crysis 2, is set to topple the game’s graphical superiority and also increase the tactical decision-based gaming that the franchise offers. This time around, Crytek has us using our brains even more than our trigger fingers, and an example of this is the way the game is presented. In order to help gamers understand how their gameplay style is affected, we have prepared a short explanation on how the player must use their sense of strategy right up until they pull the trigger.

Okay, so the first thing that strikes you about Crysis 2 is the way Crytek has designed the level itself. You are presented with an open level, with your objective at one end and your starting point at another. However, if you hearken back to older, more dated titles such as Halo 3, levels would place your player on a path which you literally HAVE to go by, triggering comments from gamers re-playing the campaign such as “Oh, I remember this.” and a similar reaction to the level every time, prompting not much thought with regards to strategy.

In Crysis 2, there are 2, 3, or even multiple ways of getting from A to B. They may be remembered by the player on another playthrough, but what distinguishes Crysis 2 from other titles is the ability for a player to say “No, let’s not go that way. Let’s see what’s down here and go from there.”, meaning a player can add strategy to his approach to a problem, and, coupled with the adaptive suit abilities of the famous Nanosuit Crysis is known for, his approach can be augmented with helpful features. Combine the excellent cloaking, strength, speed and armour of the Nanosuit with the ability to choose your own route, and many fantastic opportunities for a player to approach a problem come up.

For example, as a player rounds a corner and comes up upon a gigantic robotic Pinger or similar foe, he can stop, think and make a decision based on the abilities he has and the environment he is in. If the foe is too difficult, cloak and find another route. If the foe is on his own and easily killed, cloak and stealthily assassinate. If there are many foes, use armour and speed to rush them or strength to jump great heights and drop on them from above. The possibilities are endless… and even more numerous than what we’ve only touched on here.

Due to the sandbox approach of Crytek’s burnt-out New York, everything you could play with, you can play with. Found a taxi? Rig it to blow with C4 and a detonator, shoot it in the window to create a loud noise, and wait for enemies to investigate… then explode them. Or just rig it to blow, drive it at some enemies, ram them, leap out Niko Bellic style and press the beeper. Boom, problem solved.

Using your brain, it is quite possible to excel at Crysis 2 while only using a fairly small amount of ammo or equipment. Even in the demo we saw you can drop a chandelier on your enemy’s heads with a quick bullet.

So, using the environment around you, your suit’s abilities, your own brain and a some guns, Crysis 2 will entertain at every turn, and stay fresh even through multiple play throughs. Oh and it’s got 3D too, with glasses, on Xbox, PC and PS3. Only one question remains: why are you still playing COD?

Playstation Live

PSN + XBL = Playstation Plus?

Oh Playstation, we bet you are rueing the day you announced to the world that your online gaming platform PlayStation Network (or PSN) would be totally free! Yes you are and now we have proof as Sony have now announced a brand new Premium PSN service called Playstation plus.

Yes one of the biggest wins in any nerds Xbox 360 vs. Playstation 3 arguments normally comes when a PS3 fan will blurt out “At least I don’t have to pay to play online”, which in itself is actually quite true, but finer points aside it is generally agreed that Microsoft’s Xbox Live service is a better performing gaming platform and is generally well worth the payment.

So during Sony’s E3 2010 press conference, the company finally announced what many people had expected, a premium chargeable service called PlayStation Plus. Sony did however promise that the existing PSN network will not change at all, it will still get the same level of content and usability and most importantly will remain free.

However new customers who sign up for Playstation Plus will get a host of new features, exclusive content and special discounts at the PlayStation Store which include “frequent discounts on PlayStation Store content, free and exclusive access to select games, full game trials, early invitations to select betas of popular games, and new functionality such as content downloads and updates which will automatically be ‘pushed’ to the PS3 system even when consumers are not using their system.”

And Sony aren’t lying as with the first batch of free games for new PS+ users will be titles including WipEout HD, Minis and PS one classics such as Fieldrunners, Age of Zombies and Rally Cross, a full game trial of inFAMOUS, and discounts on downloadable content such as Fat Princess and all of these will be accessible throughout your subscription period and new content will be added periodically.

