Author Archive: Matt

iPhone Data Loss and Recovery [Infographic]

Data Loss and Recovery. An infographic by the team at Secure Data Recovery Services

The Future of Television

There’s no escaping it, television is a huge part of the culture of this country. According to statistics released by Ofcom, no less than 90 percent of adults tune into their favourite shows without fail every week. Our media is dominated by the lives of television stars, and as programming and technology continues to improve exponentially, there’s no way our love of television is going anywhere any time soon. Do you remember your first TV? Sometimes when we’re sat watching tiny beads of sweat on the brows of our favourite footballers, it can be hard to remember that television wasn’t always such an excellent viewing experience. Today we reveal what’s still to come in TV technology, and reminisce about days gone by…

Exciting developments…

Although impossible to see how picture quality can get much better than it is currently – the next leap in HD technology is said to be just around the corner, and will see 8k HD become the norm. Arguably the most exciting development on the block is organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), which is an advancement on LED technology that’s a whopping 1000x faster, and could allow hardware like roll-up screens to become a wonderful, and undeniably futuristic, reality.

In a recent interview, Paul Lever from Cheapest Electrical discussed OLED, “LG and Samsung both revealed potential models at this year’s CES, with the LG winning CNET’s Best of CES Award. Make no mistake, this is the most important advancement in TV technology in more than a decade, and a vast improvement over both LCD and plasma.”

When enjoying the perks of such advanced technology, it’s easy to forget how we got to this point. Let’s take a little look back here, shall we?

In simpler times…

For 30 years, from the 1960’s up until the 90’s the predominant television found in houses across the nation was the cathode ray tube, or CRT TV for short. Usually no larger than 25”, the only real additional feature these models offered was access to Teletext.

A leap in quality…

As we rolled into the 90’s the latest technologies to cause a stir were plasma and LCD screens. Opinion was initially divided over which provided the best viewing experience – but eventually LCD was victorious, due to using far less energy, and having a better shelf life. Plasma screens were discontinued relatively recently in 2014.

A switch to digital…

Between 2008 – 2012 the country slowly transitioned from analogue to digital. This switch meant that 26 million people were instantly granted access to freeview TV – and all the additional channels, and features that came with it. Now viewers could pause live TV, record a whole series of their favourite shows with just the touch of a button, and could enjoy interactive services, which enhanced the viewing experience.

Along comes HD…

Next picture clarity was targeted, and 4k ultra high definition became the norm, improving the viewing experience tenfold. Digital TV meant people with the right televisions could now access multiple free HD channels, and providers like BT and Netflix made it possible for you to watch your favourite shows and sports in high definition. People also try Spectrum Television Plans that offer on-demand services, they just simply choose from the remote then enjoy the show.

Broken Appliance: Is it more cost effective to repair or replace it?

Appliances are essential when it comes to everyday household chores, however they’re not indestructible and it can be extremely irritating and costly when they begin to fault.

Some of the most common faults are pretty straightforward to put right. However, when the problem is out of your control then it’s time to face the tough decision whether to call in repair specialists or to invest in new model and cut your losses on expensive repairs.

To help make the decision for you, Glotechrepairs.co.uk have produced a handy infographic which they’ve put together with their own research and data to show you whether it’s best to fork out on repairs or whether it would be more affordable to buy a replacement model.

Scroll along the infographic below to see whether you should repair or replace your appliance.

Without a doubt, eSports are a GLOBAL market

In the last decade or so, the rise of eSports has been impressive to say the least. While video and social media platforms such as Youtube and Facebook have both helped to spread the word of eSports and competitive gaming, the ‘sport’ in general is booming thanks to key personalities who have left their mark on the world of online gaming.

The likes of Syndicate, KSIOlajidebt and Felix Kjellberg have helped to enhance the appeal of online gaming – largely down to their publicity and likeable personalities. Nowadays, there are plenty of vloggers who attempt to follow in their footsteps and commentate over their gameplay whilst playing FIFA, Call of Duty and more.

But behind the scenes, eSports have been growing and it’s now much more than a few famous faces on the internet. ESports ARE a global brand. They are huge. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake in their daily tournaments and the best players in the world are making an absolute fortune on a weekly basis.

In fact, you can now place bets on eSports – THAT’S how big they are. Betway have a growing market dedicated specifically to eSports and punters can place bets on tournaments, individual games and team competitions. And best of all, eSports are only going to get bigger in the future as more money is invested.

The latest partnership deal with both Yahoo and Twitch, which will see major competitions broadcast all over the world, is just the next step for what is perhaps the fastest growing market on the planet. Most people believe that Youtube is a gold mine but eSports is much more impressive – the scale of money involved is frightening.

Earlier this year, the 2016 FIFA Interactive World Cup was held in New York City – with the top 32 players in the world travelling to the United States’ East Coast for the competition. On that occasion, Denmark’s Mohamad Al Bacha came up trumps as he defeated England’s Sean Allen in the final of the competition.

For that, Al Bacha emerged with £20,000, the trophy presented by Franck Ribery and a ticket to the next FIFA Ballon d’Or ceremony. And while the cash incentives are much greater for other competitions, it’s quickly becoming more about the perks of the job and the potential achievements for being one of the top players in the world.

As eSports continue to grow, the global audience and market will also increase. This year, the FIWC final was broadcast live on Sky Sports and it’s only a matter of time before a dedicated eSports television channel springs up. Then, and only then, will people start to accept it for what it is: a corporate, money-making machine.