So it was pretty cool to find out about the Lloyds TSB British weather photographer of the year competition, as I had the perfect entry piece!

Open to UK residents only, the competition can be entered  by uploading a suitably striking image of British weather to the link above; excitingly, the entries are not only judged by photographers by meteorologists as well! Ensure your image has the right mix of flair, technique and originality – I’m not sure how well I will fare with the first two qualities, but I’m pretty confident that this is an original composition.

As the competition has been running since April 13th – and closes on September 30th, 2010 – the Lloyds TSB website already has a great selection of submitted entries, so you can take a good look at what you’re up against.

It would be really great if you would also take the time to visit the Lloyds TSB website and vote for my entry “A morning freeze”, which I feel is a much different image to many of those already submitted. Whereas the popular choice has been sweeping, majestic views of landscape or close-ups, I’ve opted for a more suburban view of the weather – as you can see, my entry into the British weather photographer of the year competition features a freezing, hanging fog eerily taking hold of a children’s playground.

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This fantastic piece of Windows Phone 7 news was released on Tuesday – read on to find out just how Windows Phone 7, Xbox Live and Windows PC games can be integrated!

With Xbox LIVE and a Blockbuster Title Line-up, Windows Phone 7 Marks a New Era in Mobile Gaming First wave of Xbox LIVE titles from award-winning publishers announced for the launch of Windows Phone 7.COLOGNE, Germany — August 17, 2010 — Today at Gamescom 2010, the world’s largest consumer-oriented games showcase, Microsoft Corp. premiered the first wave of Xbox LIVE games launching on Windows Phone 7 this Christmas. With even more games and applications to come, Windows Phone 7 is putting the power of Xbox LIVE into the palm of your hand — from Xbox LIVE Avatars to staying connected with friends, Xbox LIVE is now at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere.*

“We believe that no matter where life takes you, the best in gaming and entertainment should follow,” said Marc Whitten, corporate vice president of Xbox LIVE at Microsoft. “Windows Phone 7 takes a different approach to handheld gaming, utilising Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Game Studios, leading game publishers, and innovative indie developers, to create powerful, shared experiences for everyone.”

The Games You Want, Played When and Wherever You Want Them
In a sea of games, apps, gadgets and gizmos, the biggest obstacle can be finding the game that’s right for you. Only Windows Phone 7 has a Games hub featuring Xbox LIVE, creating a different kind of mobile gaming experience that puts the games you want front and centre. Xbox LIVE games on Windows Phone 7 will be specially selected from the top names in mobile, PC and console game development, making the best mobile games even better, thanks to Xbox LIVE. With try-before-you-buy demos, Xbox LIVE leader-boards, turn-based multiplayer, Achievements and more, Windows Phone 7 brings the quality, consistency and community of the Xbox experience to gamers on the go.

Windows Phone 7 also will be supported by content from Microsoft Game Studios (MGS), providing strong first-party gaming titles and intellectual property for the phone. For Xbox fans, this means that Windows Phone 7 will offer companion titles to familiar names, such as “Halo: Waypoint,” and “Crackdown 2,” extending the experience of their favourite Xbox 360 franchises.

“Windows Phone 7 is the launch of a major gaming platform for Microsoft,” said Matt Booty, general manager of mobile gaming for MGS. “Just like we’ve done with Xbox 360, our charter is to push the envelope and deliver definitive games that maximise the platform. We will have an incredible line-up of MGS titles, and that’s just the beginning.”

The most creative minds in game development are bringing the biggest franchises to Windows Phone 7. The first wave of launch portfolio titles includes Xbox LIVE games from the likes of Gameloft, Konami, Namco Bandai, PopCap and THQ. Whether you choose to play a gem of a puzzler with “Bejeweled^TM LIVE” (PopCap), bring down the house with “Guitar Hero 5” (Glu Mobile), fight off a destructive alien invasion in “The Harvest” (MGS), paint your way out of a corner with “Max and the Magic Marker” (PressPlay) or defend your city in “Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst” (MGS), the first wave of games announced in the launch portfolio of Xbox LIVE games on Windows Phone 7 has something for every mobile gamer:

• “3D Brick Breaker Revolution” (Digital Chocolate)
• “Age of Zombies” (Halfbrick)
• “Armor Valley” (Protégé Games)
• “Asphalt 5” (Gameloft)
• “Assassins Creed” (Gameloft)
• “Bejeweled^TM LIVE” (PopCap)
• “Bloons TD” (Digital Goldfish)
• “Brain Challenge” (Gameloft)
• “Bubble Town 2” (i-Play)
• “Butterfly” (Press Start Studio)
• “CarneyVale Showtime” (MGS)
• “Castlevania” (Konami)
• “Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst” (MGS)
• “De Blob Revolution” (THQ)
• “Deal or No Deal 2010” (i-Play)
• “Earthworm Jim” (Gameloft)
• “Fast & Furious 7” (i-Play)
• “Fight Game Rivals” (Rough Cookie)
• “Finger Physics” (Mobliss Inc.)
• “Flight Control” (Namco Bandai)
• “Flowerz” (Carbonated Games)
• “Frogger” (Konami)
• “Fruit Ninja” (Halfbrick)
• “Game Chest-Board” (MGS)
• “Game Chest-Card” (MGS)
• “Game Chest-Logic” (MGS)
• “Game Chest-Solitaire” (MGS)
• “GeoDefense” (Critical Thought)
• “Ghostscape” (Psionic)
• “Glow Artisan” (Powerhead Games)
• “Glyder 2” (Glu Mobile)
• “Guitar Hero 5” (Glu Mobile)
• “Halo Waypoint” (MGS)
• “Hexic Rush” (Carbonated Games)
• “I Dig It” (InMotion)
• “iBlast Moki” (Godzilab)
• “ilomilo” (MGS)
• “Implode XL” (IUGO)
• “Iquarium” (Infinite Dreams)
• “Jet Car Stunts” (True Axis)
• “Let’s Golf 2” (Gameloft)
• “Little Wheel” (One click dog)
• “Loondon” (Flip N Tale)
• “Max and the Magic Marker” (PressPlay)
• “Mini Squadron” (Supermono Limited)
• “More Brain Exercise” (Namco Bandai)
• “O.M.G.” (Arkedo)
• “Puzzle Quest 2” (Namco Bandai)
• “Real Soccer 2” (Gameloft)
• “The Revenants” (Chaotic Moon)
• “Rise of Glory” (Revo Solutions)
• “Rocket Riot” (Codeglue)
• “Splinter Cell Conviction” (Gameloft)
• “Star Wars: Battle for Hoth” (THQ)
• “Star Wars: Cantina” (THQ)
• “The Harvest” (MGS)
• “The Oregon Trail” (Gameloft)
• “Tower Bloxx NY” (Digital Chocolate)
• “Twin Blades” (Press Start Studio)
• “UNO” (Gameloft)
• “Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet” (i-Play)
• “Zombie Attack!” (IUGO)
• “Zombies!!!!” (Babaroga)

Additional titles in the launch portfolio will be released between now and the Windows Phone 7 launch this Christmas; once the phone launches, new Xbox LIVE titles also will be added to the games portfolio every week.

Xbox LIVE: Bringing More to Your Mobile Gaming
Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone 7 unlocks a world of games and fun and directly connects you to a global community of more than 25 million active Xbox LIVE members. Windows Phone 7 is the only phone that seamlessly integrates Xbox LIVE and provides unique mobile gaming experiences:

• Avatars. Connect to your Xbox LIVE profile and Avatar, or create a new one if you don’t already have an Avatar or Xbox LIVE profile; take your 3-D Avatar and props with you on the phone with full closet access.
• Friends. Bring your Xbox LIVE friends with you everywhere; compare Achievements, challenge rivals to your favourite game, and even see who’s online and what they’re doing on their consoles, PCs or phones.
• Game access. Easily view and launch your full game library from a single location; find, try and buy new games either in the Marketplace or Games hub.
• Achievements. Earn, view and track Achievements, view Xbox LIVE leader-boards and build your Gamerscore across Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7 — every time you play an Xbox LIVE title.
• Messaging. Communicate with all of your Xbox LIVE friends, any time you want, through Xbox LIVE messages.
• Multiplayer. Invite, connect and play against friends on other Windows Phone 7 phones or the PC with turn-based (asynchronous) multiplayer gaming.
• Spotlight. Access Xbox LIVE Spotlight feeds, including the latest game titles, breaking news from Xbox LIVE, game tips and tricks, and more.