Sony has already revealed the pricing details for the UK: The service launches on June 29th 2010 and comes with a free three-month subscription period if you subscribe for one year. The cost in the UK for a 12-month subscription will be £39.99, or you can get a 3-month subscription for £11.99.

Sony will be releasing a PlayStation Plus update that will be wrapped in the Firmware 3.40 update, which is also to be released on June 29th.

E3 2010?

E3 2010: was it a Success or a Blowout

As the final day of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (or E3) 2010 finally is upon us all that is left for people gracing the event in Los Angeles is to visit some of the games booths, try out and see future games for themselves. As all of the big announcements have been made and there should be no more shocks around the corner, we ask the Question: Was E3 any good this year?

Well to answer that we need to look at the two distinct areas of the Gaming Expo: Hardware and Games.

Hardware:  We already Knew that at E3 this year we would get a big hardware announcement from each of the big developers, Nintendo had the 3DS, Sony had the Move and Microsoft had Project Natal (now the Microsoft Kinect), so no surprises there when each one was respectively riolled out and had its standard run-through.

The only real surprise was Microsoft announcing the new Xbox 360 (slim) console which was basically a Wi-Fi enabled smaller update to the now 5 year old gaming console.

Kinect and Move both did exactly what we expected them to do. Which was Family games with the promise of “Hardcore” games coming soon, but no actual visualisation of this promise instead we get a myriad of Wii game rip offs (Kinect Sports and Move Sports Champions) and a few action demos of platformer’s using the technology. To say the official announcements were underwhelming is a bit of an overstatement… it then took the original gaming innovator to step things up.

Nintendo needed to hit E3 big this year, as both Microsoft and Sony were trying to break into Nintendo’s almost exclusive motion controlled Family Friendly market, Nintendo needed to go a little bit further and offer something a little bit new, In comes the Nintendo 3DS!

The 3DS was announced earlier this year in a generic press conference by Nintendo and since then we have all been waiting with our fingers crossed that Nintey can actually do produce something groundbreaking. Well they did, the 3DS was a wild success with its relevant links into the past with a console that looks similar to the current DS handsets, updated graphics,  glasses free 3D, 3D movie playback and even a built in 3D camera.

The console looks amazing and once again sets Nintendo apart from the rest of the pack with its innovation… but with all good consoles you need GREAT games to make them sell.

Games: The games areas… now this was a bit hit and miss, as we currently live in an age when information is so freely available its hard to keep secrets (see Apple iPhone 4 saga) and it’s even harder to keep interest in the vast periods of time between game releases, and due to this Games and there sequels get announced a very long time before games are A) released and sometimes B) nowhere near completion.

And due to this many of the games that were officially announced and Demo’d  had already been announced (Gears of War 3) or had a lot of media attached to them beforehand (Little Big Planet 2, Halo: Reach) so little of the “announcements” were shockers or something we didn’t already know.

Once again it came down to Nintendo to do something special…..

But they didn’t, now this may cause a lot of controversy but Nintendo had the biggest console announcement at E3, and they have obviously taken a big standpoint with the Nintendo Wii to start to focus on games again for core gamers not families and casual gamers. This is shown by the sheer amount of Games Nintendo announced, but my issue with the games announced is this: Nintendo just seem to be remaking old games and past glories.

Yes I’m excited about a remake of GoldenEye for the Wii and a new Donkey Kong games is great plus any Zelda game is welcome anytime…. but it’s all just rehashes of the same old formula, we get a new Party games, New Dancing games, new sports games, new side scrolling platformer’s and the occasional 3D platformer, so there is no innovation in the games and one of the Nintendo’s biggest selling points is Originality.

Altogether I feel E3 this year was a good show and a steady show, it’s always good to get a decent hardware announcement and for Microsoft and Sony levelling the playing field with motion controllers, it can only be good for the game. But still I felt there wasn’t a WOW factor this year… lets all hope for E3 2011.

