Archive for June 27th, 2014

By June 27, 2014 Read More →

Top 3 reasons to own an iPod car adapter

connected your ipod to your carWith summer upon us, many of us will be packing up the car, strapping on our seatbelts and heading on a road trip. Staying entertained while on the road can be difficult and, while books and game consoles may keep the passengers quiet, drivers will need to find amusement in audio.

Listening to the radio is okay to start with, but there’s only so many times you can listen to the same annoying advertisements and repeated songs. Surely there has to be another option?! There is — an iPod car adapter. Read on to find our top three reasons why you must own one.

1.      Shuffle

Listening to CDs is good, but what do you do when you come to the end of the album? Do you run the risk of attempting to switch CDs while driving — something we do not advise — or simply press play and endure the same 12 or so songs over and over again?

The shuffle function on your iPod puts an end to this. No longer are you bound to the limits of one album or artist. Simply hit shuffle and delight as your tunes jump from Jay Z to Jason Mraz, from Britney to Blondie. You’ll definitely have plenty of ‘I forgot how much I love this song’ moments during your journey!

2.      Genius playlists

With an iPod adapter, you get the best of both worlds. If you fear that jumping from the dulcet tones of Barry White to the infectious lyrics of the Black Eyed Peas will distract you from your driving, there is another option.

Apple’s Genius function automatically creates playlists of songs of similar genres. This means they won’t be any sudden changes from a cheesy pop ballad to a death metal anthem, so you’re sure of no surprises during your trip.

3.      Prevent arguments

It’s no secret that family holidays can become quite tense. While we love them dearly, there’s only so much time you can spend in close proximity to your loved ones. While mum might love listening to Rod Stewart, it might not be shared amongst the group.

Having an iPod car adapter enables you to switch between genres easily. This means you can keep everyone happy by taking it in turns to pick a song. It’s the fairest way when musical tastes differ.

So now you know why you need an iPod car adapter, where can you get your hands on one? Specialist retailers like In Car Connections stock a variety of in-car adapters to suit many types of cars, from BMWs to Renaults. Choose the one that’s right for you and prepare to hit the open road.

Posted in: Editorial, Gadgets
By June 27, 2014 Read More →

5 accessories every smartphone owner needs

allveb-2Your smartphone might’ve replaced everything from the humble calculator and calendar to the digital camera and MP3 player, but you still need the odd accessory to get the most out of it. Check out our list of must-haves below.

1. Smartphone case

High-end smartphones are worth upwards of £500, so it’s important that you shield them against damage. Repairing cracked screens is expensive, and scratches and scuffs ruin the appearance of your handset, reducing its resale value.

It’s a good idea to buy your smartphone case direct from the manufacturer, as it’s more likely to hold it snugly and leave spaces for connectors and camera lenses. You can browse the range of Nokia cases here, HTC cases here, Samsung cases here, and Apple-approved iPhone cases here.

2. High-quality earphones

Most smartphones come with a pair of earphones, but they’re not always of the highest quality. If you want to make the most of watching movies, listening to music and playing games on your device, purchasing some new earphones might be a good idea.

John Lewis has a wide range of premium headphones, and includes a minimum two-year guarantee with every purchase. Take a look at the reviews as well as the specifications to ensure you invest wisely — Bose tends to be one of the top brands.

3. Speaker dock

For similar reasons, a speaker dock is a must-have. Smartphone speakers can’t produce high volumes and tend to compromise quality. Get your hands on a Bluetooth dock so you can enjoy quality sound wirelessly. There’s one for every budget available at Amazon.

4. Emergency phone charger

One of the few downsides to owning a smartphone rather than an old-school handset is the reduced battery time. All those apps, a high-resolution screen and impressive processors are power hungry, so you can often find yourself low on juice.

For those occasions you need to charge while on the go, a power pack is a necessity. Check out the range at Gizoo, which includes chargers that are compatible with most devices. There are compact power packs that are small enough to fit in your pocket, and larger models that can top up your battery again and again.