This is pretty revolutionary stuff; an announcement that not only gets the gamer and mobile freak in me salivating but also reaffirms Microsoft’s commitment to their new mobile platform. Sure, we knew games were likely on WP7, but the depth and extent hadn’t yet been confirmed.

To know that selection of real Windows Phone 7 games will be available is one thing – to know that the selection of games above will be available to play across the three platforms to varying extents is another, amazing thing entirely!

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However a less well-known fact is my brief dalliance with BlackBerry; thanks to a BlackBerry Pearl that came my some months ago, I attempted to use it as my new primary phone. Unfortunately, this was the first release Pearl model – various functions available in the superior later models (such as GPS!) weren’t included, and as a mobile worshipping road warrior it just wasn’t a suitable phone for me.

In considerable contrast however is the new 3G Blackberry Pearl – it’s as if someone dragged the phone kicking and screaming into the 21st century!

The new 3G model is also Wi-Fi ready, and boasts a 625 MHz processor, quite a step up from the old model. With a slimmed down, less curvy body, 256 MB of memory and MicroSD expansion slot to hold up to 32 GB of extra storage, the BlackBerry Pearl 3G rewrites the whole “trendy BlackBerry” model of the original version by also making it “office ready.”

Developments to the BlackBerry app store mean that the usual social networking tools are also available, so there is plenty of opportunity to update Facebook while out with friends, and thanks to a superb 3.2MP camera with autofocus and LED flash, you can share your images straight away!

I’m honestly blown away with the difference between this phone and the original Pearl – it even looks a great option for some productivity tools such as the WordPress app thanks to its new design QWERTY keyboard and predictive SureType technology. Underneath it all, the superior BlackBerry OS5 holds the various apps and functions together in what is probably the best mobile OS for multi-tasking.

UK readers can head straight for www.phones4u.co.uk to find out more – and maybe even buy one!

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I’ve always felt that the hardcore mobile phone market – the one the developed from the PDA/smartphone users as opposed to the Nokia kids – was pretty partisan. For instance, I’ve been literally dragged from using my Windows Mobile to use an Android phone. Similarly, an old friend of mine won’t touch anything other than a BlackBerry.

Although relatively new, Android phones were attracting the same sort of dedicated, evangelical users before the first HTC Dream/G1 was even available to buy!

So it came as some surprise to find that a good friend of mine had traded in his brand new HTC Desire in order to jump on the Apple iPhone 4 train to super coolness and uber-styledom.

This friend – who will remain nameless for fear of recriminations from the Geek Police – had previously owned the HTC Dream and saw the HTC Desire as the perfect Android device that it is.

What prompted his decision to throw away what is to all intents and purposes the best phone on the planet at the moment at the moment in favour of the most stylish, awe-inspiring and marketable second-best phone?

A girl.

Seriously. I could hardly believe it myself, but it’s true.

He’d met this girl at a party recently after finishing a particularly lucrative contract, and she had apparently become insistent that he ditch the Android in favour of a brand new Apple iPhone 4. She even made him do it offered to take him to the local mobile store in order that he would feel “at one” with the mobile technology that he should be using.

Now this has been related to me by a third party, so I’m not entirely sure of the veracity of all of this. However, I it seems that they’ve now moved in together, if the number of happy emails with the prologue “Sent from my iPhone 4″ are anything to go by.

Of course, the thing is, if the above account is true, the lady concerned made a big song and dance of actually going to a high street branch in order to sell the experience and the phone to my friend. He could have shopped online, such as at http://www.dialaphone.co.uk.

So the moral of this story? Android phones are pretty cool, but girls really love the Apple iPhone 4!

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The computer was sold as damaged citing problems with the display – however upon opening the read panel, I discovered that every single capacitor was fine!

So began a crawl of the World Wide Web which took in the insane as well as the more practical (and sensible) fix of taping up some coins and mounting them inside the iMac, between the processor shielding and the back panel.