The Gadget Helpline are proud to announce that they are working in partnership with the newly unveiled Times Online website to offer its readers free help and advice live from Gadget Helpline’s team of experts on Friday afternoons at 4pm.

Customers can log on and sign up to take part in the Live chat with the Gadget Helpline team via the Times website and will be able to ask all those nagging technical questions putting them directly to a team of dedicated tech heads.

The Times Online is one of the UK’s premier newspapers and along with its sister publication the Sunday Times is one of the longest standing publications in Britain.

Last week the Times and the Sunday Times launched a new paywall subscription service to the Times Online websites, which will charge readers to access the new websites for a small fee of £1 per day or £2 for a full week’s subscription.

For now, customers can sign up for a free trial period to test out the Times Online service and can use this to take part in the Times and Gadget Helpline’s Gadget clinic tomorrow completely free of charge. The trial period will allow user’s full access to the Times and the Sunday Times for the coming weeks so users can check out the some of the exciting new features for themselves.

Click the image to register for the Gadget Clinic

The Gadget Helpline is seeing a constant growth in its customer base and is really proving that users want jargon free and comprehensive technical support for all their household gadgets. The Gadget Helpline’s CEO, Crispin Thomas, stated: “I am delighted to be working with a brand such as the Times and am looking forward to assisting it’s readers with their Gadget related queries” and he added: “we are excited about new media initiatives such as the Gadget Clinic and are looking forward to introducing the Times customers to our growing gadget club of satisfied customers”

So if your mobile’s had a meltdown, PC is paralysed, or you just want basic advice, join us on the Times online website on Friday at 4pm for the Live Gadget Clinic.

To visit the Times Technology section and to register for the Gadget Helpline’s Gadget Clinic sign up click Here.

The Gadget Show Live 2010 will be held at the Birmingham NEC from 7th-11th April and we at the GadgetHelpline are happy to say that we will be there in full force lapping it up.

As if having the chance of indulging in a  gadget gourmand’s delight  via the not unattractive Suzi Perry and her male colleagues  wasn’t enough (it’s the tech nerds equivalent of front seats at the swimming pool bend of Monaco for the F1 aficionados), the forthcoming Gadget Show live is crammed full with content.

A bit like what we have grown to expect these days of a breed of all out “infotainment” programs, the Gadget Show boasts a blend of shiny plastic, action, wacky stunts, laughs, technology and eye candy (for the thinking man).

And so for the second year running we can gorge on it in the privacy of our front room, or the lucky few can actually lap it up live in a theatre format where swooping camera shots and sound effects of a studio production are replaced by, well actually more camera gymnastics, sound effects and ….and the team in the flesh.

Well so much for the set up, the content is the show, never mind the presentation check out the ever expanding list of categories coming up at this year’s show.

In what promises to be a day of fun, gadgets, entertainment, innovation, gadgets, Suzi Perry, Prizes, more gadgets and probably just a little bit of buffoonery, it is surely hard for even the most determined technophobe to avoid raising an involuntary eyebrow or two at the prospects,  what with the chance to win a shimmering piece of hi tech wizardry, whether it be the Subaru Impreza WRX STI or something more pocket friendly, like the auto boiled egg gizmo that clears the table….actually that’s a lie.

Talking of Imprezza’s the breadth of exhibit “impresses” us here at GadgetHelpline  with high end names Nikon joining the  usual contenders, gamers and communication guru’s  to meet their fans …face to lens. Nikon will be presenting their new devices and as their press release puts it: “ Nikon will be taking to the stage as part of The Gadget Show Photographic Masterclass Theatre, demonstrating how its latest camera technology is used for creating impressive special effects in film production. Visitors to the show will see how these techniques can also be used at home to improve their own photography”. Well, if you want to make your own cottage industry versions of the Matrix whilst integrating “freeze time or “bullet time” a la Keanu Reeves into your family holiday or wedding video shoot, well that’s the stage for you.