And if you’re always on your phone, you will need glasses to protect your eyes. Shop for cheap varifocal glasses at Glasses Hut’s website.

5. Window mount

Anyone with a smartphone and a car needs a window mount. These accessories keep your device safely away from hands, so you’re not tempted to answer texts or check emails unsafely. They’re also indispensable when using your handset’s built-in sat nav.

Posted in: Editorial, Phones
By June 27, 2014 Read More →

How Can Conducting A Video Meeting Help Your Webinar Become A Success?

boardroomThe ability to talk to a large group of people allows you to spread information at a prodigious rate. This is important for businesses as well as educational facilities and even in government. The question is, how you can reach as many people as you need to? In the past, you needed to gather everyone into a large area and speak from a position high enough and loud enough so everyone in attendance could see and hear what you had to see. These days, webinars have taken over as the quickest and easiest way to speak to a large group of people all at once.

How You Can Get Started

The first thing you should consider when you’re looking to hold a webinar is the software you’re going to use whenever you’re broadcasting, according to Forbes. Such things as the Blue Jeans network video conferencing platforms allow you to broadcast your message to as many people as can access your webinar. Best of all, since this will be highly similar to simply having a conference call, you will feel ultimately comfortable in speaking to your group. You won’t be able to see everyone you’re talking to, so you won’t have to worry about getting stage fright. You can give your webinar to a small group of people in the room with you rather than worrying about how many people are looking at you. The absence of noise from the crowd makes it possible for you to concentrate on what you’re saying rather than how people are reacting to what you’re saying. It is of the utmost importance to check all of your equipment and software before your webinar begins, so you can make sure you’re not going to encounter any problems as you get started.

Make Sure You Incorporate Social Media

Social media allows everyone in your webinar to discuss what you’re saying as you say it, according to Copyblogger. As you get started using Blue Jeans network video conferencing platforms to broadcast your webinar, make sure to announce the hashtag associated with it. This way, everyone involved in the webinar can discuss during the webinar as well as afterwards. This is a perfect way you can actually engage with the people watching the webinar. They can provide questions to you through something like a Twitter hashtag. Simply have someone monitoring the hashtag with all the activity and passing along important questions as they come through. You can then read the questions and offer answers to the entire group rather than to just a few. Additionally, this keeps the discussion going long after the webinar is over. You can continue to offer guidance and support to those who needs it. Of course, because it is social media rather than a face to face conversation, it means everyone else who might have had the same question will be able to see the answer to the question and you will experience fewer interruptions.

Using Guest Speakers is Even Easier

Guest speakers always make a seminar better, but you cannot always get the speakers you want speaking at your events. This is why you might want to consider using a video meeting for your webinar instead. According to Tech Soup, this is a perfect way to get them involved without having to worry about a conflicting schedule getting in the way. They can simply come on for their section of the webinar and then leave immediately afterwards. The cost of utilizing the talent of these speaks goes way down when you remove travel expenses and other considerations. You can even have more speakers than you might normally have the ability to book. With the ability to simply turn on a smartphone, tablet or webcam, there’s really no reason why the speaker cannot fit the time in.

Get More from Visual Aids

A big problem with a live seminar is not everyone can get the full benefit from the visual aids you’re using. This is why you should be using video meeting as a webinar tool. You can display your computer and everyone on the call will see exactly what you see. According to PR Daily, you should aspire to take a page out of Steve Jobs book. This means you should pay attention to just how much you’re asking your audience to read. If your slides have a novel written on them, people will just stare at them while fighting their sleep. If you aspire to have fewer than 5 words on each frame, you will have a much better shot of getting your audience to read everything you put on the screen. Make sure everything is highly inspiring as well as integral to what you’re talking about. Also, make sure the slides will not interfere with the ability to see your face while you’re talking.

Posted in: Editorial
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