Closing the computer adds pressure to the CPU – and with a bit of heat from the processor after it gets going, the on screen display glitch is all but gone!

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Enabling visitors at MWL2010 to keep up-to-date with real-time feeds, this new app also provides a wealth of practical information on exhibitors and itineraries. With augmented reality geotagging offering detailed information on the best places to grab post-exhibition dinner, drinks and hotels, this iPhone app looks a surefire winner.

Making use of the iPhone camera, and combining image recognition with augmented reality, the revolutionary MWL2010 iPhone app is packed with the latest digital technology. The app’s image recognition function enables visitors to source exhibitors’ Twitter feeds, websites and contact numbers, simply by pointing their iPhone at the exhibitor’s logos.

Augmented reality geotagging comes courtesy of The Hedonists’ Guide, and enables the user to locate local restaurants, bars, clubs and hotels, co-ordinated by the iPhone’s internal GPS to coordinate where the user is in relation to the local amenities. General data is allso on offer to keep the user updated on general show information, Twitter feeds, itineraries, schedules and keynote presentations.

“This app will arm MWL2010 visitors with real-time knowledge of everything going on at Marketing Week Live,” said Mark Choueke Editor of Marketing Week, “and provide them with a fantastically interactive exhibition experience during the two days. Such apps will change the landscape of future exhibitions and we at Marketing Week are delighted to be leading from the front.”

To find out more about MWL2010: www.marketingweeklive.co.uk. To keep up to date with all the news and show updates, follow on Twitter @MWL2010, or visit on Facebook!

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In fact its pretty much in the bag, so I’ve started shopping around for various HTC HD2 Accessories. I’m a big believer in expanding the available memory and taking as much of my MP3 collection with me, as well as a good selection of apps. An expansion card is always an important purchase for a new phone, but equally is a charger.

Neither of my last two phones have had suitable desktop charger – in fact I wish users had been provided with something a bit more like the USB HTC HD2 Desktop Charger.

Along with a sturdy case (either silicon or a bulkier but more satisfying leather affair) I’ll also be equipping my wonder phone with a HTC HD2 Screen Protector. All that finger tapping and sliding across screen deposits a great deal of grease on the screen, which then needs to be cleaned off. Protection from scratches is of course paramount – I don’t want to get such a great phone covered in blemishes.

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Opinion Piece by Roger Thompson, Chief Technical Officer, AVG

Worse still was the fact that as Twitter struggled to rectify the situation, it temporarily removed subscriber’s followers.  Celebrities found themselves in the traumatic position of being unpopular…at least for a while!  On the flip side, the bug enabled millions of people to force celebrities, such as Lady Gaga, to follow their tweets simply by typing “accept@ladygaga”.

Celebrities mourning the loss of their followers included:

Ashton Kutcher: “Twitter is being hacked by some Turkish hacker.  Haha I have 0 followers.”

Sarah Cawood: “Uh oh.  Will we ever get them back?”

Stephen Fry: “Do you know, I was sure I had more followers than that.  Must have imagined it.”

Justin Bieber: “So I woke up here in LA and Twitter has been hacked.  Turns out I am no longer popular.”

Farcical though the story was, it did highlight three major concerns that users should be mindful of:

1. While this attack was relatively harmless, the attacker could have directed users to a page full of drive-by downloads and exploits
2. Social networks are inherently viral, they multiply all by themselves.  Just last week AVG discovered a variety of Facebook apps that were spreading via Friend lists to install adware
3. The web is the current attack surface of choice.  You should be running some type of dedicated webscanning programme to help guard against harmful links.

So, how can users protect themselves against these types of hacks?

1. Limit what you say

It’s easy to tweet about where you are and what you’re doing, but do you think about who is listening? What might seem like a harmless comment initially could be used to piece together a picture of your whereabouts and plans! Unless your tweets are protected, they are going to be out in the public domain. Fraudsters can use this information in many ways!


2. Be careful what you click on

Be suspicious about links that you are sent and that are posted. Many people use URL shortners on Twitter so it is often very difficult to check what you are clicking on. AVG Linkscanner can help check suspicious links, but remember if in doubt, don’t click!