Other fans of more traditional (if that’s not a contradiction in terms) technological WFD’s (Wow Factor Devices) can find an array of glittering glass, stonking design lines, whooshing screen wipes across the 154 (so far registered) exhibitors. It’s pointless listing them here, so check out the website for a comprehensive guide to exhibitors (featuring all the usual suspects plus a few daring interlopers)

It promises to be a blast for the lucky 30,000 who have managed to get a ticket and long may it run. After all, its not going away is it.? Technology will always move forward, presenters will always be shiny glamorous and daring and we punters, will always ….punt. See you there fellow addicts.

And if you can’t be there yourself, then fear not! as we at the GadgetHelpline (with the help of our friends at www.demodone.com) will be brining you up-to date  News, Features, Images and some very special Videos for you to get a peek into the show, all from the comfort of your chair.

So check back in 2 weeks to see all the latest from the Gadget Show Live 2010.

There are so many web browsers to choose from on the Internet, most of them free to download, easy to use and quick to load pages. But the real challenge is finding the one that shines above them all, the best cross-platform browser there is.

Meaning we won’t review Internet Explorer… because it’ll only work on Microsoft operating systems. This is for CROSS-PLATFORM browsers, meaning the ones that run on most current operating systems. The difference between these browsers and Internet Explorer is that they are usually…

• Free
• Based on open source software (Meaning that users are allowed to modify or create their own browser based on the program’s code.)
• Updated regularly
• Customisable with plugins or add-ons
• And in some cases a lot faster

So, let’s begin the reviewing.

Opera 10 – Opera Software ASA

Released in early September 2009, Opera 10 is the latest update of the long-established underdog web browser. Opera has been around since the mid nineties, where Telenor, one of the largest Swedish telecoms companies at the time built it as a research project.

A year later, Opera branched out from Telenor, becoming Opera Software ASA. The company designed the browser to be accessible for everyone, users with visual or motor impairments. As such, the entire program can be controlled via the keyboard, and there are also some nifty mouse gestures, such as the ability to go back a page by holding the right mouse button and moving the mouse to the left, right, and opening a new tab by moving the mouse backward.

Although it contains some cool features, Opera is certainly not for the rookie user, and takes a bit of skill to use and understand many of it’s more advanced features properly.

Chrome 3.0 – Google Inc.

Google’s latest creation in their limitless-ambition fuelled project to topple Microsoft from the top of the software ladder, the Chrome browser boosts some of the easiest to use feature around.

As well as being an open-source production, Chrome includes many different functions and features, all aimed to improve security, speed, and stability when browsing the web, such as periodically downloading a ‘blacklist’ of sites that include phishing and malware, and displaying warnings before a user enters them.

Another security feature is that each open tab in Chrome is like it’s own little browser window, blocking malicious software running in one tab from seeing and entering another tab.

On the speed front, the new engine in Chrome is apparently three times faster than Firefox and Webkit competitors, but since then new engines by both developers have been released, both claiming to be faster then Chrome. In summary, Chrome is a decent browser for just using the Internet safely and quickly.

Safari 4.0 – Apple Inc.

Safari is the current default browser bundled with current generation Apple operating systems, but is also available for many other operating systems.

Safari includes all the regular things a web browser needs, such as tabs, popup blockers, etc. The program also contains some other, more uncommon features such as expandable text boxes, a top 24 section which listed the top 24 sites most visited by the user, a feature that changes the design of the browser to a Windows look rather than an Apple OS theme and an iTunes style cover flow listing recently visited sites.

Safari is fast, simple and pretty stable, includes interesting features and a well-designed look. In short, Safari is a basic, but useful fast browsing application.

Firefox 3.5 – Mozilla Corporation, Mozilla Foundation

Mozilla’s Firefox is an incredibly simple but user-friendly web-browsing environment, being that it is highly customisable and easy to use, compatible with almost every operating system and enjoys the top spot in terms of the most used browser independent of any one operating system.

Firefox’s systems are, while simplistic, amazingly useful, from the feature which lets a user drag and drop the icons on the customisable toolbar atop the window where they want and when they want to the innovative download manager tool which handles all internet downloads and displays their progress accurately.

Firefox also is a very secure browser, so secure in fact it is so popular that during a string of China-based cyber attacks earlier this year, both the French and German governments recommended the use of Firefox as a more secure browser alternative after the discovery of a security hole in Internet Explorer.

Firefox also includes an amazing armoury of add-ons ready to be raided by users, which include a multitude of functions and features to complement the browser. Ever since its release back in 2005, Firefox has soared ahead of its standalone browser competitors, grabbing a 25% market share globally and a 31% share in Europe. Firefox is easy to use, quick to download, unproblematic, lightweight and secure and, most importantly, free.

But ultimately its all about you. Try them and if you like, keep, if not then delete. Its your decision.

Now, 2009 was a bit of a slow year technology wise, with many updates to various big products (iPhone 3Gs, PS3 Slim etc) and a few new product releases (HTC Hero), but no standout gadget that was new and blew our minds…. step forward 2010 with the following hotly anticipated group of gadgets to get any tech head salivating. so we present to you:

The GadgetHelpline’s top 4 gadgets to look forward to in 2010

Apple Tablet

The most hyped gadget since… well the Apple iPhone (coincidence?) is also the only gadget on our list that hasn’t officially been announced. The Apple tablet is expected to be the most radical gadget of 2010 and is also expected to smash open the eBook/netbook market and is also sure to be the must have gadget of the year. As little is officially known about the Apple Tablet which means all hardware specs are open to variation but it is reported that the unit will pack a 9.6-inch multitouch screen, long lasting battery, built in HSDPA connectivity and a Mac style computer. The Apple Tablet is also rumoured to be aiming at the eBook market as it also with reader functions.

Still its all a rumour for now but with Apple (once again) rumoured to be making an announcement on the 26th of Jan its just a case of “watch this space”.

Xbox 360 Project Natal

In 2010 the games industry is going to change. With the dominance of the Nintendo Wii and its motion controlled console the whole world of computer games has been opened up. However where Nintendo has aimed at family games and fun for all Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is looking to bring motion capture to the “Serious” gamers.

Microsoft are billing project Natal as “the birth of the next-generation of home entertainment” and the system is aimed at opening up the Xbox 360 to a whole new customer base (similar to the Nintendo Wii) but are looking to incorporate it into a whole wireless/controller free home entertainment system.

The system is based on a motion capture peripherals attachment that is compatible with any Xbox 360 unit. The motion capture aspect of Natal is down to a combination of a RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and custom processor running proprietary software all in one device plus a face recognition system that will track your full body movements and can even detect the emotion in your voice commands.

This could truly be the future of gaming but with Sony also releasing the Playstation 3 Motion Controller wand in the second quarter of 2010, they will be getting a big head start on Natal and the motion capture market before Natal is released around November time.

Google Chrome OS

Google are huge. Massive even, and as one of the software industry giants it was only a matter of time before they would be launching a complete computer operating system (or OS for the nerdy)…. cue 2010 and the forthcoming release of Google Chrome OS, the web based computing system that aims to lower ram space and processor needs and make all of the applications online.
Currently slated to be released for netbooks and similar smaller PCs the Chrome OS will be similar in appearance to the Google Chrome browser but will also incorporate word-processing, spreadsheets and more all in one browser.

The super lightweight OS is completely open sourced and is being touted as going from a turned off state to browsing in under 10 seconds!. Now once again these are all rumours but for more info on Google Chrome OS see our “Is the new Google Chrome OS worth the wait?” article.

Google Chrome is expected to start appearing on netbooks by the second half of 2010.

TV Goes 3D with Sky 3D

HD has been the only word on peoples lips the past few years when it comes to TV, but 2010 is the year we stop talking HD and start shouting 3D!

In the past year 3D technology has been huge in cinemas around the world and the next step after cinemas is home entertainment and all the big name brands are jumping on the bandwagon fast.

The biggest player in the 3D race is currently Sky who have not just been rumoured to be looking into 3D technology but have come out and made an announcement that Sky’s 3D service will be available to customers with a Sky+ HD set-top box next year, but customers will require a new “3D-ready” TV set which are expected go on sale in the UK next year (plus the obligatory 3D Glasses).