3. Be vigilant

Watch out for suspicious activity in your tweet stream and inbox. If you start receiving strange messages or your friends are being unusually spammy, it might be worth double checking their account hasn’t been compromised.

4. Think before you tweet

Remember the whole world can see what you write and even though tweets can be deleted, they are still searchable. Don’t tweet when you’re drunk/angry/emotional, while it is funny thinking about it the consequences are often not as amusing. Additionally, by including ‘hash tags’ increase the search for your chosen term so spend time considering exactly who will be searching for your tweets.

5. Don’t be too trusting

You can never be sure the stranger you ‘networked’ with via Twitter is who they say they are. Don’t be easily befriended by strangers on Twitter who may not have your best interests at heart.

6. Check third party applications

There are hundreds of applications out there for Twitter, before signing up to one of these check they are safe. You can do this by looking for mentions of the tools on trusted sites. Remember that the apps generally require your password and log in details so be extra cautious on sharing this information.
The same basic rules that apply to other social networking sites can also be applied to Twitter, so don’t forget the following too:

7. Password information

Use different passwords, or even better still, set up separate email accounts for your social networks, that way if you stop your account you can easily delete the email account too. Be mindful of where you are sending your updates and the types of security questions you set.

8. Signing in

Check your browser settings on your computer, so that your information is not stored for anyone else to see if you are on a shared computer!

9. Watch out for phishing attacks

As Twitter gets more popular the likeliness of phishing attacks grows. Be aware of attempts to get users to give up their login and passwords by tricking them with fake tweets and direct messages.

10. Being mobile

Be mindful about who might have access to your mobile phone. If you have a Twitter application, make sure you log out once you’re finished with it.

For more information on how to protect yourself online, visit: www.avg.com

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Throwing away old mobile phones is an ecological disaster waiting to happen – with batteries left in the disposed handsets, there is every chance that in future the batteries that are already in landfills will react with gases and other matter. Similarly, the increasingly common use of high resolution LCD screens can, if not treated in the right way, lead to a potentially devastating environmental challenge.

One way around this is mobile phone recycling – a simple and cost-effective way to dispose of your mobile phone, for money, and be certain that it is going to be broken down into its constituent parts and safely disposed.

While there are many ways to make money online, taking advantage of mobile phone recycling services also gives you the advantage of a bit of extra cash in your pocket to put towards your next mobile purchase.

The importance of disposing of mobile phones in the right way has become an increasingly popular and important part of the life-cycle of any purchase – within the packaging of new mobile phones you will regularly find a recycle bag, for you to safely send your old phone away to be responsibly broken down.

Charities meanwhile offer a third way – mobile phones donated to them are either sold on or shipped to Third World countries. However this option isn’t perfect. While it might provide a technological advantage to the population in question, there is little available information as to how a phone in such an environment might be correctly disposed.

Three choices – but we would recommend you take the cash option…

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Besides Facebook, WWE Entertainment decided to get involved. All of their shows in the run-up to the general elections saw WWE Superstars reminding their fans to vote on the 6th May. It’s amazing how different emerging mediums can both promote an old democratic process.

The interent hasn’t just helped in the promotion and delivery of politics. When a hung parliament was announced, a flurry of people fled to Wikipedia in an attempt to understand the situation more clearly. Twitter become overrun by hung parliament tweets, and groups began to surface on Facebook almost immediately. These new trends proved a new found interest in politics, in turn showing us how the internet and television has enabled us to explore new levels of previously unfounded politics.

So it seems that at last, modern technology has grabbed politics by the scruff of the neck and given it a good shake.

The question is…what will come out of this blatant assault on ‘old politics’ in the future?

At some point in the near future, the voting system will become predominently based online. This will make it easier to register a vote, speed results up, and allow a wider range of statistics to accompany the results.

We will also see politians taking their campaigns online. They will start sending flyers by email and creating  groups on social networking sites to declare certain policies. This shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing – Politics has needed a 21st makeover for…well, since 2000!

The 2010 General Election saw new trends emerge, and cement a place in delivering ‘new politics‘. Unfortunately, this may be the last time we see ‘old politics‘ in full swing, as technologic advances continue to restructure  the political system, as well as our understanding of politics.

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