And in the past month Sky have even been advertising the coming 3D before the biggest 3D film (so far), James Cameron’s 3D epic “AVATAR” with a 3D ad campaign.

Sky are planning on having a as-yet-unnamed 3D channel that will offer movies, entertainment and sport and will be the first 3D broadcaster in Europe.
And on top of this the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is currently working on standardising the storage of 3D movies on Blu-ray discs so we will also be able to enjoy 3D films from the comfort of our own home.

There are currently no release dates for Sky 3D or for 3D Blu-ray disc productions but most can be expected by the middle of 2010.

So 2010 really is looking to be a big year in technology and we at the GadgetHelpline are here to help/inform/salivate as it all comes.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ok, Yes we know that we are just shamelessly self promoting here but, in the recent tech news of Virgin starting up a new Virgin Digital Service similar to our GadgetHelpline service, we thought we would weigh in with our opinions….

Virgin Digital Help is too Expensive too Impersonal

Virgin has launched a digital help service for gadgets but it is expensive and in its basic form impersonal whereas we at the Gadget Helpline are a UK based impartial service with no corporate tie in. We won’t recommend Virgin Media to you unless it’s the best available service for your situation.

On Virgin Digital Help for £2.99 per month you get access to effectively a raft of digital handbooks. You could call the www.Gadgethelpline.com for a £2.99 per month fixed price and get all the bells and whistles on offer at Virgin and talk to a live operator. Gadget Helpline also offer a 30 day free trial to the service so that’s 30 days of free help on the full service. If you don’t like it then fine, its FREE!

Virgin Digital Help’s tech team are based in the Philippines

The free live service is based on a team of people giving advice in the Philippines, and Virgin Digital Help say that they shall only employ 10 people in the UK. Foreign call centres in the technology space have proven to be ineffective to the UK based consumer and there is a general re-focus on UK based technical call centres for the Consumer Electronics industry in the UK.

Now we at the GadgetHelpine pride ourselves in being a UK based company who employ people who love gadgets and offer a completely impartial advice.

Virgin Digital doesn’t cover AV and TV support.

Its a bit of a side note for Virgin Digital Help but we at the GadgetHelpline offer support on all household entertainment goods. In fact we love calls on TVs as we love TV, and who doesn’t like talking about something they love!

We cover MP3 players, flat screen TVs, DVD players, games consoles, satellite receivers, digital cameras, video cameras, mobile phones, Bluetooth headsets, computer printers and scanners, satellite navigation devices, fax machines, answering machines, home audio systems and PCs… phew! I’m out of breath just writing that.

Virgin digitals phone support is £6.99 a month, while home visits start from £90.

So that’s £6.99 just to speak to a real person instead of just using a computer service and its also a minimum contract of 3 months for the phone support. Whats more you get allocated a annual allowance of minutes that start at 20 minutes a month. Now we at the GadgetHelpline offer full one on one support with an agent and free callbacks for serious issues with no timescales and no annual allowance. We also offer free Tips, News and features on our blog.gadgethelpline.com website as well as interactive manuals and self help guides.

The Diva S7070 and S5150 is set to reach the UK high street in January 2010, and is aimed at all the ladies in the house.

The S7070 Diva resembles like the best-selling Samsung Tocco Lite, but has a chic white gloss front and black quilted back cover. It also features an extra-stylish touchscreen so there will be no issues with breaking a nail on a pesky keypad.

The 3 megapixel camera comes with “Beauty Shot” which allows you to edit photos to make them look the way you want. Never again will you be seen to have a bad hair day.

The S5150 Diva folder is a clamshell style phone, with a mirrored cover and external screen that you can set to display the time and any message notifications.

Instead of a touchsreen there is a sleek-looking keypad that is made up of one flat panel instead of raised buttons that were so last year.

The Divas offer instant notifications when friends or ex-boyfriends update their social networking sites, and a multi-instant messenger combines all of your accounts into the one application.

Both handsets also have “Fake Call” and “SOS Message” safety features, for when you need to get out of a bad situation.

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